Midori was breathing heavily. Zouken couldn't help her. He had been stabbed dozens of times, and although his impervious body stitched itself together after each wound, the healing was slowing down, so he had retreated to the basement She looked across the ruined room, furniture scattered and broken, at the single servant standing against her two. How could one servant be so powerful? Even if she was at a disadvantage here, this was unexpected. The kings had limited access to their pawns. In a way, Midori respected the attack; overcoming one of Berserker's and Archer's main powers by having the audacity to attack a magical family in their sanctum.
Still, as worn down as Midori was, Lancer was obviously feeling the effects of the ongoing battle as well. The two kings could still protect her well enough, and between Berserker's sword and Archer's bow, they were keeping Lancer, in spite of all her tricks, off balance. She would fly around on trapped cloudstuff, lash out with powerful magics, or even manipulate her hair, the way Assassin had, but against two strong servants, it wasn't enough for a decisive victory.
Berserker remained more offensive, leaping forward while twisting his small, agile form and dashing around the room more like caged lightning than a person. Archer hung back, perfectly anticipating Berserker's moves, and launching deadly projectiles into the fray - or intercepting Lancer's attacks before they could reach Midori.
Lancer swung her spear wide, creating space as Berserker dodged backwards. She shouted out a nameless cry of rage, her magical energy gathered from countless bodies washing over the room, wave after wave. The sword wielding god king struggled to drive himself forward, but the raging tumult of power drove him back. Then, the world changed. The four of them were in a jungle, two stepped pyramids rising from the trees.
Behind Lancer it arose. It was enormous, dwarfing even the massive pyramids. Its scales shone in the brilliant sunlight that now filled the sky. The feathers around its head were like a rainbow of color. The massive snake's head could easily tear a man in pieces with a single bite. Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec god, had descended to earth.
Berserker stepped back a half step. "Impressive, Lancer. At first I had thought you a nothing servant, but this is a fairly mighty ally you have crafted for yourself." His face went from a pained grimace to a smile of confidence. "But there is a flaw in your magic. The god you summon is a creature of pure magic, and, for all your power, you are still in the human world. Allow me to demonstrate. Archer, if you would."
Archer closed his eyes and magical power shot out from him, coalescing in the space next to him. It slowly began to take form as Quetzalcoatl unwound itself and began to dash down to capture him in its overpowered jaws.
Then, just before the feathered serpent could strike, a massive stone paw appeared, blocking Berserker from harm. The paw, then the leg, then the body of the mighty Sphinx appeared, its human face wearing the same mantle as the pharaohs' and its expression placid. Behind them, Midori dropped to one knee, her magical power nearly gone.
It leapt, catlike, and crashed into the giant serpent. Lancer's master stepped out from behind a nearby tree. "What is the meaning of this! How could you create such a creature, here, inside my own domain?"
Archer laughed. "Create? That is your mistake, master of Lancer. ~I~ did not create this beast. I merely summoned it. My slaves created it. Did you think the Grail's magic to be unique? That only it could summon heroic spirits? That magic was not discovered in Japan. No, the Egyptian god kings possessed that power and more long before the Japanese subverted it as part of this ritual. Magic can ignore time and dimension. It is that magic that the Grail uses to summon forth its servants. I simply use a similar magic to summon my own guardian."
Berserker laughed. "And since there are two of us… I imagine there are two of our Sphinxes, each from our own dimensions. Shall we see how things go two against one on the large scale as well? Or will you bow to us, and declare yourself our willing slave?"
Lancer's master scowled. "Neither. Let us retreat for now, Servant mine."
The ancient mesoamerican jungle faded away, and with it the feathered serpent. The Sphinx, however, did not. The house reformed around them, but was half destroyed by the enormous human headed cat in a cacophony of splintering wood and crushed stone.
Lancer leapt up, weaving through the air above the city on a bit of cloudstuff, her master hovering beside her.
Berserker leapt up onto the Sphinx's back, and commanded Archer's summoned noble phantasm to leap after them, crushing another home with each step. Archer jumped up onto the roof of the mostly destroyed Matou house, watching the chase with a grin.
Midori called out for Archer to stop the rogue Spirit, but he was gone. She looked down at the command spell inscribed on her hand, and opened her mouth to speak, but at that moment, Zouken appeared from the basement, and grabbed her arm, covering the command spells. "Let him go, child. Berserker with Archer's Noble Phantasm shouldn't have any problems defeating Zyanza's servant, and Archer himself can remain here to protect you."
"Call him back now! We will not stand for that much destruction of our city, Midori!" The voice called from outside the gaping hole in the house where Sphinx had destroyed it. There stood Tatsuya, flanked by his tall, gaunt Servant, Saber.
Zouken frowned. "No a chance. Leave now, Tohsaka. Your magic circuits are nearly all destroyed. Retire from this war, and leave us the victors, as it should be. We will call down the grail, and we shall touch the source!"
Midori looked conflicted, but was so weak that she couldn't protest. Tatsuya held his face in a stern expression. "Your champion is barely better off, Grandfather Makiri. Call back your Servant, Midori! You don't have to die for your Father's desires!"
"Never!" the purple haired man called out.
Tatsuya sighed, and gestured forward with his hand. His voice was weak. "I'm so sorry, Midori."
In the blink of an eye, Saber had dashed past Zouken, and ended up somewhere behind Midori. Shocked, Archer and Zouken looked back at the girl, just as her head toppled from her shoulders. Saber hadn't needed his Noble Phantasm for this job, and had instead relied on his speed and skill alone. In the distance, The Sphinx stopped moving, its stone form losing motivation mid leap, and crashing into the ground, shattering into thousands of pieces, destroying another city block. Berserker howled a pained cry that echoed across the city before his form, free from Midori's magical support, evaporated into the air, its powers going to he grail. Archer, with his independent action, looked at Saber hatefully before jumping off the roof and running out into the city, away from the corpse of his fallen master.