Ballet of Blades
The spark had been lit, and now the tension roared into full-blown battle. In unison, Alex and Mina tore the masks from their faces and summoned their weapons from their respective locations. Saber's flaming blade appeared in her grasp as she leapt forward, wasting no time in engaging Lancer who met her halfway with crimson spear in hand. Assassin raised her staff, a dark ball of writhing energy appearing at the very tip, which she sent flying with a flick of her wrist directly at Alex's torso. Barely dodging in time by rolling over the side of a chair, a blur of motion caught his attention.
"Fucking hell!"
A razor-sharp blade passed mere millimeters in front of his nose, followed by a length of shimmering chain that kept it tied to its wielder. Staggering backwards, he grit his teeth as the deadly chain whip retracted into their opponent's waiting hands. She stood before them, completely at ease with a sadistic grin on her face as one of the bladed ends spun in her grip. Under other circumstances, he would have preferred to coordinate with Mina and pick apart their opponent. But there was no time for strategy, chaos reigned within the confines of the battlefield and every second spent thinking was another chance for death to make its presence known.
Alex had never faced a bian user, he only knew that the weapon was terribly tricky to use and even harder to master. It was a flexible weapon, built to be versatile and adaptable. With no strategy readily apparent, he had to focus on simpler things until one came to him. Behind her, Assassin pulled another sphere of rippling energy from the ether and clenched her hand, forming the sphere into an array of deadly spines.
Her yellow eyes gleamed with malicious intent, "Lie down and bleed, like the dogs you are!"
With a sweep of her staff, the spines flew out in a wide arc that encompassed the entire width of the room. They tore through all furnishings that got in their way, never slowing in their destruction. Alex hit the deck to avoid getting skewered, which he managed to do successfully. The spines passed so close that he could sense the cursed nature of the magic being used against them. He noticed that Mina had also avoided the spikes, and she seemed thoroughly irritated at the sudden turn of events.
There was no indication that Assassin was upset that her assault had been avoided, in fact, she seemed downright thrilled, "Very good. I do love seeing such an obedient puppy. Now, take your reward!"
She raised her staff for the third time and from her person emanated a rippling wave of dark energy. The wave cascaded forward, threatening to engulf them where they lay. Alex desperately pushed himself to his feet, but he knew that there was no way for him to avoid the wave in time.
"Master! Watch out!"
The wave of darkness was suddenly engulfed in a blaze of burning fire, stopping it dead in its tracks mere feet before it reached them. He twisted his head to see that Saber had broken away from Lancer and held her blade upright in both hands, a line of scorched flooring leading away from her position. Her quick thinking had saved them, but it was quickly met with reprisal.
The motion had forced her to turn her attention away from Lancer, who did not appreciate the interruption. Alex saw the movement and tried to call out a warning, but he was too slow. Lancer's body pivoted like a dancer's as she brought up a heeled boot to the small of Saber's back, the resulting impact sent Saber careening across the width of the room and into the opposing wall. A gasp of pain escaped her lips as she dropped to the ground, heavy cracks webbing through the wall from the point of impact.
Mina roused herself to action, "Saber! Are you alright?"
Saber grunted as she picked herself up, a manic gleam sparking in her eyes, "That was nothing! I will return that punishment in kind!"
The blade in her hands flared as she pushed off from the wall, the speed and ferocity in her movements rising in intensity as the battle unfolded. Mina glared at the enemy Master, "I'll finish this quickly, so don't feel bad if you die too soon."
"Oh, I can't wait to play with you! I bet your screams are just heavenly!"
Alex began to feel less and less sympathy for their enemy, there was something about the disdainful way she spoke that got his blood boiling. He was already sick of hearing her spouting off, and he knew the perfect way to shut her up. Permanently.
"Let's get her."
Mina flourished her hyeopdo, "Couldn't have said it better myself."
Making their individual moves, they split apart and arced inwards, intending to split their enemy's attention. It was a simple strategy that they had used before, usually to great effect. On the approach, Alex charged the khopesh with crackling lightning in preparation to end the match with a swift discharge to the body.
As he closed in, their opponent lashed out with both ends of the bian at each of them, seemingly unfazed by their opposing directions. The blades sang through the air with surprising speed, and he was barely able to dodge in time. Ducking beneath the chain, he swept up from below, aiming for the lower thigh.
To his shock and surprise, the blade never made contact with its intended target. A length of chain appeared and wrapped itself around the tip of the khopesh, pulling it taut and nearly ripping the weapon straight from his hand. The sudden loss of control, coupled with a wrenching motion from the enemy, yanked him off-balance. He found himself careening forward, unable to stop himself in time. In a desperate attempt to regain initiative, he released the pent-up charge in the hopes that the jolt would get her to release the chain.
The lightning surged through the chain, but had little effect on his intended target. Instead, a familiar voice cried out in a pained shriek that chilled his blood. He looked on in horror as his own electrical energy poured into Mina, one of the bladed tips jutting out of her upper arm. Her body shook violently as sparks pulsed through her muscles, sending her to her knees from the pain. The realization at what was transpiring froze his mind and paralyzed his body, so terrible was his guilt.
Another twitch of the wrist and the blade slid free of Mina's flesh, only to be swung with blinding speed back at him. With the khopesh still occupied, there was nothing to stop that same edge from gliding into his shoulder, the tip burying itself all the way to bone. The pain that followed was excruciating, a deep burning sensation that worked itself slowly through the wound and into the surrounding nerves. A growl of pain rose from the back of his throat as he reached up to yank the blade out with his free hand.
"Ah ah, did I say you could pull that out?" The demeaning rebuke was accompanied by a heavy dose of electricity, his electricity. Little could stop the audible gasp of pained surprise at being assailed by his own magic. The burst lasted only a second, but it was plenty long enough to ignite real hatred within his heart. Using his own magic against him was bad enough, but forcing him to hurt Mina was too much.
The magic being was his own, he knew of ways to mitigate the effects to avoid muscle spasms or even partial paralysis. Throwing off the pain with a snarl, he rose to his feet, never abating the firm grip on the hilt of the khopesh,
"Now, I'm pissed. I think I'll enjoy this a little bit."
Her dark eyes sparked with malicious glee, "If that's the case, then I suppose we all should enjoy ourselves."
Mina had since gotten to her feet, a bit unsteady from the electricity, and aside from the trickle of blood that ran down her forearm she seemed equally ready to exact some payback. Again, they closed in, a bit more cautious of the whirling zone of blades that the bian created. Their opponent was clearly a master of the chain whip, her body contorting in mesmerizing and impossible ways as the deadly chain sang through the air. Each approach was met equally and perfectly, the chain never ceasing for a moment. They could not approach close enough to disrupt the pattern, nor would they attempt magic for fear of it being redirected. Too many variables, too little space, too little time.
All around them the Servants raged against each other with Saber engaged in desperate melee against the double team of Lancer and Assassin. The very air vibrated whenever their weapons clashed and the ground quaked from the magic cast by Assassin. Saber was outnumbered and at a clear disadvantage; whenever Lancer locked her down, Assassin would take advantage and when Saber made moves towards Assassin, Lancer would target her openings. Barely a minute had transpired from the opening salvo, and Saber was already breathing heavily and bleeding from multiple wounds. Yet her fire never dimmed, rather she fought harder as the seconds passed.
And through it all, the endless, sonorous beat of music never wavered.
Alex knew that if they kept things the way they were, they would be worn down. Neither their stamina nor their magical energy would last forever and it was clear that the scales were tipped against them. Something had to change, and fast.
"We need him." It was Mina that made the suggestion, wiping away a trickle of blood that ran down the side of her face.
Alex knew what she was suggesting, and he could not disagree. The Pharaoh's interference could tip the scales back into their favor, perhaps for good. While he was still remiss to call him with a Command Seal, he knew that there were plenty of ways for Ozymandias to grant aid. Focusing intently on avoiding the whipping chain, Alex reached out to Ozymandias,
"Pharaoh, we have found Assassin and Lancer, but are in desperate need of assistance! I ask of you, please lend us your aid!"
The response came but a few heartbeats later, "What are you willing to sacrifice for it?"
His words hit like a brick to the side of the head, "Wha? What do you mean by that!?"
"The Dendera Bulb is not one for…precision. I will state again, what are you willing to sacrifice for the sake of victory?"
The Dendera Bulb, Ozymandias' premier offensive Noble Phantasm with enough firepower to turn the entire city into a molten slag heap. And now, Alex had the equivalent of a nuclear device sitting in the palm of his hand. This wasn't like the last time Ozymandias had offered to use it, there was little in the way of real pressure back then. Death was right in front of him, ready to cut his thread and send him to the next world. He never considered the possibility that he would be caught in the blast radius, only that hundreds of thousands would die if the Pharaoh unleashed the Bulb. Alex hastily assembled a plan,
"Mina! We need to get out of here, make some space!"
"Right! I hope you know what you're doing! Saber!"
At her Master's call, Saber kicked clear of Lancer's scything blows and dashed in their direction. Skidding to a halt near the wall, she held her sword high and brought it down, blasting out a large section of the woodwork. The night air rushed in, as did the sounds of confusion and screaming from down below.
"Looks like the party's over!"
Mina took the time to glare at him, "Less talk, more jumping! Saber, I leave the landing to you!"
Mina dashed towards the opening, with Alex right behind. Saber swung her flaming blade once more, putting up a wall of crackling fire that arced around them to give some form of cover to their retreat. Alex was reminded of the last time he and Mina had jumped out of a building, the thought of doing it again turned his stomach. But with no exit strategy, there was no other choice but to take the plunge.
This time, they weren't leaping hundreds of feet, which was a definite plus. But still, the twenty-foot drop was nothing to joke at, though Mina still managed to find a way to get a rise out of him by calling out once they had jumped,
"Oh, don't forget Alex too!"
"Yeah, don't!"
Airborne once more, he felt a slender and surprisingly strong arm grasp him around the waist. It was none other than Saber, crimson dress fluttering in the breeze, that had taken him under her arm to control his fall. The ground rushed to meet them, and as Saber hit the ground he was dropped unceremoniously. He grunted in pain as he hit concrete, but it was better to fall from two feet instead of twenty, so he wasn't about to complain. Hauling himself upright, he watched as Mina was gently placed on her own two feet, having been brought to ground in a bridal-style carry.
"I keep forgetting how strong Servants actually are," he marveled, "I'm too bulky for most people of Saber's size to lift, much less carry."
Saber wagged her finger at him, "Umu! This body is equally built for both love and war! See that you remember that!"
"Uh-huh."
"You did so well, Saber. How are you holding up?" Mina eyed Saber's bloody exterior with concern, and with good reason. She had taken a real beating, and yet she was smiling as if there was nothing to be worried about.
"Worry not, my Master. I can handle plenty more of tha-" Her words were cut short by a violent cough that drew beads of red to her soft lips. Mina frowned,
"That won't do. Here, I'm no healer, but this should suffice."
Placing a hand on her arm, Mina took a deep breath as her arm briefly flared. Some of the wounds on Saber's body began to close and the flow of blood slowed to near nothing. Mina nodded in satisfaction, "There, feel better?"
Alex raised an eyebrow, "Mana infusion?"
"Duh. Servants are still basically familiars in concept, so as long as there's a bond to be used, even a non-healer can repair some of the damage they've incurred."
"Well, that is good. However," he turned his head towards the breach to see three figures glaring down at them, "I don't think they're going to just let us walk away like that."
Mina grimaced, "Of course it wouldn't be that easy. You have a plan?"
"About twenty percent of one, probably."
"Good enough."
"Let's hope so."
They turned and dashed down the street with Saber close behind. Over his shoulder, Alex turned to see Lancer leap high into the air and come down on a nearby rooftop with clear intent to pursue. Assassin still stood within the breach, silhouetted by flames, and then in the blink of an eye, she vanished from sight. The last to move aggressively was the Master, who did not seem to be in a great rush as she lowered herself down to ground level using her bian to control the descent. The streets were not empty, not by far, and she vanished amidst the panicking crowds.
"So much for being discreet." They dashed along the sidewalk; the gilded windows filled with glittering goods flew by in blurs of shimmering light. Being unfamiliar as he was with the layout of Gangnam-gu, Alex hurriedly told Mina that they needed to head somewhere with as few people as possible in order to safely destroy their pursuers. She tossed him a look that told him exactly what she thought of the condition, she wasn't pleased at all, but she refused to vocalize the sentiment. She came to a decision in mere moments,
"We head north, towards the Han river. If we can trap them on one of the bridges, then they'll be exposed with nobody nearby! The only problem is…"
"We have to make it there." Alex finished her sentence with only a hint of frustration, to which Mina agreed,
"Precisely. This is turning difficult, so keep your eyes open!"
It was easier said than done. The explosion at The Masquerade had sent ripples of panic throughout the neighborhood, causing the large crowds to act in accordance with a human's fight or flight response. Which meant that Alex and Mina had to fight against the panicking crowd as they tried to progress towards the river. They found themselves constantly battered and shoved by the scared and the desperate trying to save themselves. Even Saber, for all of her strength, refused to use it to remove the innocents caught in her path and was slowed considerably for it.
As they pushed their way through, a particularly large man barreled his way through, colliding with Mina and knocking her to the ground. She yelped in surprise as she sprawled on the pavement, covering her head for fear of being kicked and trampled by ignorant stampeders. Saber turned to push her way back, but Alex was closer and moved with great purpose.
Elbowing his way to her, he bent down and picked her up by the shoulders,
"Mina! You okay?"
He didn't intend for his concern to be voiced so forcefully, nor did he want to grip her as tightly as he was, but the concern and fear that had just taken hold was very real. She blinked at him with wide eyes still shadowed by abating terror, "Y-yeah. I'm okay now."
"Good, we need to move." He took her hand in his, "Don't let go, okay?"
Alex felt her hand squeeze his ever so gently, "Don't plan on it."
His heart lightened at her touch and his steps gained new vigor, he feared neither crowd nor Servant at this moment. Connected in this way, they forced their way down the central street and through the worst of the immediate crowd. Beyond a certain radius, people began to disperse into many different directions as they hoped to distance themselves from the commotion at The Masquerade. Using Alex's size and the fact that they were both carrying bladed weapons, they were able to make better time and avoid any other incidents with bystanders.
This did not stop all of their problems, much to their dismay. As they neared an area where fewer people were present, a pair of dark chains lashed out at them from the shadows of a nearby building. Despite catching sight of them in the nick of time, the chains swerved with serpentine intelligence around their attempts to dodge and deflect them. Spiked blades bit deep into their flesh, holding them in their painful grip. Alex strained against them, only to have his torso constricted by the impossibly dense metal. The chains began to pull them towards the shadows, where they both glimpsed a pair of malevolent, yellow eyes awaiting them.
But they had no reason to panic for longer than a second; a blur of flaming crimson severed the chains at the midpoint, causing them to crumble away to ash and dust. Saber brandished her sword defensively, preparing for another move from Assassin, who simply chuckled darkly and melted back into shadow.
There was no respite, Mina's head shot upwards and she cried a warning, "Saber! Above!"
A dark meteor crashed into Saber, cracking deep into the pavement and sending debris flying in all directions. The dust cleared to reveal that Lancer had engaged Saber in brutal melee, their weapons singing out a battle-hymn as the female warriors strove for domination. Alex sensed something different int his clash, something closer akin to hatred, yet without the substance of that particular emotion.
There was a grim atmosphere surrounding them, a fatal understanding between great warriors. They had battled several times before, so perhaps they had become more accustomed to each other by now. He could only fathom what words could have transpired between them, or how much knowledge they've gained during their meetings. For whatever reason, Saber was no longer boasting or shouting in triumph. Her mouth was set into a grim line and her eyes belied no mirth. Saber was deadly serious; it was a sight that set a small nugget of doubt in his own mind, he began to wonder just how dire their situation really was.
But they could not remain here, they had to push on. A sentiment that Saber seemed to fully understand,
"Master, keep going! I shall be right behind you!"
What else were they to do? They had to rely on that promise, even though there was little to substantiate those hopeful words. Mina tugged at his hand as they turned tail and ran, guiding him through the streets.
The sounds of battle were just beginning to grow faint when the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He registered a faint whistling sound that sliced through the air, coming from behind and to the left. Skidding to a stop, he pulled Mina back into him as he simultaneously shoved them both to the side, ignoring her shout of protest. A familiar sight whizzed harmlessly by, only to be snapped back out of view.
Twisting in space, Alex laid eyes upon the enemy Master, casually swinging the bian as one might do with an errant piece of rope. Alex narrowed his eyes and murmured his concerns to Mina, who was so close to him that he could feel the silken strands of her hair under his chin,
"That weapon is trouble. It was able to redirect my magic without issue, it could be capable of other things as well. Be careful."
"You too," she muttered, "we still have a way to go, so we can't be bogged down here."
He squeezed her hand one last time and then released it, stepping to the side to allow Mina room to utilize her hyeopdo to full effectiveness. Taking up the khopesh in both hands, Alex cautiously began to move towards the right side of the street. The street was not narrow, though there were several obstacles that could be used as cover or barriers. He guessed that flanking would be difficult, given the apparent length of their opponent's weapon. Things were turning into a cage match, and he wasn't sure who that favored.
The bian whipped through the air with increasing fervor, gaining speed at a frightening speed until the bladed tip became a blur. The chain wound about her body like a writhing serpent, coiling dangerously about her arms, torso, and even neck. The body itself began to move forward, shifting and rotating in a mesmerizing pattern. Before he was ready to accept it, their opponent was upon them.
The blows came in a rain of steel lightning, flashing wickedly in the false dawn of the neon sky. The pair shuddered under the weight of the assault, each having to fend for themselves as their opponent was able to dedicate ample attention to each whenever one decided to try and advance. Her attacks came with pinpoint accuracy backed with terrifying force, faster and faster as the battle rose in intensity. Only through concerted effort was he able to deflect or dodge effectively.
The heavy darts lashed out again, the same straight shot pattern that she had shown multiple times before. Judging by the angle, Alex surmised that she was aiming for his weapon, most likely an attempt to disarm him. Confident that he was becoming accustomed to her style, his body shifted to avoid the dart and so that he could enter a countermove. This confidence only enhanced his shock as the blade entered his upper thigh.
It took a moment for him to register what had just happened, he surely saw the angle and the speed of the chain heading towards his wrist, and yet it was redirected in the blink of an eye. The pain did not register until after the chain yanked backwards, tearing muscle and sinew as it violently exited. He buckled under his own weight, dropping to the pavement with a strangled yelp. Blood flowed freely from the wound, staining the sidewalk red beneath him as he gripped the wound with slightly trembling hands.
A buzzing sound filled the air, punctuated by low laughter. He raised his head to see the chain once more in motion, carving its path through the air and scattering drops of blood throughout the street. Another straight shot, this time aimed directly for his forehead. But before he needed to throw himself to the ground in a desperate bid to avoid being brained, Mina leapt to his defense and knocked the dart aside.
"Alex!" she cried, "Are you alright? Can you stand?"
"Not a chance, bitch got me right through my quads! I need a moment to repair the damage!"
"You've got thirty seconds."
"Thanks," he groaned through clenched teeth, "I knew you cared."
Curling low to create as small a profile as he could, he focused his mana towards a healing effect, doing his best to ignore the constant buzzing of the chain as it sang against the steel of Mina's heavy blade. Murmuring the proper incantation, Alex released the spell to repair the muscular tissue, only to find that it had no effect.
A leaden weight crashed down into the pit of his stomach. He attempted the same spell again, hoping his desperation would overcome whatever was blocking it from taking effect. But nothing happened. The wound still oozed precious blood and his muscles screamed in anger and pain. He stared at the wound, dumbfounded. He had never had a spell fail on him before, especially not one that was so simple in nature.
He was at a complete and total loss. Panic took over as his body recognized just how much danger he was in. Any confidence that he possessed dissipated like smoke, leaving only raw despair behind. His mind raced to find a solution but came up blank, concluding only that he was now useless. A sack of meat on the chopping block. Mina snapped at him,
"What's the holdup!? I can't do this forever, you know!"
"It isn't working…" He spoke in a voice just barely audible enough for her to hear,
"What? What isn't working?"
"My magic, it isn't activating! She's done something to me, I know it!"
"Hehehe…hahahaha! Finally! You're starting to see just how outmatched you are!" The bian had retracted to its mistress, now tracing lazy circles about her person but never stopping for a moment. Haughty certainty was plain across her face as she stared them down, "You will die, the sooner you accept this, the better. If you entertain me enough…" and she ran a long tongue across her full lips, "then perhaps I'll make it a quick death. But I'd rather watch you flounder more! I want to see you writhe in agony! Ah…I want to watch you bleed more…"
Mina took a half-step backwards, her voice betraying her trepidation, "This bitch is something else. Let's relocate, try somewhere else. But your leg…"
"Absolutely not. I will not be dead weight for her. Push through it. Get UP!"
Fighting down the urge to scream Alex stood on shaking legs, favoring his uninjured leg heavily. Mina seemed to want to protest, but decided against doing so. Curling one hand into a fist, Mina intoned a brief incantation, glaring pure disgust at their opponent.
"Why don't you just scatter to the four corners? Here, I'll help you along. Howling Gale!"
A torrent of screaming wind blasted forth from her outstretched hand, filling the confines of the street with its deafening cacophony. The force of the howling wind bowled over everything that was not bolted down, sending debris flying down the open stretch. Their opponent was not sent flying as they might have hoped, but she was forced to anchor herself to the ground by wrapping her chains around the base of a lamppost. Mina pushed herself underneath his arm, taking some of his weight on herself,
"Quickly!" She shouted over the din, "This won't last long!"
Together they hobbled down the street, vanishing into the dark and leaving their opponent behind. But they knew she'd be hot on their heels as soon as she was able, and Assassin and Lancer were still out there somewhere. Somehow, they needed to find a way to turn the tables.
They limped down the sidewalk, now deserted as the panicking crowd had long dissolved into the night. Alex tried his best to keep his weight off of Mina, but he found himself stumbling and having no choice but to rely on her. He had never had the chance to be so close to her, much less hold onto her slender frame. She was surprisingly muscular beneath her clothing, athletic but not wiry. Her arm gripped him tight by the waist, shoulders pressing into his midsection as she guided him forward. He was acutely aware of her firm grasp on his shirt, her slender fingers squeezing into his skin with every step. Being held in her embrace was actually quite pleasant, if he was being honest with himself. It was almost enough to get him to forget the throbbing pain in his thigh.
"This is nice, being so close to her. I wouldn't mind staying like this a bit longer…"
But it was not to last. They turned into an alleyway just in time for Alex's leg to give out from the strain. He grunted a warning, pressing his back to the wall as he slid down to the ground. Mina knelt beside him, laying down her hyeopdo with a furtive glance all around them. She conjured a small mote of light to better inspect Alex's wound. Upon peeling back the cloth around it, she hissed in shock.
The wound was laced with a purplish-black hue, one that descended deep into the flesh and into the muscular tissue. Alex groaned as she gingerly touched the area around the opening,
"It's bad, isn't it?"
She paused briefly, "It, uh, doesn't look great. I'm no expert, but it seems off somehow. While I don't know much about healing magic, I may be able to detect something if there's a foreign substance in the body."
Alex wiped the sweat from his brow and nodded his consent, now was not the time to waver on bodily privacy. Mina immediately went to work, drawing a circle filled with runes of detection and identification around the wound. A moment later, the circle flared and disappeared into his flesh, though he felt nothing. Mina frowned as she received the information from her analysis,
"It doesn't seem to be poison…but it acts like it. Limited spread, as it didn't enter any major blood vessels, but it has gone for your magic circuits." She looked him in the eyes,
"Alex, I think you've been hit with a curse."
"A curse? Aw hell…"
Curses are a dangerous and dark form of magecraft that could be used for a variety of sinister purposes. All mages are taught that there is no such thing as a good curse, but all curses are useful if applied properly. Curses are also highly mutable in their forms, as they are drawn from the caster's own mindset and desires. Thus, no two curses are exactly the same, which makes them terribly difficult to counter effectively.
"Alex, I think this curse is targeting your magical circuits. It's stopping you from producing magecraft."
Alex swore violently, "God fucking damnit! I need to dispel it, immediately. It must be her weapon; I bet its cursed somehow. Have you ever heard of someone who practices applying curses as their magecraft?"
She shook her head, "Curses don't act the same way that our magecraft does. Only truly spiteful mages can call forth curses like this, they're a byproduct of the mage's mentality as much as magical circuits. But that doesn't mean that all she can do is use curses, seeing as a curse is just another tool in a mage's arsenal. She could very well have an affinity that she's choosing to keep hidden."
Alex groaned in as much frustration as discomfort, "That complicates things. She's a troublesome one, that's to be sure. A curse that shuts down magecraft…I've never heard of such a thing. I wonder how…oh, hang on a second."
The throbbing pain was subsiding, so he attempted the healing spell again on a whim. To his delight, the soothing magic took hold and began to close the open wound. It was a slow process, as his prowess with healing was basic at best.
"Seems like it wears off after a bit, so that's a plus. As long as we avoid getting stuck and cursed, we can keep using our magecraft. Easy, right?"
But Mina didn't answer right away, her attention suddenly stolen elsewhere. She slowly reached down and gripped the haft of her weapon,
She whispered under her breath, "Get ready."
In the heartbeat after she uttered those words, there came a rush of clattering metal followed by a rush of movement from Mina. Her heavy blade swung in a perfect arc, catching a heavy dart as it slung in their direction. Alex snapped his vision sideways towards where the dart had come from, directly above them. Crouched atop a small balcony was their opponent in the midst of retracting the bian from around Mina's curved blade. She smiled wickedly in the evening light,
"Found you!"
Adrenaline surged within him at her reappearance, along with a fair bit of anger at the indignation of having his circuits shut down. He flexed his left hand, feeling the familiar rush of magical energy as his circuits reawakened. Glaring at the figure, he raised his arm skywards,
"I owe you for back there. Eat this! Lightning bolt!"
A torrent of crackling blue energy surged forth, enveloping the sky above them in a shower of shite-hot sparks. Their opponent skillfully dodged, swinging up and over a handrail and cartwheeling her way around the indiscriminate blasting. Alex was not disappointed by the lack of contact, as he was simply attempting to make space. He heaved himself to his feet, still a bit unsteady,
"Come on! Let's move while we can!"
He took her hand in his, pulling her along as they continued their dash towards the river. Despite stumbling several times, he pushed forward on intent and adrenaline alone. He kept reminding himself that they were truly in dire straits. The longer the night went, the more likely it was that Saber would get overwhelmed and killed. If that happened, Mina would be more vulnerable than ever and they'd be stranded without any backup. But if they could follow through and trap the enemy Servants on one of Seoul's many cross-river bridges, they could destroy both Servants in a single blow.
"Hey," he spoke as they ran, "I just thought of something."
"What is it?"
"If Lancer and Assassin have been working together this whole time, and we haven't seen hide nor tail of Caster, then maybe they killed them already."
"That's…certainly possible. What are you getting at, Alex?"
"Think about it. If that's true, and if we're able to pull this off, then that would mean we'd be the last ones standing. We could end this Grail War. Tonight."
It was a tantalizing possibility, one that was almost too good to consider. But the sheer fact that an end could be achieved was enough to get his mind racing. Should this hairbrained scheme of theirs somehow work, then it would all be over by sunrise. He pushed the possibility to the back of his mind, but was unwilling to discard it completely. For the first time since the War had begun, he began to foster hope that there was a light at the end of the tunnel.
Mina was quiet at his suggestion, a contemplative silence that one might see in a recluse that indicates great thought or deep consideration. He admired the fact that she was able to appear so calm, despite the current danger. Her only response came after several minutes of silent running,
"Yeah, maybe."
It wasn't nearly the enthusiastic response that he was hoping for, but he chalked that up to the fact that they were running for their lives. Mina had always preferred to focus on the smaller details, he reminded himself.
Their reverie did not last long, not that they expected it to. By Mina's estimate, the river was just over a mile away by this point, so close that Alex could almost hear the rushing water. The road had straightened out considerably the closer they came to the crossing, and the number of side streets dwindled rapidly until they had no choice but to return to the main thoroughfare. Their opponent knew this, and was waiting for them.
Behind them they each heard the loud rumbles that could only be attributed to the constant battling of Servants. Alex dimly wondered how much damage they were doing to city property, there was no insurance on earth that covered this. Their battle only served to heighten the tension building in his chest, they needed to break past and get to the bridge. The longer the night progressed, the more convinced he was that it was their only option to overcome the double-team.
The bladed whip whirled through the air, picking up speed as they had seen done before. This time, their opponent swayed in place, rather than approach them. It was clear that she recognized that the advantage was hers, so there was no reason to expend extra effort in an offensive. Alex knew they were being toyed with, the condescension in her eyes spoke volumes as to how she viewed the young mages. It didn't matter what she thought of them, they had to press forward.
Alex moved first, posturing aggressively in the hopes of gaining her full attention. Dodging back from a slicing uppercut, he ducked in with his shoulders down to present a smaller target, only to be reproached with a rapid fusillade of stabs. Frustration simmered beneath his skin; he couldn't approach her in the least bit. Each step was matched, every blow perfectly countered. And the way her body moved only added to his sour mood, no human should be able to bend in the way that she was. The whip contorted around her supple form, responding to her every twitch and turn with a precision that was damn near uncanny. Every inch of her was covered with its bladed length, a veritable cage of writhing snakes that was hell-bent on breaking those that dare approach its mistress.
Mina had no better luck when she advanced in tandem with Alex, despite the extra reach of her polearm. Though she showed no outward sign of frustration, the weight of her rising emotions echoed through the singing of her heavy blade. As her tempo increased, Alex rose to match, not daring to slow down their deadly dance. Attack only to be rebuffed, swing only to be parried, cast only to be denied, bleed only to repeat it all again.
This was their fight, minutes of ruthless combat set their hearts into a ragged battle-rhythm that their opponent gleefully accepted. Their resolve began to flag, if only for a moment, and the sadistic defender seized the opportunity,
"What a pathetic pair you two have turned out to be. I figured that the supposed Master of that pompous pharaoh would have been more impressive. I should have figured that a man would once again disappoint me."
Alex spat, "How about you stop twisting your little ribbon and come fight fair and square? You won't be disappointed then, I assure you."
She barked a laugh, "Hah! Seems you still have some bark left in you. Worry not, I'll beat that out of you soon enough." She then appraised him with a predatory gaze, like a tiger inspecting a caged hen,
"Though…I can't say that I'm not glad you've managed to last this long. It makes me want to play with you a bit more!" A rune began to glow in the center of the chain, encasing the entirety of the weapon in a crackling, purple light. The swinging darts left glowing trails in the air behind them as they traced their paths, outlining her face with a sinister light. Alex immediately recognized the style,
"You! You're a lightning magus!"
She smiled a pitiless smile, "Don't try to compare us, little puppy. I'm out of your league."
Then she was upon them in a whirl of sparking metal, crashing into them with a laugh. The ferocity of the assault threw them backwards as they desperately tried to defend themselves from the flurry of strikes that she was able to put out. Alex was completely overwhelmed by the chain's uncanny ability to slip the bounds of his guard and strike where he least expected. While he was focused on trying to ward off the chain, a bolt of purple lightning crashed into the ground near him, carving a deep furrow through the pavement. Cackling laughter rang in his ears,
"That's it, just like that! Keep dancing, keep running! I so love watching you struggle like this!" Alex clenched his teeth in anger and prepared a venomous retort, only to roll to the side to avoid another scorching blast. Out of the corner of his eye he witnessed Mina desperately weaving between the lashing blades.
Their tormentor hummed in satisfaction, "I've made up my mind. I'm not just going to kill you. You're much too fun to waste like that. No…I want to see more of those agonized faces, I want to see you writhe in despair!"
She turned her cold, laughing eyes towards Alex, "I think…I'm going to keep you alive for a bit longer. Just so you can watch and listen as I drain the life from this girl here."
Fury kindled in the pit of his stomach, his face reflecting the burning contempt in his heart. His reaction only furthered her mirth, "Yes! That face! Let me see more of that hatred, that despair! I'm going to kill her. Slowly, carefully, so that we can savor every moment together! There is nothing sweeter, nothing nobler than a death that serves others. Rejoice, girl! Your death shall serve us well!"
Alex rose to his feet, hearing only the thudding of his raging heart. Lightning crackled and swirled around his limbs, surrounding him in a nimbus of static. All he could think about was driving his blade through her heart. He wanted to silence her, wipe her from the face of the earth for uttering such horrific words in his presence. Those terrible words swam in his head, fanning the flames of his hatred. The more he heard them, the more he wanted them silenced. He wanted them erased from the world, he needed to erase them and the one who uttered the words.
But before he could carry his hatred, a sharp look from Mina curbed the oncoming onslaught. Though she did not speak, her eyes reflected a simple message, "Wait."
He ground his teeth at the imposition, but trusted in her judgement and held his ground. Another laughing taunt threatened to corrode his will to remain in place,
"What? Have you at last noticed the futility of your endeavor? Such a pity. You are more than welcome to stay there and watch. In fact, I prefer it that way."
She struck once more, the bian wreathed in purple magic that caused the very air to crackle and shudder as it traveled. Alex tensed, fear and rage mixing into a terrible concoction that threatened indecisiveness. He could already picture the awful result: Mina skewered by the bladed dart, her small body inundated with thousands of volts of debilitating electricity while he stood by, shackled by his own emotions. All the while, that woman would simply laugh and sneer as she strangled the life out of them.
Mina smirked.
At the last possible second, she jerked her body sideways, allowing the dart to sail past her. Before the chain could be retracted, the blade struck the side of a wall and immediately lost nearly all of the momentum that had been building within it. Mina lashed out with an open hand and seized the chain, wrapping it around her wrist and forearm. In a single motion, Mina pulled the chain taut, stopping its constant motion. The bian was now, for all intents and purposes, absolutely useless.
The haughty superiority on their attacker's face quickly dissolved into abject shock at Mina's seizure of the bian. She reflexively yanked on her end in an attempt to shake Mina's grip, but it was wound about her arm and the move only caused it to bite deeper into her arm. She winced in pain but held firm, glaring at the other woman with her own unique brand of disdain and contempt,
"Think again, bitch. Alex, NOW!"
Her command was appreciated, but he had already begun moving the moment the bian ceased swinging. It took him only three seconds to cross the open ground that separated them. The nimbus raged around him, then coalesced into a singular point of writhing energy at the tip of the khopesh. He swung with all his might, envisioning the blade scything through her midsection.
His opponent was no fool, however, and had no intention of simply letting him get his way. She released the bian and pivoted on her heel, bringing the heel of her palm down onto his wrist while he was in mid-swing. The maneuver had a devastating effect; a sickening snap echoed through the street as his wrist broke under the weight of the blow. The khopesh flew from his hand, the magic dissipating.
Alex roared his defiance, "STAY AWAY FROM HER!"
He seized upon the magic that had been left to linger and coiled it around his unbroken hand. Twisting at the hips, he slammed his clenched fist directly into her midsection. In that fraction of a second he unleashed the pent-up magic with a crushing explosion, sending the target flying from the force of the blow.
The body landed several yards away in a crumpled heap, smoke drifting off of its limp form as the thunderous clap faded amongst the buildings. Alex stood with shaking fist, his heart still thundering in his head as his circuits protested the zealous use of magical energy. His right hand hung useless by his side; he couldn't even twitch a finger. He grimaced, lamenting how long it was going to take to heal properly. Walking over to where the khopesh lay, he took it up in his left then turned to where Mina still stood,
"Hey, you okay?"
She nodded, her eyes a bit unfocused, "In one piece, I guess. Are you…" The question died on her lips as she noticed the state of his hand. He looked at it and somehow managed a shaky smile, "This? This is nothing. Remember when I got burns on over fifty percent of my body? If I can manage that, I can handle a few broken bones."
Mina raised an eyebrow, but didn't challenge the comparison. Instead, she began to collect the bian, rolling it into a neat bundle. Alex voiced concern, "Wait, isn't that thing supposed to be cursed or something?"
"Yeah, but we won't know it's properties unless we take some time to study it. I'd like to know how it works, and if the curse can be undone."
That was very much like Mina to be thinking so far ahead, it was a quality that made her worth respecting. He took a deep breath,
"Mina, I just want to say thanks for keeping your head back there. I definitely didn't, which she was totally banking on. I just couldn't bear listening to her."
"Alex…"
"No, I'm serious. I could've walked right into a trap, or done something so rash that it could've hurt you, and I don't think I could live with myself if I did that. Clearly you had a plan, which I'm amazed you could come up with one in the first place, and I'm glad you trusted me to stick to it long enough to give that bitch what she deserved."
"No, Alex, I-"
"By the way, how did you figure out how to get around that damned chain? I couldn't think straight for the life of me."
"Alex! Behind you!"
The warning came just a fraction of a second too late. He was partway through turning when an open palm impacted the side of his body, just below the ribs. He staggered back, surprised by the pain that began to throb throughout his entire body. Cackling laughter echoed in his ear,
"Did you really think that a little love tap like that was enough to put me down, little puppy!? Even at your strongest, you're still a weakling."
There she stood, the front of her clothing cracked and singed from where Alex had landed his punch, yet she still stood with an ease that made it seem as if she had yet to be touched. She grinned maliciously at them,
"I hope you're ready for round two. Because that made me rather upset, seeing a little insect like you bite back at me. And you, little girl, have just earned yourself a whole new definition of pain!"
Body swaying like a serpent, she swept between them and unleashed a ferocious series of precise strikes. The confined space of the new engagement rendered both of their bladed weapons impossible to utilize effectively. Alex was by no means ambidextrous enough to properly bear the khopesh in his left hand, and he found his swings to be wide and his thrusts were clumsy and inaccurate. Frustrated, he dismissed the khopesh in favor of fists alone. Mina had also sealed away her polearm, now that the situation had so drastically changed.
The sound of thudding fists replaced the crashing of steel as the three became locked in close combat. Alex knew he was at a terrible disadvantage, having access to only one arm. Knowing that he had no chance of overpowering her on his own, he had to rely on Mina for offense. The problem came namely from their efforts at establishing a rhythm so that they did not get in each other's way. It was not that they were incapable of doing so, but rather their opponent seemed to recognize their attempts and made active moves to prevent a battle-rhythm from forming.
Their opponent moved with exceptional speed and precision, striking at odd angles and demonstrating a clear mastery of the martial arts. She twisted and turned, dodging and parrying with frustrating ease. Moreover, she made a point to maneuver erratically or even step between them to block their vision of each other. This had the problematic effect of causing them to inadvertently get in each other's way, leaving them momentarily confused and vulnerable. Whenever she slapped away one of their attacks, a retaliatory strike was never far behind and each carried with it a painful jolt of electricity that left joints and muscles throbbing long after the fingers had left their mark. Within moments, the pair were breathing hard and smarting from over a dozen blows.
They retreated into each other; their shoulders pressed against each other for support. Alex felt his legs buckle under the weight of his body as shooting pain lanced throughout his body. He felt his head swim from a sudden onset of dizziness, swaying in place only to be steadied by Mina's hand.
"I'll be honest with you," he whispered in a thick voice, "I don't feel so good."
Her reply was shaky, "Me either. She's aimed for our pressure points, debilitating us. One or two more good hits, and that'll be it."
"Could you please sound a little less impressed? She is trying to kill us, after all."
"Sorry, force of habit."
"How cute, huddled together like rabbits before the hound." Their enemy rolled her neck with a faint popping noise, "Feeling desperate? Cornered? I bet you think that by working together, you can overcome any obstacle. Well, it doesn't matter. In a few moments, that troublesome Saber of yours will be erased from the War and you two will be easy picking after that."
"You lie!" Mina protested angrily, "Saber is stronger than you think! She can hold on for as long as it takes!"
"Oh, is that so? And how much of that statement do you actually believe?"
Mina bit her lip in anger and made to respond, only to be callously brushed off,
"Little girl, why do you think I chased you all the way out here? Do you honestly think any of this was part of some plan of yours? You made it here because I allowed it, and you will end here because I demand it."
There was a brief pause as they absorbed her words, then Mina swore violently,
"Shit! Of course! That's what you were after, weren't you?"
Alex was confused, "What? What is it?"
Mina angrily explained, "There's a reason Masters and Servants are meant to be teams, because Servants operate best when their Master is close by. It's easier to give commands and repair damage when they're together. She knew that, and forced us to separate, so that Saber would get worn down by Assassin and Lancer and I wouldn't be able to do anything about it. You're a crafty bitch, I'll give you that."
Alex jumped in, "But she's not alone! Ozymandias is a single stroke away from annihilating both of those Servants! And there's not a damn thing you can do about it!"
An emotion that almost resembled pity formed on her face as she rolled her eyes at his bravado, "Really? Nothing I can do? Then why hasn't he done something by now? Why hasn't this so-called god-king destroyed them both?"
"Well…that's…"
"It's because he won't. And why won't he?" She paused, savoring every word, "He's not going to save you, because you're not worth saving."
"That's not –"
"Not true? Oh, but it is. We know what he's capable of; he could've sent hundreds of summoned minions to help you, or even that big sphinx of his to carry you to safety. But he hasn't done that, now has he? All you're good for is being a mana battery, and from what I've seen tonight, you're barely adequate at that. So keep barking all you like, little puppy, because nobody is coming to save you."
Her words were like daggers to his heart, dragging up emotions he thought he had long buried. It was true, nearly every word that she spoke carried truth along with it. There were a dozen ways that Ozymandias could have saved them or impacted the fight. There was no reason to rely solely on the Dendera Bulb, and yet that was the only option he had allowed. That decision had nagged at Alex throughout the night, and yet it was only now, when he was facing total defeat, did he come to a realization.
"You're right. I'm not worth much, not compared to him. It's true that he could've ended this whole thing with a flick of his wrist, but he didn't. And do you want to know why?"
She scoffed, "This should be entertaining."
Righteous conviction filled him with resolve, "You are right in saying that he is a god-king, and all kings require a kingdom! He is building a realm worthy of his rule, and he has entrusted me with preparing it! To that end, he has tasked me with removing filth like yourself from the very bounds of the earth!"
Lightning wreathed his functional arm as he brandished it aggressively, "I have no intention of disappointing him. Nor will I let you lay a single finger on her. You've royally pissed me off tonight, so I'm going to incinerate you now. I hope you take this personally."
He chanted a brief, single-lined spell, causing the pulsing light in his hand to flare brilliantly. In the moment before he released it, he whispered to Mina, "Look away!"
Turning his own head, he released the magic, not as a torrent of power but as a luminescent burst that turned night into day. The light lingered for a few seconds, giving him the opening he needed to take Mina's hand and pull her further down the street in the direction of the bridge.
Knowing that the flashbang effect would only last a few seconds, Alex ran as quickly as his legs would allow with Mina in tow. The more he moved, the worse the pain pulsed throughout his body. He could feel his muscles angrily protesting the abuse; it would not be long before he reached the limits of his endurance. Still, he pressed on, determined to see the night to its conclusion.
Mina slipped her hand from his, it was easier to run with both arms free, after all. After a minute or so, she spoke up,
"Was that true? What you said back there, about carrying out Rider's will?"
It was hard to shrug while running, but he managed one, "To be honest, I don't know. It just…felt right to say. I don't think he wants to use the Dendera Bulb, and this is some kind of test to see what I decide."
"A test? A test for what?"
"If I knew, then I'd probably have an easier time passing it. He isn't exactly the most forthright of people, you know."
"So…he's a gigantic tsundere?"
A shudder ran through his body, "Never suggest that again, please."
Somehow, she managed a small laugh, "Just saying! It sounds like you'd have an easier time if he was just upfront about everything."
Alex couldn't agree more. Up ahead, just a few hundred yards away, loomed the ominous steel frame of the Dongho Bridge. Designed to accommodate both rain and standard vehicles, it was one of the more than two dozen bridges that crossed the Han River and connected the upper and lower halves of Seoul. The bridge appeared empty and dark, seemingly unoccupied despite the population's constant desire for mobility.
As they approached the bridge proper, a streaking red comet arced above their heads only to come crashing down towards the center of the bridge. Mina's face paled and put on an extra burst of speed, barreling straight for the smoking crater.
"Saber! Are you okay!?"
Mina was simply faster than he was, no doubt owing to the fact that she could infuse her steps with the agility of the wind. By the time he arrived at the scene, Mina was already cradling a barely conscious Saber in her arms. Alex winced upon seeing Saber's beaten and battered form; dozens of lacerations crisscrossed her previously unblemished skin and her beautiful crimson dress was torn in multiple locations. Even her hair, which she always kept pulled up into a fashionable and practical bun, now hung free in a golden cascade that fell around her shoulders. The only thing that was missing was the presence of blood, the lack of which disturbed Alex greatly.
Saber's eyes fluttered open and she groaned in pain, "Uuu…this is too much…even for Rome…"
"Hang in there, Saber! I'll heal what I can. You've done so well, just a little longer is all."
Saber flashed a brief smile, "Your praise is enough to keep me going, Master. Don't push yourself too hard, okay?"
The hand that was not clasped firmly around her constantly-burning red blade slowly rose and cupped itself around the side of Mina's face. Briefly surprised by the sudden gesture, Mina nevertheless accepted the affectionate touch. Alex looked on, a bit perplexed,
"What a strange dynamic they have. Ah well, guess strangeness is to be expected when dealing with one of Rome's Mad Emperors."
He looked back down the bridge from where they came, wondering how much time they had to recover before the enemy caught up to them. The brief spark of hope he had for a chance to rest was dashed in an instant. Walking towards them at a leisurely pace, was none other than Assassin and the enemy Master. Briefly, he wondered what happened to Lancer, but that question quickly answered itself as he noticed movement atop one of the arches at the sides of the bridge.
Saber pushed herself to her feet, leaning heavily on her sword for support, "Master, you must be careful. That Assassin is a dark one."
"What do you mean?"
Saber's tone was deadly serious, "That magic of hers. It is fueled by blood."
Alex's eyes widened, "Blood magecraft? Shit, that's classic black arts stuff."
Mina frowned in disapproval, "Could you not refer to it like that? What do you think this is, one of your fantasy novels?"
"Still a problem!"
The revelation explained to him why there was no blood visible on Saber's body, it had most likely been taken and used by Assassin. "A woman of obviously high standing with an unhealthy obsession with blood…where have I heard that description before?"
Saber stepped past him, brandishing her crackling sword in a gesture of defiance, "You shall step no further! Retreat now, and I will allow you to walk away with your dignity intact!"
Her words may have been threatening under normal circumstances, but it was obvious that the enemy had little respect for the small swordswoman. They continued to approach at a steady pace, which was exactly what Alex was hoping for.
"Keep them talking," he murmured to Saber, "Just a little further out and we can wipe them out."
Green eyes filled with questioning flicked to him, then to Mina for confirmation, who gave a slight nod. The more time they could stall for, the more mana she could transfer into Saber to heal her as much as possible. Feigning weakness, the three began to slowly give ground in order to lure their opponents towards the middle of the bridge.
Everything seemed to finally be working in their favor as they approached the one-third point. Alex figured that if they could bring them out just a little further, he could call upon Ozymandias and minimize damage to the city, provided that the Pharaoh could exercise such precise control over his Noble Phantasm.
Then they stopped, right before Alex wanted them to. Confusion and doubt gripped at him, as he was unable to properly assess whether or not he could safely call upon Ozymandias' offer. Cruel laughter filled the air,
"Did you really think we would just walk into your so-called trap? Didn't I tell you already that we know everything that your pathetic Servant is capable of? I figured you didn't have the balls to endanger the lives of others for the sake of victory, and it looks like I was right."
Alex clenched his fist and felt his nails dig into his palms. What right did she have to hold him in such contempt? Why was it a weakness to worry about the lives of others?
Was he in the wrong?
It didn't matter now, the danger before them was all too real. He needed another stratagem, another way out. He needed more time.
But time had run out.
The Master called out in a loud voice, "Enough of these games! It is long past due that you vermin recognize your place! Now is the time for endings, the time of death is upon us! Lancer! Assassin! Unleash your Noble Phantasms and grind Saber to dust!"
The back of her hand flashed a brilliant red as two Command Seals were expended. Lancer leapt high in the air; her lithe form suddenly surrounded by a dozen red spears that hung suspended in the air alongside her.
"Saber! Dodge it!" Mina's shout was rife with fear and desperation as each of the floating spears began to glow with an enormous amount of magical energy. Saber stared up with grim determination, trying to determine the best course of action. Seemingly having made up her mind, she whirled around and yanked on Mina's collar,
"Sorry, Master!" With a mighty toss, she flung Mina clear of the immediate area. With the same motion, she did the same to Alex, a sad smile faint upon her face. He cartwheeled backwards several yards, regaining himself only just in time to watch what happened next.
Lancer remained suspended in air, standing on nothing as the spears burned with pure energy. Leveling the barbed spear in her hand at Saber, she spoke in words that rang with power,
"I will take you to the Land of Shadows! Thrust and penetrate! Stab and impale!"
The dozen spears launched themselves at Saber with blinding speed; while she managed to parry a couple, they overwhelmed her and skewered her body, splattering the ground in pools of blood as they drove themselves deep into the ground, immobilizing her. A scream of pain tore itself from her lips as the barbed tips rent her flesh apart.
But that was not quite the end, as one final spear appeared in Lancer's hands. Even at this distance, Alex could feel the overwhelming flood of magical energy that rolled from the crimson weapon. It burned brighter than the setting sun and with more ferocity than a raging fire, a devastating weapon that signaled the end of life.
Lancer hefted the spear, aimed, and heaved the spear directly downwards into Saber's paralyzed body with a final cry as she called out to the mythical power residing within it,
"GAE BOLG ALTERNATIVE!"
Utter devastation was the result. The spear pierced clean through her chest, detonating with such terrible force that the bridge itself buckled and shuddered under its weight. Mina screamed, but it was lost below the shockwave of the ancient weapon's true power. Alex was frozen in terror, he knew that weapon, and at last it all made sense.
He had read tales of the Gáe Bolg, the cursed spear of Celtic mythology that was wielded by Ireland's most famous hero, Cú Chulainn. But there was one more who used the Gáe Bolg, the original possessor who not only forged the spear, but passed on the teachings to the Child of Light. And that person was,
"Scáthach…that woman is Scáthach …the Mistress of Dún Scáith, Queen of the Land of Shadows."
It was a terrifying and brutal revelation, one that left him frozen in abject fear. Scáthach dropped to the ground and cut the air with the Gáe Bolg, dissipating the lingering smoke and debris. In the center of a smoking crater, Saber stood, propped up by the many spears that punctured her body. Blood flowed freely from the horrific wounds, the most devastating of which was a single spear that was longer than all the others that protruded from her heart.
Yet the flickering blade in her hand did not fall, though her fire had dimmed to mere sparks she still clung to life. Were he not so horrified, he might have found her endurance to be impressive. But there was still one more terror to withstand.
Assassin raised her staff and the blood began to flow towards her, a veritable wave of crimson pulled from Saber's ravaged body entered the pulsing sapphire at the top of her scepter. Assassin ran a finger through the stream of blood and delicately wrapped her lips around the reddened tip, carefully savoring the flavor. She sighed deeply,
"Ahhh…irresistible. Now then, to finish you off for good."
"Ma…ster…please…run…" Saber labored to utter those few words, thick with emotion and pain. But there was nothing Mina could do except stand by and watch as her beloved Saber was rent apart.
Assassin planted her staff, her yellow eyes flashing with new found power, "Everything is an illusion. Maidens shall enter here. PHANTOM MAIDEN!"
There came the sound of a hundred clinking chains as ethereal links formed around Saber's body, though their use in immobilization was moot at this point. Forming from thin air came the origin of all these chains; a massive iron container with a bell-shaped body and a top piece in the face of a screaming woman. The front of the apparatus broke open with a groan as two doors swung wide, revealing an interior lined with razor sharp spikes. This too, Alex recognized.
It was an iron maiden, a medieval torture device that only existed in movies and books. But all stories have their origins, and the origin of the iron maiden began from the horrific stories that emerged around a prolific murderer from Hungary.
"Elizabeth Báthory! The Blood Countess of Hungary!"
As the iron maiden closed around Saber with a chilling crunch, Assassin spoke,
"The name is Carmilla, worm. Try not to forget it."
Mina didn't scream, managing only a strangled sob as the spiked interior of the maiden did its gruesome work. From the cracks in the iron maiden flowed a veritable ocean of blood that was immediately grasped by Carmilla, who soaked in the precious life-water with ravenous desire. Her skin shone with an enhanced glow, the very frame of her body seemingly growing more beautiful by the second as she drank in Saber's essence.
When the iron maiden at last dissipated, Saber's limp form was all that remained, still propped up by the spears that remained in her body. Perhaps Carmilla's Noble Phantasm couldn't harm items, or perhaps she just did not desire to destroy them. There was no hint of motion from the ragged form before them, no breath rising from bloodless lips and no flame emitting from the silent blade. Saber's head hung limp; eyes obscured by a waterfall of golden strands.
Her spark had finally gone out.
In an instant, Alex's hopes were shattered to nothingness, leaving naught but the void in its place. They had lost, there was not a chance left of victory, perhaps not even for survival. Paralysis from fear had taken root within him, consuming his mind in its totality.
What could he do? He was struck dumb by the sheer power and brutality of these femme fatale. He was truly small and insignificant, unable to see beyond the carnage before him. Bravado and courage fell away like the leaves in autumn, leaving but a bare and shivering skeleton that could focus on only its most basic instincts.
Survive. They had to survive somehow. They had to run; it did not matter where. Just run. Figure the rest out afterwards, just run.
But he couldn't move his legs, nor could he put the message through his head. Only the paralyzing fear remained. That is, until he saw Mina take a small step forward, a shaking hand half-reaching towards Saber's still body,
"Saber…no, no no no, please get up!"
Her voice cracked in pain, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes as she took another halting step forward. Alex broke the hold on him and grabbed her around the waist,
"Mina, we can't. She's gone. We have to go."
He was surprised to hear his own voice thick with sorrow, Saber was a rival to Ozymandias, after all. A mage should be happy to see a rival brought low, and yet he couldn't muster the sentiment. For now, all he could think of was getting them somewhere else. But Mina resisted,
"No! I can't leave her like this!"
"We have to! If we stay here, we die!"
He tried to pull her away, but lacked the strength to move her more than a few feet. She fought him with a desperation that sent a chill up his spine, continuously calling out to her unresponsive Servant.
All the while, the wolves circled. Sensing victory, their enemies advanced with a calm certainty borne from their innate superiority. Death approached to the sound of high heels.
Alex fought harder, finally beginning to win out over Mina. Then he thought of something, if Saber was already dead, then he could still destroy them all. There was still time to fire the Dendera Bulb and avenge Saber's sacrifice.
He could still seize a victory from the jaws of defeat.
But he needed more space, so he continued to pull Mina farther away from the destruction. It became a race, who would reach whom first? Would Alex pull themselves clear or would their enemies catch them first?
As the three passed Saber's unmoving body, Carmilla ran an absentminded hand through Saber's hair, running one of her long fingernails down her cheek. Mina yelled in rage,
"You stay away from her, vampire bitch!"
Carmilla lazily rolled her eyes over to where she stood, still being half-carried by Alex,
"You call me a vampire? Yes, well, I can see how the term stuck. It doesn't matter what you call me, I accept that I am a monster. Still, I don't appreciate your tone. Have you no idea what kind of situation you are in? Your Servant is dying as we speak, her core is on the verge of collapse. All I have to do is give her a little push, and that's the end of that."
Carmilla smiled a sickeningly sweet smile, one filled only with venom. She raised a single finger, placing it directly between Saber's breasts,
"I must commend this one's endurance; it has provided me with satisfactory entertainment for tonight. But, alas, all things must come to an end."
Mina tried to free herself from Alex's grip with a final burst of energy, but he held firm. The last thing he wanted was her running at them, only to be killed, or worse. Breathing hard, Mina cried out in a loud voice,
"Saber! I know there's still life left in you! Nothing, not even this could bring you down! Please, my emperor, I beg you! SAVE US!"
The back of her hand glowed a dull red as a Command Seal expended itself, fading away from her skin as her plea echoed through the night. Carmilla smirked in contempt as nothing happened, slowly pushing her sharpened nail into Saber's chest.
A spark flickered upon the dull, red blade. And then another, and another, soon a dancing shower of sputtering flame wreathed the sword once more. A choppy, low voice bubbled from the depths of the Emperor's throat,
"Do…you…hear…that? The sound…of a maiden…calling out…to me."
Carmilla's eyes went wide, "Impossible! You should be dead twice over!"
"Heh…I could never…leave the stage…in such a boring manner! It is time…for an encore!"
Saber heaved her blade in an upwards arc, catching Carmilla by surprise, carving a piece out of her side as she leapt away. The sudden movement caught the attention of the others, who appeared equally as surprised as everyone else. The Master glared angrily at Mina,
"What did you do, girl? Some kind of necromancy?"
Mina refused to acknowledge the inquiry, focusing only on the living, breathing form of her Servant. Saber glanced backwards, meeting her eyes and giving a reassuring wink. She then flexed her muscles, destroying the barbed spears that remained within her. Now Scáthach turned her attention to her, her crimson eyes narrowing at the ease by which the spears were broken.
Saber beamed, "At last! All eyes are upon me! Raise the curtain! Shine the spotlights! Now is the time for the finale!"
She raised a hand, grasping upon a singularly brilliant red rose that appeared between her delicate fingers. Bringing it to her nose, she inhaled deeply and smiled in satisfaction. All sensed the rapid buildup of magical energy with her small body, to which the Master cried out,
"No! She's going to release her Noble Phantasm! Stop her!"
Saber tossed the rose away, planting the tip of her now blazing sword into the ground, "Behold my talent and listen to the thunderous applause! Open, Domus Aurea!"
From the point of contact with the sword, a wave of rippling magic roared outwards with the speed of a racing wildfire. It spread outwards, encompassing all in its radius and then flowing upwards to form walls, then a ceiling. A massive palace of shimmering crimson and gold surrounded them; filled with flowers, marble columns and the finest trappings that money could possibly afford. Topping the spectacular creation was a domed ceiling made of the purest gold that reflected light from nowhere, bathing the Emperor of Roses in a shimmering spotlight. From every corner there came the sound of rolling applause, echoing like the thunder of a might storm.
Emperor Nero stood triumphant in the center, raising her blade high in a signal of impending victory. The applause rose to a fever pitch, thudding into Alex's chest with the strength of a hundred war drums. Nero's eyes were aflame with passion,
"That's it! Praise me! Praise my Golden Theater! Praise my prowess! Praise the Emperor of Rome! Come now, Aestus Estus, burn them all down for the glory of Rome! LAUS SAINT CLAUDIUS!"
Nero crouched low, holding the burning blade at her side and then dashed forward with such vigor and ferocity that one would never think she had just been subject to horrendous damage but a few moments ago. Racing past Carmilla, she leapt onto a low railing, where she paused briefly for dramatic effect. Pushing off with all her might, she collided with Carmilla and swung Aestus Estus with tremendous force. A massive wave of fire rolled from the sword, cleaving straight through Carmilla and continuing along with her momentum. Nero continued to fly forward, bringing the wave directly into Scáthach as well.
She skidded to a halt at the end of her charge, landing with a flourish as a final column of fire erupted behind her and consumed the enemy Servants. Confidently, she strode away from the explosion, not once looking back.
She approached Mina, who simply stood there, mouth agape at the display that had just been presented to them. Saber wiped away an errant tear with the corner of her thumb,
"Don't look so worried, Master. I told you that…I'd…protect…"
Nero fell to her knees, caught partway by Mina's arms. Her eyes were unfocused and glassy, and Aestus Estus barely sputtered anymore. The Domus Aurea collapsed around them, fading away into nothingness and exposing them once more to the night. But there was nobody else around, the enemy was gone, either destroyed or retreated into the darkness.
Mina gently stroked her Servant's hair, "You did so well, my emperor. Thank you for saving us, we owe you our lives. You can have a rest now, you've earned it."
Emperor Nero smiled weakly, "Umu…thank you, Master. I'm going to take a nap now…"
Her eyes closed and her head lolled into Mina's chest, her body fading away in a shower of sparks soon afterwards, leaving Mina with empty arms.
She sat there for a few moments in silence, while Alex stood by, no knowing what to do or say. After a time, she hauled herself to her feet and brushed off some dirt from her front.
"I want to go home."
"Yeah," he quietly agreed, "let's go home."
They walked home in silence, arriving just short of daybreak.
