At last, the culmination of the first arc. It may seem somewhat rushed toward the end, but I just don't want to drag it on any longer, seeing that it's been 1+ year with 100k+ words already. Now prepare for some battles again!
20
Preposterous.
It was a known fact that few could rival Darnic Preston Yggdmillennia in politic. He was the mastermind, one who had even once played the powerfully dreadful Nazis like a fiddle to get his hands on the greatest treasure in magecraft history. It was simply unacceptable then to find that he had played right into the hands of the same treasure's originator.
The Einzbern...
Normally, he would've found the thought laughable, knowing well enough that the ancient magus family had been way too close minded to care about anything other than their own field of thaumaturgy, much less politics. However, he could no longer be too sure after watching over himself how the team they had assembled to recover the treasure progressed up to this point. There was without a doubt a formidable figure behind this, a mysterious mastermind of his own caliber that somehow managed to threaten his lifelong ambition.
His grip on the official letter from Mage's Association tightened in fury as he stood stiffly in the castle's shadowy throne room, silently berating himself for his blunder. He had to admit that he had foolishly underestimated and forgotten the Einzbern's influence despite their passive role in society. In his overconfidence, he had not expected that it only took a simple offense of their suspicious representatives being detained for them to receive a full clearance to send an assault. The fact that he had so foolishly taken such obvious bait in the first place only made it all the more unforgivable.
It all had easily costed him a solid political protection he had carefully build for decades, and left him only with a fortress as a last line of defense.
What a wrong way of thinking.
The magus lord really was not a warrior, and his lord Servant, stepping down from the throne, once again decided to give him a much needed lecture.
"Stop fiddling pointlessly with your political mind, Darnic." The dark Lancer stopped near the large window, facing outside stoically. "As I said, certain battles are simply inevitable."
"Yes, my lord."
"Now hold your head up because there is only one path to victory."
"... Understood."
Bowing briefly, he then moved carefully to join the Servant as they waited for the anticipated assault to arrive any moment. The fact that it had already been past midnight made no difference. They had to be ready because as much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't trust even the fortress' powerful barrier to hold up for long against their current enemy. It was foreboding enough that he found himself looking up warily at the starlit sky as if to locate the invisible barrier only to find something even more foreboding.
A star... No, not a star... A comet? A missile?!
Whatever the blazing thing was, it was rapidly approaching the fortress. At the very least the barrier would reduce the impact. To his shock, however, it was soon revealed that said barrier couldn't be seen not because of its invisibility. It had been deactivated somehow. He realized this too late as the threat crashed down into the fortress' main gate, creating an explosion that shook the whole area.
The large glass windows of the throne room shattered into pieces as a shock-wave hit. The magus lord had readily crouched down for cover. His lord Servant, however, only stood there unflinching. In fact, his sharp gaze appeared to gleam with bloodlust as he stepped forward before jumping down through the shattered window to face the threat head on.
After all, once the explosion died down, the imposing sight of the infamous Red Lancer could be seen within the crater.
This was inevitable...
The following battle could only be brutal.
Feeling himself shuddered in fear, the crouching magus stood up warily before turning around in hurry to leave. It was prudent for him at this point to be elsewhere, where he was most needed because it was a given that the assault was not coming only from one direction. He stopped abruptly in alarm, however, just as he was about to make an exit.
There stoically blocking the doorway stood none other than the suspicious Einzbern 'guard'.
/
A fireball soared in the darkness through the barren field behind Fortress of Millennia, followed closely by another, before hitting a hulking stone form head on. Pieces of stone flew away in an instant as the sturdy golem broke apart easily in flame. The one responsible for this grinned widely as she glanced back at her only companion.
"That's the fifth one, kid! This oneechan is just too hot to be stopped, so don't feel too bad if you can't keep up!"
At once, multiple explosions happened in the distance as more golems crumbled to pieces before she got a response.
"Uh..." The kid in question chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry, those are my eighth, ninth, and tenth?"
"What?!" Stopping short, she turned around with an accusing finger. "No way, you little cheater!"
"Hey, it's not my fault I can be effective without being flashy."
"Curse you! Show me how you do it now or I'll tell Iris how much of a 'cheating' boyfriend you are!"
Oh come on!
Begrudgingly, the poor kid nodded, but his hands already moved so expertly to produce four special thin blades each. Then without much effort, he threw all of them so precisely past the angry woman. Eight consecutive explosions occurred then as all eight explosive Black Keys found their marks. Based on the amount of stones flying everywhere, though, the number of casualties exceeded the expectation.
"Oh well..." He shrugged uneasily. "At least I lost count now?"
"You little..."
"I didn't mean that, Caster, honest!"
His survival instinct kicked in immediately, compelling him to run away at once past the growling Servant. Fireballs soon followed his retreating figure that was interestingly enough heading straight into the hordes of golems. He dashed and twisted around so quickly in a clear sign of panic. However, if one looked hard enough, they'd notice that he was not only avoiding those fireballs, but also positioning himself carefully to direct them toward the enemies. One after another, the hulking stone forms fell to pieces in fiery explosions without him needing to waste any ammo.
It seemed like manipulating others had come so naturally to him. He didn't even think about it as he kept on moving almost unconsciously. His mind in fact was focused elsewhere, doing a thorough review of how things panned out so far.
The assault being started this late at night was by no means intended as a surprise factor. Such things held close to no relevance in high-end battles such as this. Actually, the timing here might not even matter at all except for the chance that this late hour could provide the team already behind the enemy lines more freedom to make their move. Though it had seemed to pay off nicely with how the fortress' barrier falling down in time.
The first sound of explosion from the front of the fortress that broke the tense silence of the night had indicated Lancer's arrival and his inevitable confrontation with the enemy Lancer. Here, they could only put their trust in him because no else could even survive against the fearsome impaler long enough to fight back. It was for the best at least as long as the highly unlikely scenario of said impaler's accursed Noble Phantasm being used didn't happen.
Right then, he was suddenly reminded that it had actually been his Servant's offhanded request that decided the timing of the assault in the end...
Dammit.
Hopefully it would not come down to Baptism Rite.
He had another potential Noble Phantasm to focus on here, one that could prove to be a real threat if not stopped immediately. In the best case scenario, the other team could manage to stop the enemy Caster from activating it in time, but that would be too much to hope for. There was a reason he had already prepared a couple of counter measures if it really came down to it. And as it appeared, the first one would be put into test soon already...
There were still several golems left standing after the fireballs barrage, but he paid them no mind as something much larger slowly emerged from the depth of the lake. His gaze immediately sought his companion's then, and as they met, he appreciated that she had quickly forgotten her tantrum. An uncharacteristically serious look settled in her bright golden eyes as she nodded in understanding.
They had not really had the chance to practice this in the field, but hopefully, they had come to understand each other enough to carry it through.
There was no time for second guessing.
The fabled Golem Keter Malkuth had completely revealed its gigantic form at last.
For a brief moment, the non matching duo couldn't help but stop still at the magnificent sight. The Master in particular was taken by surprise at the about five times larger than expected starting size, making him suspect that it had been already activated sometimes before being unleashed. That was a clever tactic. He admitted that before snapping out of his stupor to rush down with both arms glowing as he accessed his Almighty Key.
Somehow, the golem seemed to be abnormally aggressive too.
He had to jump back quickly once he got close enough to avoid a devastating stomp from one massive foot. A terrible crater formed in result, soon filled with otherworldly floras, but it didn't even make him flinch as he briefly checked on his companion from the corner of his eye. His confidence rose then as he focused back on his task, having seen the Servant finished preparing her Noble Phantasm.
Eightfold Blessing of Amaterasu at the ready.
Taking no notice of the fox woman and her flashy move, the gigantic construct kept on trying to squash the random priest moving not so randomly around its massive feet. Perhaps the thing would've even looked frustrated for failing over and over again if it didn't have a solid stone face. Though if it had the capacity to be frustrated, it would've noticed that by the time the ground was filled with floral craters, its annoying target had actually finished preparing something.
All of a sudden, the ground under the golem glowed brightly as an anti-gravity grand spell was finally completed. The effect was immediate and even enough to temporarily lift the giant stone form high in the air where it could be damaged. This was an opportunity definitely not meant to be missed.
Caster was more than ready.
As her sacred mirror appeared above the levitating giant, charging up energy, she flew up after it, but instead of just bringing it down to the opponent like in normal attack, she used it to channel her newly learned technique.
"O' Karna, Curse You!"
At once, the power of her Mana Burst was multiplied tremendously as it came down from the mirror in a devastating fiery blast, one that was about half as powerful as the origin technique... Lancer's very own Brahmastra Kundala.
The explosion died down a moment a later, soon followed by the gravity spell, letting large chunks of smoldering stone fall to the devastated ground. With that, darkness returned to the area. And eventually, as the cloud of dust settled, the broken remnants of the gigantic construct were revealed.
Apparently it was a success...
A large grin appeared on Caster's face instantly before she dove down to tackle her unsuspecting leader to the ground with a joyous laugh.
"We did it, kid! We did it! We won! I know I'm awesome, but you're not so bad yourself too here." Feeling mischievous, she suddenly shoved his face into her chest. "Here's your reward!"
"Mmph."
"Yeah. Yeah, they're way bigger and bouncier than your little girlfriend's!"
"Mmph!"
"Sure! Sure, you may have more later, but don't tell her! Such a jealous type that girl is."
After another squeeze with her breasts, she gave the poor kid a break and got off him with an amused chuckle. His face looked really red despite the darkness as he tried to regain his breath. This made her chuckle even more until at once, they both stiffened. Then slowly, with a feeling of dread, they turned toward the supposedly destroyed Noble Phantasm.
Who knew that being in contact with earth not only gave Golem Keter Malkuth immunity to damage, but also ability to reform...
Without taking her eyes off the reforming giant, the shocked woman crouched back down and scooted closer instinctively to the still sprawled boy.
"Kid... What are we gonna do now?"
"... We hold on until Irisviel comes."
/
There was nothing fiercer than a battle between two such formidable Lancers.
As the battle went on, numerous terrifying dark stakes littered the burning front yard of Fortress of Millennia like a grassy field. Any foes, regardless number would have all been long skewered to death already if they couldn't fly like birds. It was a good thing then that this particular foe could fly much better than any birds, though it didn't help much once those stakes started to fly out of the ground and chase after him. For that one, he had to rely on his own weapon and invulnerability that rendered such fearsome yet still regular attacks only as nuisances.
The terrific sight was undeniable, however. It was still not nearly enough to cause anxiety much less fear to a legendary hero like him, but even he had to admit the effect it had on his concentration as he narrowly dodged a barrage of stakes. One might think that he shouldn't have even bothered, considering his invulnerability, but his pride as a warrior took damage with each attack landed. In this case, he knew he was losing to his opponent here who had not suffered even a single strike, though to be fair, the battle would most likely be over once it happened, considering how lethal he was.
This would not do.
Gaining a momentum in the sky, the infamous Red Lancer dove down with a burst of flame toward the one his not so creative Master called as Black Lancer. His flame died down all too soon, however, as the opponent's personal spear met him halfway through, and at once, another stake pierced him from within his own chest, bypassing his invulnerability. It resulted in such a horrific sight with his limp body hovering there, skewered by a dark stake.
This would not do.
"O Agni..."
As soon as the faint call left his mouth, it was as if the very flame god descended upon him. A large fiery stream engulfed his injured form at once, reaching the sky until it ended with a rain of fire. It was truly like a miracle because he was soon revealed to be fully rejuvenated without any sign of the stake that had held him in place or even injury.
From there, the battle had a little pause for once.
Vlad III, as his former Ruler-class Master identified as, was truly a formidable lord, Karna admitted with pride. He doubted he could ended this battle without a direct physical strike. Even if he could use his devastating Noble Phantasms without risking any damage to the fortress, it would not necessarily mean a victory against an opponent who had such an overwhelming control of the battlefield.
There was also the fact that this opponent had not revealed his hidden power.
This would not do.
He had personally requested the assault to start in the darkness of the night for this reason.
Descending calmly until he stood easily upon the tip of a stake, the Red Lancer stared at the Black one on the ground with a strange look of curiosity.
"Show me the Legend of Dracula."
"What did you say?!" The lord looked simply offended. "Preposterous."
"... Do I sense that you're ashamed of your own power here?"
"I would first die one thousand times over before acknowledging that accursed form!"
The hatred shown here only seemed to puzzle the curious Servant.
"True warriors acknowledge all kind of power they have whether for better or worse because there is no shame in the battlefield except for not giving your all against worthy opponents."
That one seemed to hit deep, given the sudden widening of the lord's eyes.
"This power is something beyond even my control. I fear that I would no longer be myself if I even try to acknowledge it..."
"Do you know that rather than hide from it, it's not too late to conquer your fear?"
"... If only it's that simple."
"Admittedly, I simply don't see the problem, still. You only need to show that power who's boss here, don't you?"
"..."
The lord Servant looked rather dumbfounded for a moment until a low chuckle left his mouth, one that shockingly turned into a carefree laugh in no time. His sudden and more than unexpected change of demeanor made his foe look beyond puzzled now. He decided to give the strange Servant a break then as he regained his composure and looked up again with a nearly forgotten sense of pride.
"You are more than worthy, Red Lancer, thus I deem it time to give my all in this battle."
"That is inevitable, Black Lancer."
At once, the Red one couldn't help but cringe after finding himself unintentionally using the not creative name made by his hopeless Master. It made him feel unnecessarily uncomfortable for sure, so he tried to just drop it quickly. There was better things to pay his attention on, anyway, like watching the mythical transformation happening before him that supposedly broke boundaries of logic.
A loud roar resounded around the battle-torn courtyard as Vlad III willingly used his accursed Noble Phantasm for the first time ever. His personal battle with his hated alter identity started at once. It was clearly apparent as his form distorted into a shadowy monstrosity based on his original appearance. With one final roar, eventually it was over. He stood still for a moment, showing no sign in his now blood red eyes of how the battle ended, until slowly his usual look of intelligence returned, overcoming the cruel madness in his gaze completely.
"This is it... No more shame. No more fear! For we are warriors!"
"Well said."
The proud warrior felt the need to give a small nod of approval here, but it made him unprepared to anticipate his no less proud opponent's lightning fast move. Out of nowhere, a large clawed hand grabbed his face roughly, and before he even knew exactly what it was, he found his head along with his entire body being slammed down forcefully backward. The stakes-filled ground under him turned into a crater upon impact, he noticed absently with a blink.
Unfortunately, there was just not enough time to make sense of what happened because before he could even try to retaliate, the hand still on his face brutally threw him away. This time, the victim was the great wall surrounding the fortress as it crumbled to pieces from an involuntary hit of his entire body. It was all still puzzling to him, but his warrior instinct took over quickly, making him stand back up at once since his opponent was already approaching. His immaculate reflex saved him then, allowing him to duck another clawed hand at the precise moment before delivering a direct counter strike.
The golden spear tore through the shadowy body easily enough, but it seemed to have no effect. Instead, from the same body, a familiar dark stake pierced out, nearly skewering the spear wielder once again. As he retreated, however, he noticed no sign of the damage he had just clearly inflicted.
What an unbelievable regenerative ability.
It was then decided in Red Lancer's mind that there was only one way left for him to win this battle. With that decision, he soared high into the sky before stopping for the necessary process of activating the True Name of his certain-kill Noble Phantasm at last.
"On the battlefield, there is no more weakness." ― "My father, I ask for your forgive- "
He stopped abruptly before the requirement of permanently removing his armor could even begin. A frown crossed his face as he lost sight of his target all of a sudden, but soon, he let out a resigned sigh as he sensed a foreboding presence appeared right behind him without warning. There was practically nothing he could do here as he in the very next moment found himself involuntarily rushing to the ground at top speed from a brutal blow to his shoulder blades.
/
Things really didn't turn out well so far. Well, the two friends actually had a pretty good start with having successfully deactivated the fortress' powerful barrier in time. It only turned bad once they discovered that it had been too late to stop the enemy's ultimate weapon from activating because it had actually been done hours beforehand. Then it only worsened when they found themselves being stopped as they made their way outside through the back of the castle by none other than the enemy Caster who had not come alone.
There was also the mysterious Servant's so called greatest failure...
What a bullshit.
As it had been revealed not so nicely, the name was Golem Karidin. It was a larger than average but lither golem fully adorned with metal armoring. By having a name alone, along with distinctive looks showed that it was a special model already. The fact that it possessed the strength of a Saber-class Servant with agility of a Lancer-class only proved further that it was nowhere close to a failure!
Not to mention the troublesome power over electricity.
With some unladylike curse, the young Einzbern lady rolled out of the way of another electrical blast before commanding her massive, diamond-like, ice blade to push the so called failure back. The hovering pseudo Noble Phantasm only managed a glancing blow on the thick metal armoring, leaving one more light dent as the golem jumped back far too quickly for its heavy form. However, even the surprising agility could do nothing when a set of explosive Black Keys hit it from the shadow without warning. The following explosion lit up the dark backyard, briefly revealing the young Templar Agent responsible for it.
Another nice teamwork!
The lady and the agent grinned at each other before looking back readily toward the stumbling stone and metal construct.
It was not over yet.
Despite its battered form, the troublesome golem still looked as ready for battle as ever. And for some strange reason, the too damaged parts of its armor fell down from its stone body at once. This practically left it with only the main parts of its armor, making it not nearly as tough as before, but also lighter...
Speed!
Both girls realized what was happening quickly enough.
Somehow, the construct seemed to be capable of decision making as it then targeted the agent who had been the real damage dealer in this battle despite her stealthiness. The lady who practically had been the tank all along was ignored this time as another electrical current blasted toward the other girl. The attack was managed to be dodged without problem, but the very quick consecutive punch wouldn't be so. Fortunately, the familiar massive blade appeared in time to block the large stone fist with a resounding clang.
The saved girl smiled in gratitude to her dear friend as they decided to regroup. Said friend could only return it briefly, though, because she had to concentrate on controlling her pseudo Noble Phantasm from distance. It would hopefully manage to preoccupy the enemy long enough until the smarter one of them could come up with something.
Hazel eyes carefully looked away from the heavy clash of stone, metal, and ice to the Caster standing still a safe distance away. From the start, the supposedly Avicebron had claimed that targeting him would be a waste of effort since his creations' existence was not dependent on his, but it was still suspicious. Blinking slowly, the eyes finally noticed the subtle movement of the Servant's fingers. A second passed, and suddenly, they widened in realization.
To golemancers, poor Karidin was indeed a real failure despite the outstanding performance since it was more of a puppet than a true golem...
Coming up with a plan at last, the agent quietly told her concentrating friend to hold on a bit longer before stepping back, making it seem she wanted to run away. As expected, the enemy no longer paid her much attention, considering that the real target here was the lady. It would only make things easier at first glance once she left her friend behind.
Not really knowing what the expert agent was planning, but trusting her nonetheless, the stubborn lady kept on fighting. Now that the focus was back on her, even more so than before, it was getting harder for her to keep the clash in the distance. The heavy construct suddenly jumped impossibly high over her massive blade before rushing down toward her with a burst of electricity. She knew she had to rely on her own strength here, thus she immediately cast a quick haste spell on herself, and it was just in time to avoid being crushed.
The next moment, there was a slim window of opportunity... and the high on adrenaline girl took it aggressively as she spun around with a hand rising to call her Arc Divider back for one final strike.
"Divide all incertitude― Arc!"
At once, the pseudo Noble Phantasm whirled wildly with glittering icy trails toward the pseudo golem that turned around almost too late to react. It was clearly meant to finish, seeing how the massive blade managed to completely shred the main metal armoring like paper and leave heavy damage on the stone body. However, as it finally stopped, the blasted thing surprisingly not only still survived somehow, but also had the blade in a dead hold.
Dammit.
The lady was about to curse even more, but then she saw the unyielding hold on her weapon suddenly slackened, letting it go back to hover steadily until she eventually dismissed it. Her gaze instinctively turned toward the still present enemy Caster then, only to find a familiar thin blade sticking out of his chest from behind. A grin began to appear on her face here as she put things together, and it only became brighter at the sight of her favorite sister revealed behind the dematerializing Servant.
They won!
It was not yet time to celebrate, though, so after exchanging relieved nods, they parted ways without unnecessary words. The agent decided to head back into the castle to ascertain some important matters while the lady continued her way outside to assist her precious persons.
Hurry...
Thankfully, it didn't take long to locate the duo, since they were just near the hundreds meters tall, gigantic form of the supposed ultimate weapon, battling it. There was no time to be shocked, though. It also wouldn't help to be emotional, but the girl found it hard after missing them in secret. The boy in particular, she wanted nothing more than to run up to him, and to her joy, that was basically what she needed to do here. Thus, as their eyes met, she could no longer resist.
"SENSEI!"
"Irisviel, come! You know what to do."
Immediately, her beloved took position with his runes covered arms open wide for her. It made her feel absolutely giddy as she ran, only giving her Servant an excited wave as she spotted her in the air keeping the enemy busy. And soon enough, it felt like coming home as she spun around just at the right moment to land her back snugly on his solid body.
They became one.
"Heaven's Feel begin."
Purplish aura danced around them as streams of magical energy coursed from the rich leyline through her body before he channeled them to overload his twin Noble Phantasms. A reddish black orb formed on his right palm and a bluish white on the left one. It was such an amazing sight and sensation, but unlike her, his focus was on his - uh their now! - ultimate Noble Phantasm.
"An end to all things―"
At once, both orbs were then launched forward.
― Zero-Order Convergence.
It culminated with the two condensed magical energies combining right as they hit the gigantic form head on. The result was such a horrifying sight of what was called as the refined form of pseudo black matter. The pair of magnificent orbs had joined together, producing a great mass of abyssal darkness that swallowed everything in the surroundings.
Even the fabled Golem Keter Malkuth was no exception...
Caster who had moved away in time could only gulp weakly as she looked on in horror. It was to her great relief then that the unholy power disappeared as soon as it did the job. Quickly, she turned her gaze down to check on the kids.
Those two really made such a banging couple!
It made her feel kinda jealous here as she frowned at the sight of them being lost in their own world.
"Unless you kids let this sweaty oneechan join in, get a room already!"
/
This would not do.
At some point as he kept being uncharacteristically thrashed around, he spotted the others' arrival. The worst thing that could happen here was for his Master to interfere and end this battle for him. Thankfully, the boy seemed to understand as he stood there patiently with his arms keeping the girls behind him from recklessly rushing in.
Against such an opponent that had gone far beyond Servant boundaries, even the supposedly invincible Red Lancer had to admit how helpless he was here as a Servant...
A memory of the unforgettable battle with a certain Saber resurfaced once again. Back then, the greatsword-wielding Servant clearly understood that he stood no chance, but it mattered not to him. He kept on fighting, struggling, and giving his all for the one mattered most to him. It was that resolve of his that somehow compelled his already formidable strength to grow further along with himself as a true warrior.
This Lancer finally understood here that the true winner that time was none other than his rival. He didn't think he could follow the example this time, however, considering his only one dimensional sense of emotion. Thus, perhaps he really deserved a defeat here...
This would not do.
His eyes widened as he suddenly realized his fatal mistake. For some foolish reason, he had let his pride as a warrior take too much hold of him just because of the much anticipated battle. Then again, perhaps it was just what he needed to learn that other, seemingly out of reach warrior way at last.
The worried but still hopeful sight of the ones he had come to consider as family came into his blurry vision briefly as his weakened body once again was sent crashing down. There was nothing mattered more than those three. He might have fought for their wishes and honors before, but this time, he hoped he could fight for their very feelings.
If he lost here, it would make them sad...
This would not do!
Brahmastra answered his resolve.
The mighty divine power's presence resounded clearly with his soul, clearer than ever. It coursed over him thoroughly like never before. The resulting reddish glow he unconsciously emitted was brighter than ever. Then, as if trying to guide him, the power moved from his fallen form only to converge in the tip of his divine spear, heating it up so intensely until it appeared translucent with a reddish glow.
Brahmastra's Searing Edge...
Unlocking a new ability was such a pleasant feeling, one that he had not felt for so long until recently.
It was just in time as well because his overwhelming opponent seemed to have decided to end the battle. With a powerful jump, the monstrosity was instantly there in the air, bringing down lethal claws upon him. He still managed to narrowly get away, and used the opportunity to try the new ability on the exposed shoulder of the clawed left hand striking the empty ground.
With a reddish burst of spark, the Legend of Dracula lost an arm... and it didn't appear to regenerate anytime soon.
It was too soon to celebrate, however, because the monstrosity with his successfully maintained intelligence almost immediately figured out what happened. His remaining hand shot out at once to forcefully take the weapon responsible for his surprisingly permanent damage from the wielder before kicking him away. It didn't take much effort, still. He noticed briefly then that the strange glow had disappeared from the tip now that it was in his hand, but it mattered not.
Losing the weapon should mean the end for Red Lancer.
Without giving the downed Servant a chance to get up, the shadowy monstrosity charged down in full power, fully intending to finish him with his own weapon. He forgot, however, that the closest moment to victory could be where he was most vulnerable. He also underestimated the cost of losing a limb. And it was just to his bad luck as originally a Lancer himself that this particular Lancer was practically a living weapon, one that would not miss every opportunity to strike.
Using the feeble strength he had left to the limit, the weakened Lancer took the perfect timing to suddenly rise back up, evading a finishing move from his own weapon by a hairbreadth. All the while, his eyes were focused solely on the opening left by the opponent's missing arm. The deciding factor, however, was the fact that he could practically use his whole body as a weapon. A familiar reddish glow in a flash appeared on the tip of his fingers as they turned translucent from Searing Edge power before he struck them right into a shadowy heart.
Their warrior battle was finally over.
Losing the accursed transformation, the Black Lancer returned to his original self as he slumped forward only to be held up by the one who defeated him. And here, for some reason, he couldn't help but feel grateful in his last moment.
"Who would've thought... there could ever be pride in defeat?"
"... Rest in pride, true warrior."
The Red Lancer smiled weakly as he heard one last chuckle from his fellow Lancer before the tall form disappeared. To his slight displeasure, however, he found it hard to stay standing now that his makeshift support was no longer there. The toll his body had taken finally caught up to him, and there was nothing he could do as he slumped forward himself.
This would not do...
He was about to hit the harsh ground... but someone caught him... no... there were three... and he couldn't be more relieved then as he willingly resigned from consciousness... knowing perfectly well who those three were.
/
Nothing could be more frustrating than this.
Even with both shoulders being pinned to the wall with bluish spectral swords, the clearly defeated head of the Yggdmillennias felt more frustrated than pained. He had not even bothered to keep track of how long he had been in such a humiliating state. It was because he had been too busy channeling his frustration through a death glare toward the one responsible for this.
"Once again, I repeat. Who Are You?"
Just like all the previous questions, it went unanswered. The stoic guard with suspiciously Einzbern appearance just stood there, absentmindedly fingering the pendant of the chain around his wrist, which he used earlier to summon the swords. This made the magus' frustration grew further if that was even possible.
"Answer me, you braindead guard dog!"
Finally there was an answer, but strangely enough, it was in the chiding sound coming suddenly from the doorway.
"Now, now. Please don't be rude to the esteemed 34th Knight-Commander of the Order of Templars himself."
Always at the ready, the Templar in question immediately turned to kneel before the all too unsuspecting new presence.
"Grandmaster."
"Well done, Sir Victor." The person gestured the loyal knight to stand. "Your work is as immaculate as ever even against someone of a Grand Magus caliber."
The humiliation reached its peak here.
The aforementioned magus, however, for some reason found his attention was more focused on the new presence's eerily familiar looks. It felt like he had known this boy in a priest attire from somewhere in the past. Having no clue, the frustration returned then along with his glare.
"And who are you, insolent little brat?"
"Little brat... Really?" Golden eyes blinked in amusement. "Oh well, you have aged exceptionally well yourself, Lord Darnic."
At that, a sudden look of recognition finally settled on said lord's unnaturally young face as his eyes widened in shock.
"Ruler..."
Oops, poor Lancer! For once, he's the one getting bullied here somehow instead of his Master like usual. It must be a mistake... Seriously, though. I just try to portray the claim in canon Apocrypha that the transformed Lancer of Black could tear apart Lancer of Red. Of course, here our favorite Lancer does it in style despite losing. I also wish it to be an opportunity for him to grow as a character with some new ability and all.