Heeeeeey! Chapter 11 is here!
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Fate/Dominance
After the chat and a bit of sightseeing, Naruto, Jeanne and Julie returned to the Hanging Gardens. In a place where so many Servants were gathered, chaos was practically guaranteed...
"GET BACK HERE, WITCH BITCH!"
Turning to the scream, the trio first saw Medea floating backwards, her eyes mischievous and her lips curled in amusement.
Not far behind... was an enraged Mordred, Clarent in hand.
Instead of her armor, she was wearing a beautiful white dress with blue ribbons, one on her back and the other tying her ponytail, with white knee-high stockings and high heels. All in all, not something Mordred would wear by choice.
The first reaction to this scene was Jeanne's laughter.
Mordred stopped stiff, her face paling. Turning her head to the side, she saw the little family. Jeanne was still laughing, Naruto was looking at her with a raised eyebrow and Julie tilted her head in confusion.
Mordred's face reddened in embarrassment before she turned back to Medea and her rage returned tenfold. She charged once more, her blade radiating red Prana.
"Ara." Medea's smile widened as she floated upwards. "So ungrateful of my efforts."
"To hell with your efforts!" Mordred growled. "Why didn't you pick the Wannabe Idol instead!? Trying new outfits is her shtick!"
"Because her dragon features would clash with the design." Medea hummed. "If you desire to blame anyone, blame that Saber on the other faction. The Assyrian Queen was observing their movements, and seeing their Saber in that butler suit gave me the urge to make something of my own."
"GODDAMMIT, FATHER!" Mordred cried out.
Jeanne was still laughing, falling on her knees while clutching her sides. She was never going to let her live this down!
"Pretty dress!" Julie exclaimed.
"It is a very good design." Naruto agreed. "Although, not to the liking of the model. You should have gone for something red. Or black and purple, she's a real fan of those colours."
"Yes, well, I made this with the other Saber in mind. This Saber is a placeholder."
"To hell with you!" Mordred snapped. "I'm not gonna be a stand-in for my Father like that!"
Feeling a tug on her skirt, Mordred looked down. Julie had grabbed a fistful of the skirt and rubbed it against her whiskered cheek. She hummed as she enjoyed the feeling of the fabric. Mordred looked away, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment.
Jeanne let out a sigh of relief, catching her breath. After seeing Julie enjoying the look and feel of the dress, she beckoned Medea. The former princess raised an eyebrow, but complied and approached the Avenger. When Medea landed, Jeanne whispered something in her ear.
Medea's eyes lit up. "I can do that. I can definitely do that."
"Great!" Jeanne smirked. "Julie, ma chérie, we have something important to do."
Julie blinked at her mother's calling and walked over. "Like what, Maman?"
"That's a surprise." Jeanne winked and picked Julie up before turned to Naruto. "We'll be busy for a little while, so I'll leave you to your hunt."
Naruto nodded and turned to Mordred. "Tell the others to meet in Caster's Throne Room when I get back. We have an important matter to discuss."
Mordred blinked, but nodded.
Naruto passed through a rift while the trio of girls walked off.
Mordred stood there for a moment. "Why the hell am I still in this thing!?" She growled to herself and, with a flare of Prana, summoned her armor.
She blinked, then slumped. "...Goddammit." She could have done that from the start! Why did it take so long to remember!?
Naruto appeared on top of the bridge, the drivers and pedestrians down below heedless of his sudden landing.
Five of seven Class Cards remaining. Oddly enough, there were originally eight Cards used. Only, one should have been invalid and unusable. It just so happened to be in the hands of the one who was compatible with it. And he had claimed victories by using that 'invalid' card. Perhaps even win the whole War, if the fact that the Cards were here meant anything.
"Ainsworth." Naruto hummed. A Magus family that, somehow, could place Heroic Spirits within Mystic Code Cards and use their powers themselves, to the point of creating their own Holy Grail War.
He had no idea how they could seal these Servants within the Cards, or even if their summoning method was different, but he will find out, and take it all away from them. There was, however, one thing he knew for sure.
There were two Archer Cards: the 'invalid' one, and the Gilgamesh Card. Was the latter here, in this world? There was definitely one missing. The question was, 'Which one'? As Assassin and Rider were some of the earlier Cards defeated by Shirou Emiya, he didn't have the full picture of the War, yet. Thankfully, Cards also retained knowledge gained from their wielders while used. This was another reason to get these cards, beyond the powers of the Servants: Knowledge of the Ainsworth, perhaps even their end goal.
And the only way to find out was to get those cards.
"Let's go." He said, going through Yomotsu Hirasaka to enter the Mirror World.
When he entered the Mirror World, he immediately felt negative intentions. He turned around just in time for an arrow to fly past him.
"Ah, so it's you." Naruto noted. "It would make sense for an Archer to have such a vantage point."
The Archer Card was a tall, dark-skinned man wearing a red mantle. The only difference between the Class Card and the actual Servant was the red headband the one before him was wearing.
"Very well." Naruto drew Muramasa. "Let's do this, Counter Guardian!"
Naruto charged, forcing Archer to switch from his bow to his trademark twin swords. In the first clash, the difference in strength was obvious. Naruto pushed Archer away and went for a slice right on the neck, only for Archer to deflect the attack with an upward swing. Twisting his wrist, Naruto then aimed for the torso, and Muramasa was caught between the two blades.
"Your stance is full of holes." Naruto said. In a single upward strike, he destroyed the twin blades. "And yet, your movements are calculated, nurtured from years, decades of constant battle. This style of yours is all to turn a weakness into an advantage."
Archer jumped back when Naruto went for another strike and recreated his twin swords.
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "So, you can recreate them at will... And I imagine these are not the only ones you possess. Do you, perhaps, have even more weapons than Gilgamesh?"
The Red Bowman seemed to pay more attention at the mention of the King of Heroes. His grips on his weapons tightened.
"Oh?" Naruto smirked. "I believe I struck a nerve. Let's try this again. Ainsworth."
"Miyu..."
"Hm?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Must...Save...Miyu!"
Archer threw his twin swords to the sides. Yet, as they flew, they curved in the trajectory, as if magnetized to one another. Their meeting point seemed to be aimed at Naruto.
"Interesting." Naruto sheathed Muramasa and caught the twin swords. "Definitely a Yin-Yang theme with these two."
Looking up, he saw that Archer had leaped for him, a second pair of twin swords in hand. With a glow, his blades grew in length and size, becoming crystal-like broadswords.
As Archer swung down with both swords, Naruto countered with Bakuya alone. The enhanced swords exploded on impact, to his surprise.
When Archer landed, he jumped back to avoid a hand that shot out of the smoke. Naruto leaped forward, holding Kanshou in a reverse grip and aimed right for Archer's face. With a new Bakuya, Archer blocked while aiming for Naruto with a new Kanshou.
"Tawrich." Naruto called out as a claw-shaped weapon appeared in Naruto's left hand and caught Archer's Kanshou between its blades.
Tawrich, along with a counterpart named Zarich, were reverse-grip, claw-shaped sword-breakers he gained by absorbing Angra Mainyu from the Grail. They weren't, by any means, powerful weapons. They weren't even to the standards of weaker Noble Phantasms, but Kanshou and Bakuya, along with Archer's own strength, wouldn't shatter them too easily either.
"Avenger!"
"Oh, you know this weapon? Figures a Counter Guardian would have encountered All the World's Evils before."
Both fighters jumped back. As they readied their weapons, a dark power surged nearby.
"...She has finally revealed herself." Naruto said. "Then again, with the King of Knights there, she might have been taking this seriously from the start. Better finish things here, now."
"I am the bone of my sword."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. An Aria?
"Steel is my body, and Fire is my blood.
I have created over a thousand blades."
"No, not an Aria. A full-on incantation." He realized. "The culmination of his Magecraft?"
"Unaware of Birth,
Nor aware of Death.
Having withstood pain to create inconsistent weapons, these hands will never hold anything.
Yet, my flame has rekindled.
This body is forever Unlimited Blade Works!"
Naruto held an arm before his face as a storm of sand and snow suddenly appeared.
What was once an immense bridge was now a snowy landscape, with swords stabbed into the snow. Large Gears were floating in the air before a bright moon.
"A Reality Marble..." Naruto realized. "For something so rare and inconceivable, it certainly seems frequent among Servants."
Archer raised an arm in the air and dozens of swords appeared, pointed toward Naruto.
"...Okay then." Naruto stood straight, letting Tawrich disappear from his hand. "You definitely have more weapons than the King of Heroes if you can make all those Noble Phantasms as many times as you want." He clicked his tongue. "Such a damn shame that you're a Counter Guardian..."
Archer brought his arm forward, causing the swords to shoot forth toward their target.
"Nice try!" Naruto caught the first sword, swinging it and Kanshou against the next pair, deviating their trajectory. With each swing, the Lord of Darkness was a step closer to the Counter Guardian. Every time one of his blades broke, he simply caught the next and repeated the process.
Then, a long, black oodachi appeared in Archer's hand. Naruto raised an eyebrow only for his eyes to widen.
His survival instincts were screaming at him to dodge.
A black and red aura appeared around the blade and Archer stabbed, releasing a beam of lethal proportions.
Naruto jumped the side, avoiding the beam that even pierced through the boundary of the Reality Marble.
"That would have killed me." He knew it. He was certain of it. Not even his soul would have survived if he had taken it head on. He had no need to fear death, so long as his soul survived, and yet...
Naruto turned to Archer, his eyes now devoid of any amusement, and activated a Mangekyo with a three-branch star.
"Alright, then... Arondight!" With the pitch-black Demonic Sword of the maddened Berserker appearing in his right hand, Naruto used his left hand to pull the back of Archer's mantle through a rift, aiming to slice the Counter Guardian in half before he even landed on his feet. But Archer deflected the strike with the Oodachi, landing on his feet with a backflip.
The two of them circled each other, on guard for any mistake the other could make.
Naruto went for a quick series of stabs, which were deflected, before going for an overhead strike. Archer held his Oodachi horizontally, while swords flew toward Naruto to stab him, a calculated move to injure him as his attack was blocked.
However, as his attack was about to reach the blade, the flying swords fazed through his body unimpeded. Arondight fazed through the Oodachi and cut right through the armor, leaving a deep gash on the Red Bowman's torso.
With a step forward, Naruto unleashed more stabs and pushed Archer down on his back. As Naruto went to stab right through the neck, Archer unleashed more blades toward Naruto, using the time the blades would faze through his body to jump away. While airborne, he summoned his bow and shot a few arrows toward Naruto, but were deflected with ease.
When Archer landed, a new sword appeared in his hand: a golden longsword with a white gem pummel. With both hands on the hilt, a greenish-blue glow shined from the blade.
Naruto's eyes narrowed before he raised Arondight high, releasing a dark blue power from the formerly-Holy Sword.
"Gram!/Arondight!" Archer stabbed and Naruto swung down, both blades releasing a wave of Prana that clashed in the middle.
"Hmph." Naruto held his left hand out and charged a Bijuudama. "It's over."
He shot the ball of destructive chakra, which shot through Arondight's blast and explode when it came in contact with Gram's blast, the combination of Naruto's attacks overpowering the opposing force and engulfing the Counter Guardian. The combined attacks blasted him through the hole made by the Oodachi, and Naruto chased after him.
'Dear Brother'
Illya, Rin and Sakura had paled the moment those two words left her lips, to her amusement.
The Red Bowman stood straighter than ever, having realized the gravity of her presence.
And her 'brother' was doing her best to kill her with but a glare.
"How did this happen?" Saber asked. "Were you the Caster Card?"
"Not at all, dear Brother." She chuckled, holding up her corrupted Excalibur. "Have you not notice? The power behind this vessel? Is it not familiar?"
"Of course." Saber gritted her teeth. "It is your power, after all."
"No, no." She shook her head in amusement. "This is the power of our Bloodline. The Curse of the British Isles. Even you carried this power, when you had no idea. But there is no control, and thus, I am here."
"So, you hijacked this body through the curse itself?" Archer asked.
"Correct." She nodded. "What a knowledgeable young man. And with that perpetually-grumpy face, you remind me of Agravain."
Archer's eyes narrowed, unwilling to give the witch a more apparent reaction.
"Now then, it's time for round 2, wouldn't you agree?" She stabbed her sword to the dirt. "Attack!"
Figures emerged from the water and from over the hills. Tall, bipedal, elongated figures with one big red dot and two small ones serving as eyes.
"Homunculus." Archer realized.
"The Caster Card must have been a master at creating them, if she's already made so many." Rin theorized.
"Hmm..." Morgan smiled. "The Card is useful for mass producing them, but none of them can compare to Mordred."
"Mordred is a Homunculus?" Illya asked.
"Well..." Morgan patted her finger on the pummel of her sword. "If I had to place Mordred anywhere between Humans and Homunculus... She'd be closer to you, Einzbern child, than a full-on Homunculus. A clone, for all intents and purposes, yet created from a 'man's seed and my womb. And she accomplished the goal I set for her, in the end."
Arturia charged at her words. Both Excaliburs clashed.
"Ara, what anger..." Morgan's smile widened. "When did you decide to act like a father?"
Saber growled and the two of them unleashed a barrage of strikes.
Rin pulled out a few jewels from her pocket and threw them in the water, freezing it solid. The Homunculi stuck halfway managed to get themselves out, making holes in the process, but that was fine, as any more of them coming from the holes in the ice could be struck preemptively. Archer shot the Homunculi walking down the hills as they got closer, the impact of his arrows staggering the ones near his targets. Rider, on her part, used her chains to grab her enemies and swinging them around. Illya pulled strands of hair and gave them the shape of fists, swords and other such attacks to catch the Homunculi getting out of the ice.
One Homunculus almost struck Sakura, only for her shadow to whip toward the Homunculus and grab it. She then punched it, using the her fist's shadow on the Homunculus to increase the impact.
And yet, their numbers never seemed to decrease. Just how many had she created? And for how long?
All of a sudden, a red and black beam pierced through the sky, going right through the boundaries of the Mirror World and leaving marks of its passage.
"What was that!?" Illya exclaimed.
"That altitude..." Rin muttered before her eyes widened. "The bridge. Was that from the other Card!?"
"That attack..." Archer's eyes narrowed. He knew that attack. And the implications worried him.
"Looks like we're not the only ones having fun." Morgan noted as she and Saber put some distance between them. "I believe this means we will have some company, soon."
She knows.
Archer turned to Morgan. Somehow, she knew about Uzumaki. How? Was he the reason she showed up? He is Mordred's Master, after all...
"So unfortunate..." Morgan smiled. "So outmatched, so outclassed. One would think you would need a Grand Servant to claim victory."
"That's beginning to sound like a good idea." Archer snarked.
"I'm sure it does." She chuckled. "After all, what could you and your ilk possibly do? Even if slaying humans has become a speciality, this isn't quite the same problem, is it?"
"What do you mean?" Saber asked.
"Hm?" She raised an eyebrow. "My dear Brother, don't tell me the thought never occurred to you? Have not noticed how different he is?"
"So, it really is about him." Archer said. "Why him?"
"Why not?" She asked back. "He stands out, he is an Outsider. To the World, he might as well not be Human at all."
"Being Mordred's Master is just icing on the cake, then?"
"Mordred's Master?" Rin asked with wide eyes. "Wait, she's here for Uzumaki!?"
"Who else?" Morgan crossed her arms. "Certainly not a Magus of this day and age, who grasp at straws to attempt in lifetimes what we could do in mere hours. Perseverance has its limits, child."
"What devilry have you planned for him?" Saber demanded.
"Now, now, dear Brother." Morgan grabbed her sword. "Part of the fun is to find out for myself."
Another beam of Prana surged through the first hole in the sky. When it dissipated, a body was seen falling.
After a moment of focus, Rin's eyes widened in shock and horror. "That's..."
Archer gritted his teeth.
"Oh, how interesting..." Morgan smirked.
"Is that...Archer!?" Illya exclaimed.
The falling body was strikingly similar to that Rin's Servant, with the only noticeable difference being a headband. A sword left his hand, as if he had lost all strength.
And that's when he appeared.
Leaping out of the same hole, Naruto dove toward the Card Servant.
"That sword! Arondight!?" Arturia exclaimed, shocked to see a former vassal's sword in Naruto's hand.
Archer clicked his tongue and charged, running along the frozen water.
"Vortigern!" Morgan swung her sword, sending a blast of Prana toward the Red Bowman.
Archer was forced to jump to the side to avoid it, and when he looked up...
Naruto stabbed the Card Archer in the gut, as well as speeding their fall, crashing right through the ice.
It wasn't long afterwards that a water tornado emerged, shattering the ice in one fell swoop. Archer jumped from piece to piece until he returned to the coast.
A rain of swords shot from the tornado, stabbing and pinning every Homunculus to the dirt. Even those underwater were turned into pincushions as they were sent flying.
The tornado fell, and a figure stood in its eye.
Clad in Archer's armor and mantle, Naruto walked to the coast, his eyes on Archer, who was meeting his gaze vehemently.
"That's quite the look in your eyes." Naruto said. "Do you even remember giving such a look to someone before your contract, Shirou?"
An arrow flew past his head.
"Temper, temper, young man." Naruto chastised with a chuckle.
Rin stepped forward, keeping an eye on an upset Archer as she stood next to him.
"Just what is your goal here?" She asked.
"Quite simple, young lady." Naruto crossed his arms. "The power of Servants."
"The power of Servants?" Illya repeated.
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Did Kariya not mention anything about Zouken's fate?"
Sakura almost felt sick to her stomach. Zouken? Uncle Kariya's father? Why did that name send a shiver down her spine?
"Just keep his attention on you..." Rin thought, certain that the mention of that monster's name was nagging at Sakura's memory. If he noticed, he might use it to his advantage. "What do they have to do with the Servants?"
"Hm, so he didn't..." Naruto glanced to the side thoughtfully. "Interesting. I didn't think his gratitude went that far."
Morgan was behind him, observing the conversation with apt attention.
"It's quite simple, whether you believe it or not." Naruto said. "I take the souls of those I kill."
Horror settled in the faces of Saber, Rin and Illya, whereas Archer's gaze hardened. After all, to take a soul also means he acquires the Magic Circuits.
"Last time, I was more curious of the Grail, so I let the War complete itself." Naruto claimed. "This time, however, is all about the Servants. And yet, I find myself disappointed."
The magi looked confused while Morgan raised an eyebrow.
"For all of the Servants that there are in this War, half of them will remain out of my reach. Caster has joined me, so there is no need to take her soul, and three of the other Servants are Counter Guardians, including Archer here. If I take even one, Alaya will forever hunt me down, so long as she is a concept. To add on to the list, I won't aim for the King of Knights, out of respect for Mordred. Then again..." He turned around, facing Morgan. "That might not be a problem for long."
Morgan smiled in amusement. "I agree. Let all your problems melt away."
She charged, readying an overhead swing.
"Cute." Naruto rolled his eyes and swung Arondight horizontally. The impact of the blades sent Morgan towards the water, to the shock of the Red Faction.
Landing on her feet, she looked at the coast with wide eyes, only to see that Naruto was gone. She looked up just in time to see his attack and hold her Excalibur horizontally to block it. Waves formed behind her feet from the force of his attack.
"What sheer might!" She said in surprise.
"Enjoying your brother's prowess?" He asked. "Because I thought Mordred inherited her front-charging attitude from her father, not her mother."
Pushing her sword aside, Naruto kicked her in the gut, sending her rolling back a few feet.
"...How unlike me to celebrate before a victory." Morgan admitted as she stood up. "You should have finished me while you had the chance."
Naruto smirked. "I'll take that challenge."
"Hold a moment!" Naruto looked over his shoulder, seeing Saber run up to the duo. "Naruto Uzumaki, how did you know Morgan was possessing the Card?"
"She is not as subtle as she believes." Naruto said, turning back to Morgan. "She has been observing the Dream Cycle between Mordred and I, hiding her presence within her dream self. I knew it would be a matter of time before we met face to face."
"...I see." Saber closed her eyes, momentarily bracing herself for her next question. "What about Arondight?"
"That was the last Berserker of Red."
She winced. She had feared as much. Berserker of Red hadn't appeared again after the battle on the docks, after all...
"Sir Lancelot..." She muttered. "How did this come to be?"
"Do you jest, Brother?" Morgan asked. "Have you forgotten all the blood he spilt for his beloved Queen? Agravain, Gareth and Gaheris among them? Did you even know he had to kill Gawain to try and reach you atop the hills?"
"'The King doesn't understand the people's heart'." Naruto quoted, causing Saber to flinch. "How can someone who did everything to discard what made her human understand selfish humans? She doesn't realize that her forgiveness heightened Lancelot's guilt."
"Ah, yes." Morgan nodded.
"Then again, she doesn't know these things for sure yet, being alive and all."
"What?" Morgan asked, while all but Archer looked at him with wide eyes.
"You heard me." Naruto said, pacing around. "She is no true Heroic Spirit, she has yet to tell Bedivere to throw Excalibur to the Lake, and extinguish her own life."
Morgan turned to Arturia, and slowly stepped toward her. "...You made a contract with the World?"
"I..." Saber took a step back.
"Why ever would you do something so foolish!?" Morgan sounded legitimately offended by the idiocy. "What ever could be worth a contract with the World!?"
"To restart her reign from scratch."
Morgan stopped dead in her tracks and turned to Naruto. "Come again?"
Naruto merely nodded, letting her piece his words together.
Morgan looked pensive before she smiled. "Well, maybe I should help you."
The indignant surprise was visible on Saber while the Red Faction looked like hell had frozen over.
"After all, that would give me another chance to take Britain from you."
All surprise left her face and her indignation was amplified. She immediately swung Excalibur, causing a clash of blades. She glared at Morgan's smiling face.
"Archer..." Rin said. "Did you know this?"
"...Are you asking if he found out through the Card?" The Red Bowman asked back.
"Is there another way he could have found out?"
"A few." He admitted. "Especially since he merged with Avenger, who had been a part of the Greater Grail for over half a century. However, the answer may lie with Excalibur itself. As he said, Bedivere, from her perspective, has yet to throw the Sword in the Lake, because she hasn't given the request. That is something my eyes can see through the Sword. If he has my abilities, he has seen that much." And it was true, his Structural Analysis does let him know that it has yet to be held and thrown by Bedivere. If, however, Uzumaki gained his memories, he still let Morgan connect the dots to the contract, rather than spelling the whole thing out.
"But why would she make that contract?" Rin asked. "Wouldn't she get her wish as a Heroic Spirit?"
"Anybody else, yes." Archer said. "But not King Arthur."
"Avalon." Medusa deduced.
"Exactly." Archer nodded. "When the King of Knights dies, she will go to Avalon, and one day return to the living during Britain's time of crisis. She will never step into the Throne of Heroes and become a Heroic Spirit."
"...Does the time where Britain will need her ever come?" Rin asked.
"Who knows?" He shrugged.
"What about the other Counter Guardians? Did you know?"
"Assassin of Red came to me after I finished talking to your father. He observed our battle with Berserker. They won't get in the way of the Holy Grail War, so their presence is currently irrelevant."
"That's harsh." Illya said. "Haven't you fought side-by-side with them? Peers shouldn't be slandered, Shirou-san."
Archer frowned, cursing Naruto for using his real name. "Just because we are fellow Guardians does not mean we are Brothers in Arms."
As Saber and Morgan's clash persisted, a hand grabbed Morgan's shoulder from behind, shortly followed by another one stabbing into her back. Both of their eyes widened in shock.
"You won't be needing this one." Naruto said, pulling out the Caster Card from Morgan's body. "A sibling rivalry should be evenly matched."
Morgan immediately turned around to strike, yet he had backed away before she even swung. Saber charged past Morgan, seeing an opportunity to take a Card. Morgan was right behind her.
"Trace, on." Naruto commanded, and Gram appeared in his left hand. In a swift motion, he used both blades to block the Excaliburs. He kicked Saber away before clashing both blades against Morgan's Excalibur. He repeatedly struck the blade, each strike stronger than the last.
Morgan gritted her teeth, her knees bending with each assault until one gave away. With this opportunity, Naruto struck the blade sideways, knocking it out of Morgan's hand. Rather than striking again, however, he backflipped, jumping over a charging Artoria. Morgan's eyes widened as she became the target for Strike Air, focusing her Prana Burst on sheer defence. She was thrown back a few feet, yet was otherwise unharmed.
"Gotcha." Naruto thought with a smirk as he charged. As Saber turned around, Naruto dropped Gram on the water and struck her gut with his free palm, making her cough blood. Lifting her up with the strike, he flipped over and used the impact to submerge her. Kicking Gram into his hand, he deflected arrows from Archer.
"Two can play at that game!" He claimed before throwing his weapons. Tracing weapons after weapons in his hands, he threw them and matched Archer's shots.
Morgan picked up her sword and held it up high, gathering her Prana. This would not be a single strike of Prana...
Both users of Tracing stopped their exchange, turning towards Britain's Black Witch.
"Excalibur MORGAN!" She swung her Dark-Holy Sword down.
If the Excalibur Vivian entrusted to King Arthur is the embodiment and crystallization of people's wishes, then the Excalibur that unleashes the Primeval Curse of the British Isles embodies Morgan's perception of Victory. Even when empowered by her malicious intents and ambitions, it remains the holiest blade.
Naruto held out his right hand. "Rho Aias!"
The Seven Rings that Cover the Fiery Heavens. Much like when Archer summoned it earlier, seven Bounded Fields in the shape of petals appeared, each akin to a fortress wall. As the Shield that blocked Hector's Durindana, it becomes even stronger against thrown projectiles. But this wasn't one of those cases.
Upon the first impact, the first petal shattered. Almost immediately, scratches appeared on Naruto's body, for the shield required a steady supply of power to be maintained.
There was no escape. Archer was certain of this, having used this very shield multiple times. Against Excalibur, the shield would merely delay the inevitable. The moment he tries to escape, the shield would fall and he would be engulfed. Even with the Magic Circuits and Prana Output of multiple people combined, Servants included, the Seven Rings couldn't last forever.
By the time the second to the fourth petals shattered, bones were seen through his gashes. The girls paled at the gruesome sight. Rin and Illya especially felt bad, considering how his actions helped their families.
"Don't give him any sympathy." Archer said. "He would just use it to spring a trap."
Rin frowned. She could understand that a Counter Guardian doesn't want lives needlessly lost, but this was getting old. So, the guy wasn't a hero. Sure, alright. Didn't mean letting him get maimed by Morgan Le Fay was the right call. Shouldn't his claimed respect for the Arthurian Legends let him know that was not a good idea?
Illya, for her part, was indignant at his words. Her mother owed her life to this man, even if it wasn't done out of the goodness of his heart. How was she supposed to resent him, when the worst thing he did to her family was preventing her dad from winning the Fourth War and unleashing Avenger? And that's if he won the War, which her mom was convinced he would.
When they returned their attention to Naruto, only the Seventh Ring remained, and he was missing the elbow half of his right arm. Gritting his teeth, he activated the Sharingan and charged, using the final Ring as a battering ram through the attack.
Morgan smirked and charged. Pulling her sword back, she stabbed into the Ring and, with a battlecry, unleashed a second blast. It shattered the Seventh Ring and engulfed Naruto. When the attack died down, the Archer and Caster Cards were floating on the water. Morgan picked them up.
"Much better." She said as the Caster Card entered her body, returning her black aura to its greater potency. She pocketed the Archer Card under her armor. This one would required some studying once she was done. Especially given its ability to replicate Noble Phantasms.
She walked toward Saber, who had emerged from the water.
"Looks like this is my victory, dear Brother." She said. "A shame it was at the cost of Mordred's Master, however. There was more about him I could have unearthed."
Saber glared at her and reared her sword, its golden blade glowing.
Morgan raised her own Excalibur, Prana enveloping the whole sword while keeping the overall shape.
Both swung their sword, sparks of Holy Light flying everywhere. Between Arturia's frustrated expression and Morgan's smirk, one could tell who had the upper hand..
Archer's eyes narrowed and Rule Breaker appeared in his hand again.
Saber's feet began to slide back.
Morgan pressed on. "Excalibur..."
"Saber!" Illya cried out in panic.
Archer charged.
"MORGA-"
A blade went right right Morgan's back. Everything and everyone stopped at that instant.
"Aron...dight?" Saber muttered, seeing the blade stabbed into the black armor.
Morgan looked over her shoulder, her eyes wide with shock.
Naruto was behind her, holding the Dragonslayer Sword in his left hand, as he was missing his right arm. His left eye was white and hollow, as if he had lost his sight.
"Impossible..." She muttered. "How did you...?"
"I turned reality around me into an illusion." He claimed. "Your second strike may have destroyed Rho Aias, but I cancelled the damage done to me."
"...That's a joke, right?" Rin wondered.
"He's still missing an arm." Illya said.
"I am." Naruto agreed. "And I could have cancelled all the damage done to me by Rho Aias, but then..."
A Truth-Seeking Orb appeared over his right shoulder.
"...how could I show you this, otherwise?"
Bone and flesh grew, becoming joints and ligaments, until a full arm was made.
"No way..." Rin muttered in shock. To have a prosthetic arm Mystic Code was one thing, to grow your own arm back?
Archer gritted his teeth.
Naruto clenched his fist and flexed his arm a few times. Nodding in satisfaction, he grabbed Arondight with it. The sword gained a dark purple glow.
"Arondight..."
Saber's eyes widened and she leaped to the side.
Morgan twisted her Excalibur into a reverse grip and went for a stab.
"Overload!" He swung upward, ripping the sword from Morgan's body. The large injury gave off the same glow.
Morgan screamed in pain as the glow engulfed her. Her body was destroyed, leaving the three Cards behind.
Naruto picked up the Cards and pocketed them.
"Morgan will simply reappear again." The King of Knights warned. "So long as that Card exists, she will come back."
"I hope so." Naruto said, grabbing the Orb with his left hand and pressing it against his left eye. "I intend for a bit of role reversal, now that I have her in my grasp."
"Role reversal?" She repeated.
Naruto smirked. "You'll understand, very soon." Creating a rift, he turned away from the group. "Oh, and good luck, trying to get either the Berserker or Lancer Card." He stepped through and disappeared.
Rin sighed. "I think we have to tell everyone about this..."
Naruto stepped into the Hanging Gardens. He let the Orb disappear, revealing his eye had healed. He walked and reached the Throne Room.
Everyone but Jeanne, Julie and Medea were already inside.
"Good." Naruto nodded as he stepped forward, stopping between all of them. "Yesterday, as I went after the Assassin Card, I found out something surprising."
Some looked at him with raised eyebrows, others with confused looks.
"The Red Faction has 3 Counter Guardians on their side."
"Wait, what!?" Elizabeth gasped. "Three of them!?"
Mordred clicked her tongue. "What's the problem? The Archer wasn't even a threat to you."
"You say that, but..." Naruto pulled out the Archer Card. "This Card holds the same power as that Archer. It can replicate Noble Phantasms through a Reality Marble."
"That's a terrifying ability." Nobunaga admitted. "No wonder the Counter Force has him in their grasp."
"I call that cheap!" Elizabeth pouted. "Why does he get to steal other people's spotlight?"
"He does not." Semiramis said. "He is but a copycat, a fake trying to surpass the original. Valiant, but ultimately fruitless."
"And what of the others?" Carmilla asked.
"One Counter Guardian is bound to another one. And I believe the Master of the two is of the Ruler Class, for there are eight Red Servants, including Medea after she joined us."
"HAH!" Archer laughed. "It can't be helped! You had Ruler in the last War!"
"He didn't have 3 Counter Guardians, back then!" Elizabeth argued.
"He is, by himself, superior to those three." Mordred waved off. "One of them is already pathetic, the other two can't be much better."
"That remains to be seen." The Wise Queen of Assyria said. "I shall observe this duo of Counter Guardians."
"The castle in the forest." Naruto told her, and she nodded in response.
The door opened, causing everyone to turn. Jeanne and Julie entered.
Julie wore matching clothes to her mother. A black zip-up garment under a blue coat with a black-furred collar, and black boots. Unlike her mother, however, she wore the same type of headgear Jeanne wore in battle.
"She did a great job, right?" Jeanne smirked.
"She did." Naruto nodded and knelt down. Julie ran up to him and jumped into his arms. "Look at you. One day, you'll be as strong as your mother."
"Oui!" Julie nodded.
"So..." Naruto turned to the others. "Prepare yourselves. The true conflict of the War begins soon."
The Servants nodded. As some made their way out...
"A moment, Mordred."
"Huh?" Mordred turned to Naruto, confused. "What's up?"
Naruto smirked. "You and I have a lot to talk about."
Hope it was up to standards.