AN: And here's Chapter 10 folks. Mistakes are probably here and there, but I'll correct them once I see them in my rereads of the story.
Anyways, please review :D
Chapter 10:
Familiar Strangers
"Hah!"
Parrying the incoming strikes from his counterpart, Karna stood his ground as he gazed into the blue-haired warrior's crimson colored eyes. They held a strong will in them. Seeing this, he knew that his opponent wasn't going to go down easily.
Not that he was complaining. For one such as him, warriors with strong wills in the face of great danger were people that he deeply respected.
*CLANG*
Lancer swung his red spear, the white-haired demigod easily countered it by swinging his own. The former then began to thrust multiple times, with Karna parrying the bows with his bare hands. He noted that his counterpart was extremely fast, even faster than him to tell the truth.
Knowing this, he decided to up the ante as flames began to form around his body.
"Whoa, what...!?"
*CLANG* *CLANG* *SLASH*
Barely being able to react in time, Lancer was caught off guard when flames surrounded his foe and his movement and strength being faster and stronger as a result. The resulting strikes coming from his foe were now blowing apart their surroundings rather easily with each miss. And any attacks he connected with his spear didn't seem to be doing much damage at all. He could only wonder to himself what kind of monster he was dealing with here.
However, such a thing wasn't frightening him at all. In fact, it was doing the exact opposite.
Smirking, the blue-haired spearsman charged once more as he Karna exchanged blows with one another. Though the latter was superior as a warrior, the former was able to use his own strengths and experience against his more powerful opponent.
"So this is how Servants fight."
Off to the side, Ayaka hid behind a dumpster as she watched the fight between her Servant and the rogue Lancer.
She already seen how Servants fought the other night, but seeing it up close and personal was another thing altogether. She had a hard time keeping up with the two as their movements went way beyond what the human eye could comprehend. Even if she were to use magecraft in order to better visualize the fight, she doubted that it would have done any good considering the situation.
She was also glad that the rogue Lancer wasn't targeting her and instead decided to first face her Servant before her. That lengthened her lifespan for the moment, but she couldn't run away either. Shirou had caught up to her, so who knows what plans he had already concocted as backup plans. She was at her safest near Lancer, that much was clear to her.
*CLANG*
Both men jumped back from each other as they both parried the others attack once more.
"Hehe...! You're not half-bad pretty boy." Lancer smirked. "If it wasn't for the fact that you're trying to kill my Master, you and I could have some real fun with each other."
"Perhaps." Karna nodded, glancing at the young blonde who quickly hid herself behind the dumpster once she saw him gaze at her. He thought to himself why his Master had ordered him to do such a thing.
With but a glance, he could tell much about the girl known as Tohsaka Ayaka. Cowardly, yet at the same time brave. Easy to annoy, yet a kindhearted girl nonetheless. It was a gift of his in being able to figure out a person's nature just by looking at them. Sometimes it benefited him, sometimes it did not. Either way, both did not apply to his current situation.
Why was it that his Master has ordered the death of a girl like her? Would it not be simpler to just kill her Servant? He could tell that without him, she was powerless to stand against him and his allies. If his Master truly regarded the person before him as a friend, would he not contemplate trying to spare her even if she stood in his way?
Alas, it was not his role to question his Master's wishes and desires. He was a Servant, nothing more and nothing less. There was only one thing expected of him, and that was to obey his Master's orders to the letter. Though he could disagree with it on a certain level, he would follow through with it no matter what, for he had already sworn his allegiance to the man known as Shirou Kotomine.
"Well, I guess it's time for me to use this move...!"
Taking stance that involved Lancer holding the tip of the spear downward while holding the end upward, he grinned wildly as a demonic aura began to emanate from his weapon, the sight of which caused the white-haired demigod to raise his guard as he realized what was about to happen.
Lancer was about to use his Noble Phantasm...
Ayaka herself was surprised. She had told Lancer that he shouldn't hold back, but for him to use it this early on? Was their enemy really that dangerous?
"Let's see if you can still stand after I take your heart for myself mister invincible!"
Taking a single step forward, an act that was more akin to a stomp thanks to the cracks that appeared, the blue-haired spearsman spoke out once more.
"GAE BOLG!"
A torrent of energy erupted from the spear's tip, moving in a serpentine like pattern as it made its way towards its target. Seeing this, Karna moved to dodge it.
He quickly realized that it was for naught. For as soon as he moved to the side, the attack quickly bending mid-flight and aimed itself directly at his torso.
*STAB*
"...!"
Piercing through, the spear of red death punctured the white-haired Servant's heart, causing the son of the sun god to stagger.
For the first time since his summoning, someone had managed to penetrate his armor. It was also the first time in a while since his own death that he was able to look upon the color of his own blood. As usual, it was red. Perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised?
Lancer on the other hand...
"Son of a bitch..."
Couldn't have been more furious at his opponent than he was right now.
He was furious because his opponent had survived the killing blow of spear despite having had his heart punctured. From the looks of it, his foe wasn't even bothered by it at all considering the curious look he had on his face as he gazed upon his own wound. Lancer didn't know if he was insulting him on purpose with such an expression, but he was insulted all the same. Perhaps he should have used the other variation instead, but he lacked the ability to do so thanks to the area they fought in not being big enough to allow him to perform it.
On the other hand, he was also grinning rather wildly despite his anger. Why that was? Because right now, he had found himself a most worthy adversary to fight with.
The torrent of energy still resonating within him... Karna grabbed it with his free hand and forcibly yanked it from his torso, not at all bothered by the blood that began flowing down from the wound.
"That was a rather impressive attack, Ireland's Child of Light." He said, revealing that his knowledge of the identity of his fellow Lancer.
"Heh, looks like the secret's out eh?" Lancer chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. "This is pretty bad. If I'm using that move, you're supposed to be dead by now. What kind of hero are you supposed to be? You a god or something?"
When his opponent didn't reply, the blue-haired spearsman only sighed. He had expected that.
"Oh well, I suppose it doesn't really matter now does it?" He twirled his spear and got into a stance, a wild grin on his face as he glared at the white-haired Servant. "Even if you are a god, the fact that you can bleed means that you can die."
Thanks to personal experience and what his teacher taught him, he knew this for a fact. So long as they were still prone to damage, defeat was possible. Hell, his teacher had killed a god herself. If she could do it, then so could he!
"Big words... Can you back them up?"
Karna replied by summoning flames that covered his entire body, the wound on his torso being burned closed. It was the only way he knew how to close it for now as the red spear known as Gae Bolg was a cursed weapon. Any wound it inflicts on a person will not heal, not until the weapon itself has been destroyed. As such, he had to rely on more extreme way of closing his wound. Not that it bothered him much, it was better to have it temporarily gone now than have it be a bother later.
*CLANG*
No more words exchanged between the two of them as their battle quickly resumed, the two spearsmen exchanging a flurry of attacks at high speeds. Ayaka could only watch with baited breath to see who would win between the two Servants.
'We can't lose here. If it's possible, someone please help...!' She silently prayed.
"Heh~!"
Seated atop a throne that was made out of human skulls with a crystal ball in her hands, Sajyou Manaka watched the ongoing fight between the two Lancers with a smile on her face. There was only so much entertainment one could have while just waiting in the same location for more than half-a-century.
"These two aren't half-bad, they're really something." She commented. What caught her interest the most though was the sight of the blonde-haired girl who remarkably looked a great deal like her little sister Ayaka.
Manaka loved her little sister, having adored her greatly as any big sister should to a younger sibling. She wondered to herself what happened to Ayaka in the last sixty years after her "death". She hadn't been able to keep tabs on her as much as she would like thanks to her being distracted by the various grail wars that soon took place all over the world after the one she participated in.
Was she living well? Had she lived a good life? Did she meet someone who treated her well? All these questions were in the forefront of her mind. She couldn't help but be curious about her little sister. This was the first time in a great deal of time she had thought about her, and now her head was filled with such thoughts.
And now she was witnessing the appearance of a girl who resembled her little sister greatly, the difference being that she blonde hair. Said person being responsible for bringing for what she was thinking about at the moment.
Tohsaka Ayaka... even their first name was the same. She also realized that the name Tohsaka was familiar to her.
"Didn't I kill someone with that name before...? I can't remember~"
Well, it wasn't important. Why bother remembering people who aren't all that important to her in the first place? The only person she was sure to remember forever would be her darling prince! He was the only one she knew who was worth something and would do anything for!
"Ah, Saber~" She smiled, the image on her crystal ball suddenly shifting to reveal Arthur himself. "I really want to see you soon~!"
Before her beloved prince's reappearance, she had tried summoning him herself during the past sixty years. After several tries though, all of which ended in failure, she decided to just wait it out as she knew that he would appear once more whether it was by her doing or someone else's handiwork. Though she did wonder to herself why her attempts ended in failure. Perhaps it was because she lacked the catalyst she once used to summon Saber in the first place?
Well, it didn't matter anyway. Now that Saber was here, why would she bother about it?
It was then that something clicked in her mind.
"Oh! I know~!" An idea came to her in regards to the girl who was like her sister in both name and looks. She knew for a fact that blue-haired Lancer would have lost to the white-haired one should the battle continue the way it currently was, and that would result in the death of both the former as well as the girl. For her, such a scenario would be boring. As such, she decided to do something about that.
"Hehehe~! I think this is going to be fun~!"
'What's this strange feeling...?'
Out in town, Arthur and Jeanne were walking through the streets of Trifas.
At the moment, he and Jeanne decided to end their sessions for the day and decided to patrol the city for the time being. Though she didn't think their would be any fighting any time soon, especially since it was still day time, it was better to be safe than sorry.
During their walk however, the former suddenly came to a stop as he began looking around his surroundings.
"Is something the matter?" Jeanne asked.
"I have this strange feeling right now." He replied. "I feel like that there's something happening, and that I should be there."
"Really? I don't feel any-!"
She quickly fell silent when the sudden presence of a hostile Servant quickly headed their way overtook over her senses. Arthur himself felt the same presence and raised his guard. Looking around themselves, they found nothing. Since they were still in the middle of the city where people were going about their daily business, they both doubted that said hostile Servant would make a move. Still though, they needed to be careful.
'Where...?' Arthur kept looking around. Though presence could be felt, with many people about, it was hard to tell who was who.
He then stopped when he saw who he was looking for. Though her appearance had changed with the disappearance of her ears and tail, Arthur wouldn't mistake the girl that stood not too far from then for anyone else, not after the night where both he and Jeanne had finally arrived in the city for the first time.
"That's...!" The young saint began as she saw the person they were looking for. Her unmistakable golden colored hair and green fringed bangs being what had identified her to the two young heroes. A beautiful looking girl yet quite deadly. As a Heroic Spirit, it was to be expected.
Dressed in casual clothes that wouldn't have looked too out of place on someone with her looks, Atalanta only smirked as she saw that both blondes had finally noticed her presence. She then quickly turned around and began running in the opposite direction.
"Ah! After her...!"
Both the young saint and knight gave chase. What was she doing here? In broad daylight no less? The answer to such a question could only be found out from asking the Chaste Huntress herself.
True to her legend, the huntress was a swift-footed maiden. Having been able to outpace the two blondes rather easily, it came as a surprise to Arthur that he and his Master were able to keep up with her to a degree that they wouldn't lose sight of her.
As they kept running, the young man immediately froze when he noticed something that caught his attention rather easily, allowing himself to fall behind and stop all together.
'That's...!'
Said something was actually a young girl who looked to be in her adolescent years. She had blonde hair and wore a light blue dress. She was smiling at him sweetly, pale blue eyes filled with innocence as she gazed upon him.
"Ah, it looks like they brought it."
From a distance, Shirou Kotomine observed the chase that began between Ruler, Saber, and Archer. Once he heard from Assassin that both were in the city, he needed to distract the two from the ongoing conflict between the Hound of Chulainn and the Son of the Sun God.
"If all goes well, then Lancer should be able to easily deal with that Tohsaka girl and her Servant rather easily."
Assassin spoke as she materialized right next to her Master. There was an amused smile on her face, one that Shirou knew all too well from his time together with the raven-haired beauty. It meant that there was something on her mind that she wanted to ask him.
"What is it this time?"
"Tell me something, why did you try to persuade that girl into joining us again? Could it be that perhaps you and her are...?"
"It's nothing of the sort. I suppose that it's more like I consider her to be a little sister to me." Shirou replied. "My adoptive father happened to be a close friend of her family. I was introduced to them about five years ago when I decided to live in Japan after years away from my homeland. Ayaka was a quiet girl, but somewhat feisty at the same time. We got along well for the most part, at least, that's what I believed it to be."
It pained him to have ordered her death. But since she decided to stand in his way, it was inevitable. And he would not allow his personal relationships with others interfere with his desire to reach his goals. Such was the price of war and conflict.
"What can you tell me about this girl? Is there anything to note?"
"Nothing that would make her a true threat against us other than her Servant." The white-haired priest began. "As a magus, she's not all that skilled in the art aside from mastering a few spells that would prove useful such as increasing her movement speed to avoid certain dangers. Her family practices jewel magecraft, but she in particular uses an old form of magic known as witchcraft taught to her by her grandmother. Even then, it's useless when pitted against Servants and magi of higher skill than she is."
"Witchcraft? Now that is quite old." The Assyrian Queen mused. "I suppose she really wouldn't be a threat to us the way she is right now."
"Indeed, but I rather not take any chances." Shirou replied. "With her here, there's only one possible reason why I think she would come to this city."
"Meeting with Ruler isn't she?" She stated before a smirk grew on her face. "This is why I told you before that you should have sent Lancer with Berserker instead of Archer back in England to attack Ruler. Look where your decisions have gotten us now."
Shirou did not reply to his Servant's statement, though the look of grimace on his face said otherwise.
Unknown to the duo, another person was observing them from a safe distance as well.
"Hmph, so what that woman said was true."
Leaning against a tree as he stood on one of its branches, as well as being dressed in his civilian clothes, was Archer of Red. His arms were crossed and an amused smirk was on his face as he listened in on the conversation between the young priest and the Assyrian Queen. Thanks to his class abilities, he was able to make out the conversation between the two, despite not being able to hear it, by watching their lip movements. And in doing so, he had confirmed Ruler's accusations against the young priest.
Though he disliked Ruler, he had given his word that he would at least keep an eye out for the man known as Shirou Kotomine. As a man, a hero, and a king, he was honor bound to follow through with what he said. And in doing so, he found a rather joyous piece of information for himself.
"Interesting. So there's a battle going on without anyone's notice? Perhaps I should go take a look then."
Nothing more was said as he went into spirit form, a smirk on his face as thought about his next move.
"Stop right there!"
Coming to a halt at an off-limits sector of the industrial complex of the city, Atalanta turned around and faced Ruler who demanded her to stop. She smirked briefly as she did so, having completed the task given to her. As per her orders, she had led Ruler far away from the location where the fight between her ally Lancer and his opponent were having their battle.
"What's the matter Ruler? Has all this running tired you out?"
"Your taunts are meaningless." Jeanne retorted. "Answer me right now. What are you doing here?"
"Taking a stroll. There's nothing inherently wrong with that is there?" A dry reply came from the Chaste Huntress, one that only caused the young saint to frown in annoyance. She should have expected some lip from the golden-haired woman considering the two of them were currently enemies.
"You know as well as I do that you're not here for just a walk in the park." Jeanne took a step forward clenching her hands into fists. "If you don't wish to answer me, then you leave me no choice but to take you down here. As an aberration in this Holy Grail War, I'm afraid your existence is one that I cannot allow to roam free. Especially considering that you and your ally Lancer attacked me the other night."
"You wish to fight me then? In broad daylight?"
"If need be, then I will. If circumstance doesn't allow for it, then I'll just have to wait until night falls." Jeanne simply stated. The Chaste Huntress could only look at her somewhat incredulously at this. That meant that Ruler was willing wait for a few more hours until sunset for the two of them to fight.
The blonde herself pondered the idea of chasing her into the outskirts of the city were there weren't too many people around to see them fight. Then again, considering her allies, doing so may have only lead her into a trap. Thus, she would have to settle for keeping her here for the time being. She also noticed that the place they were in was actually the same place where Archer of Red fought the rogue Berserker. The debris and wreckage created during that night still being where they were.
"Hmm...?" It was only then that Atalanta noticed something off since arriving at the docks.
"So then, it's just going to be you and me is it?"
"Eh?" Hearing that, and after looking around her surroundings, Jeanne finally noticed that Arthur had gotten separated from her. She didn't know when and why it happened, but for some reason it did.
What she found strange about it was the fact that they got separated from each other in the first place. As Servants they had abilities that could allow them to easily track individuals, especially those they have a connection to such as their Masters.
"Arthur! Where are you...!?" She telepathically called out only for her question to go unanswered. There was also the fact that for some reason, while she could still feel him existing somewhere thanks to their connection, it felt really distant at the same time. What in the world happened to him?
Earlier...
Arthur stood still, completely in shock at the sight of the blonde-haired girl standing only a few meters away from him.
'Manaka...!?'
How was it possible? Surely the girl in front of him was just someone who looked like her? According to his own knowledge, over half-a-century had passed since his last summoning. Even if she was alive, she should have looked like an old woman by now!
"Hehe...!" Giggling, the girl began running farther away from him and into a corner.
"W-Wait...!"
Giving chase, the white knight turned the corner only to find the girl had disappeared from sight. How was that possible? He felt her presence where he stood just now!
"Over here~!"
Looking ahead, he saw the little girl now standing at another corner waving her hands at him and motioning him to follow her.
This time using capabilities as a Servant, Arthur closed the gap between the two of them as she turned the corner. It was for naught however as he looked around once more and found the girl waving his arms at him.
Such an act implied that she knew who he was. And the fact that she somehow moved so quickly to another location implied something supernatural about her. However, he was still not yet convinced. He needed to make sure, and if playing cat and mouse for the time being was going to help lead to him catching the girl, then so be it.
His former Master was mad enough to endanger the entire world once. He could only imagine the consequences of what would happen if she were to roam free with the current grail war going on as it is. Though he hated the idea of leaving Jeanne by herself, he knew that she was both smart and strong enough to take care of herself. He just hoped that she wouldn't run into any trouble that she couldn't handle on her own.
'If it really is her, then I will not allow her to be a threat!'
With his goal set, the white knight continued chasing the lookalike of Manaka throughout the city.
"Lancer!"
"Tch!"
Using his spear as a crutch, Lancer panted slightly as he glared at his white-haired foe. Much time had passed since the two Servants of the Spear began their fight, and the former eventually found himself on the defensive due to the latter's mysterious invulnerability to his attacks. Lancer could only wonder to himself just who in the world the man in front was.
"I suppose that this is where it ends for you." Karna began. Though it was brief, he found the blue-haired spearsman to be a worthy adversary. He was the first to injure him in this conflict, and together with the King of Knights, and perhaps Saber of Black, was able to keep up with him despite his advantages over most.
"I ain't dead yet punk...!" Lancer groaned out as he pulled himself together. Losing to the person in front of him wasn't on his list of goals for the day. His pride as a warrior and as Servant wouldn't allow it, not with his Master's life on the line.
*SLASH*
Cutting down several incoming feather like projectiles, the white-haired Servant then let his gaze fall upon the blonde girl responsible for said feathers. Who herself was currently frozen in fear as a result of his response to her attack.
"Were you perhaps thinking of aiding your Servant? A brave yet futile gesture, I commend you for it." He praised.
"Please, just let us go!" Ayaka begged. "Why do you even follow that person!? His wish for the grail has a high chance of bringing ruin to the world!"
"And what if it does?" Karna replied, surprising Ayaka with his indifference. "Whether or not my Master chooses to bring ruin to the world or to save it, I will follow him because I have already given my word that I will."
"Heh! So you're the type who's loyal to the end huh?" Lancer smirked, knowing for himself what such a life was. "I think I can understand you a little better now."
"Geez, you're really taking your sweet time aren't you?"
"Eh? Ah...!"
"Wha-!? Shit...!"
Having been preoccupied with his current opponent, Lancer was unable to notice in time the arrival of another Servant dressed in green clothing and a matching cloak and currently had a grip around Ayaka's neck with one of his arms and his free hand aiming his crossbow at the blue-haired spearsman.
"Archer."
"Boss man thought you were taking too long, so he sent me to help you out." Archer stated before turning his attention to Lancer. "Sorry about this, but it's your own fault that your Master got caught up in this situation. You should've been more alert dog boy."
"Those sound like fighting words to me!" The blue-haired spearsman growled in anger at being called a dog. "You call yourself a Heroic Spirit? Leave the girl alone and let's duke it out just between the three of us like real heroes! Or are you too much of a coward to do it?"
"Sorry, but that ain't my cup of tea." The rogue casually replied. "Cowardly or not, if fighting dirty means I can win, then so be it. I'll be the one laughing in the end anyway."
"Why you...!" Lancer stepped forward only for Karna to have blocked his path with his spear at the ready. "Get out of my way dammit!"
The white-haired Servant didn't reply. Though he didn't approve of Archer's aid and having wished to continue his bout with the Hound of Chulainn, the former's words reminded him of his duty and thus decided to go along with his comrade's plan for now.
Helpless, Ayaka had tears in her eyes. She was going to die wasn't she? Lancer stood no chance against two Servants, especially in his current condition. Her eyes quickly widened in fear when she suddenly felt herself being lifted from the neck and saw Archer's crossbow aimed at her skull.
"You should've taken up the boss' offer kid. Good luck in the next life I suppose."
'Please, somebody help me...!'
*SLASH*
"AARRGH!"
Having closed her eyes waiting for the killing blow, the blonde-haired girl realized that it never came as she heard Archer suddenly scream out in pain. Slowly opening them, her eyes grew wide once more as she another person holding her with one of his arms rather protectively while the other wielded a rather ornate sword.
Dressed in white armor and blue clothing, and together with his handsome face, blonde hair, and green eyes, Ayaka thought of him as the ideal prince that her grandmother would often talk to her about during her bedtime stories as a child. The one that her grandmother's older sister had summoned when she participated in the Holy Grail War all those years ago.
"Are you alright?" He smiled at her.
"Eh?" Such an act caused the younger blonde to blush as the white knight set her down on the ground gently.
"It's going to be alright now." He said as he turned his gaze towards Archer and the white-haired Lancer. "It's been a while Archer, Lancer. I was wondering when both of you would show your faces once more. I can see that both of you are working together."
"Son of a bitch...! You took my hand!"
Indeed, the red-haired rogue's right hand was now severed and currently laid itself upon the ground in a pool of blood. Using his cloak, he temporarily he covered the stump that was left before even more blood could pour out, the forest colored cloak now being soaked crimson.
"Indeed. Consider that payback for trying to take my Master's life once before. Now I shall be taking your life for full recompense."
Chasing the lookalike of Manaka throughout the city took longer than he thought it would. He eventually lost track of her much to his own ire, but it quickly went away when he felt the presence of three different Servants gathered together not too far from his location. He quickly moved and soon found the individuals known as Karna and Robin Hood together up against another Servant and a girl who strangely enough reminded him of someone.
Said someone was Manaka, but when Arthur got in close and rescued her from Archer's clutches, he realized that it was because the girl looked more like an older version of Manaka's little sister whom he knew as Ayaka, only she blonde hair much like the former. He thought to himself that such a resemblance could not be a coincidence, especially with the appearance of a girl he thought to be his former Master herself in the city. As such he suspected that the girl was related to what he had seen.
But seeing the completely frightened look on her face as she was about to die by Archer's hands, he quickly knew that the girl was innocent. At the very least, he would save her from the two Servants that attacked his Master once before and then ask her about what he had seen if possible.
"Heh!" Leaping over to the two, Lancer grinned as began speaking to Saber.
"Thanks for that, I owe you big time." He said, glancing at Ayaka and relieved that she was okay.
"I have a lot of questions for both you and your Master." Arthur began, not taking his gaze away from the other two Servants. "If you wish to repay me, then both of you will answer whatever she will ask."
"Straight to business eh? I can follow that." The blue-haired spearsman smirked as he twirled his spear.
Seeing this, the rogue archer only gritted his teeth. Now they had two Servants as opponents and he had right hand severed. Just what the hell was Saber doing here in the first place!? Wasn't the princess suppose to lure both him and Ruler away from here!?
"Tch...! I'm outta here!" Knowing that he couldn't do much in his current state, Archer grabbed his severed hand and leaped into the sky, deciding to retreat into spirit form.
He was, however, stopped when out of nowhere a golden motorcycle appeared and crashed into him from behind as he was in the air.
"Gargh!" The impact caused the red-headed Archer to be sent flying into a brick wall, crashing into it and then falling into a pile of garbage.
Looking towards the rider of said motorcycle, Arthur widened his eyes in an incredulous fashion as he recognized the rider of the two-wheeled vehicle. Despite wearing a helmet and dressing in casual clothes, he knew at first glance who it was. There was no mistaking the aura that accompanied the Servant who considered himself to be the greatest in this war.
"Hmph, a rat attempting to flee after deciding to interfere in a duel between heroes is simply unacceptable." He began, removing his helmet and allowing his blonde hair to be revealed. His red eyes glaring at the downed rogue with contempt. "Such an act needs to be punished, prepare yourself."
"A-Archer!?" How on earth did he appear like that with a motorcycle no less!?
Hearing his class title spoken, Archer of Red glanced at the white knight and smirked.
"Greetings Saber, you're looking rather stupefied for one who calls himself the King of Knights." He said. "I heard of the commotion and decided to see for myself what was happening. Needless to say, it seems that there are now two arrivals in this Holy Grail War."
Gazing momentarily at both Ayaka and Lancer, Archer of Red then turned his attention towards the other spear wielding Servant, who currently had his guard up at the unexpected appearance of the former.
"Hmm? You are...?"
"..."
Karna could only stare at the red-eyed man in front of him in silence. His Master had informed him about the identity of the Servant before him. He knew of powerful he could be given his identity as the King of Heroes. He could only wonder what would happen if the two of them fought... who would be the winner?
Though he felt insulted at not having his question answered, Archer of Red himself more curious about the armor that other Servant was wearing. At first glance, he was able to pinpoint that it wasn't of human origin. There was an otherworldly feel to it, one that he was all too familiar with. That was all he needed to know that it was an armor that was created by the gods. They were the only ones who could give off such a sensation.
And thanks to the information provided to him by both Rider and his Master, he also knew that the white-haired Servant was also the same one who attacked both Ruler and Saber after the two had arrived in the city a few nights ago.
"Urgh...!" Hearing the rat groan, the Golden King turned his attention back towards the red-haired rogue who stood up from the pile.
"Hoh? So the rat is still alive?" He smirked.
"Call me a rat will you...!?" Angered by the former's insult, Archer pulled out his crossbow and aimed it at his counterpart. Though a part of him was telling him to run away, the enraged parts of his mind overtook his common sense.
"Hmph, you're not even worth my time." Gilgamesh declared as ten portals of light appeared around him. "Begone now."
"...!"
There wasn't even time to scream in pain when Archer suddenly found himself being impaled by numerous types of weaponry. One by one, he was quickly stabbed again and again, the sound of his flesh being impaled and blood spilling could be heard all too easily by the those present. Thankfully for Ayaka's sake, she was unable to see the actual sight as a dust cloud form around where Archer was being attacked.
By the time it cleared up, nothing but a crater was left where Archer had stood. Seeing this, the blonde-haired girl could only wonder in fear just who in the world the red-eyed Archer was. As far as she knew, those weapons were most certainly Noble Phantasms. They could be nothing else. For an individual to have so many, just who was he!?
"Hmph, he didn't even last more than three seconds." The Golden King smirked. "How pathetic, for one such as him to be called a hero... standards of what one should be like have dropped considerably I suppose."
"Uh, I don't think anyone would be able to survive that so easily." Lancer pointed out. Even he was slightly disturbed by how casually the new Archer had eliminated his counterpart by impaling him to death with numerous weapons. It actually of reminded him of his teacher somewhat whenever she was angered.
Seeing that he was outnumbered, Karna pondered the idea of releasing his Noble Phantasm and quickly dealing a decisive blow to all three at the same time, or deciding to retreat for now. Though he wasn't what one would call boastful, he doubted that even he would be able to stand up against three Servants, two of whom were a match for him on a martial aspect and the other being the oldest Heroic Spirit in history.
"Lancer, I order you to retreat." His Master's voice echoed throughout his mind. "There is no longer any point in staying there."
"What about the girl?"
"Forget her. I doubt that even you would be able to stand up to the combined might of those three." Shirou replied, and it was clear from his tone of voice that he was irritated by how his plan for that day was derailed. "Come back to the garden, Angelica will fill you in on your next assignment."
"Alright then."
Hearing this, the white-haired Servant nodded. Quickly seizing the chance, he produced a burst of flames below his feet and jumped away from the trio.
"H-Hey! You just running away like that...!?" Lancer didn't get his reply as his counterpart sped away and dissolved into spirit form. The blue-haired spearsman was about to give chase, but was stopped when Saber had placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Leave him be. For now, you should focus on making sure your Master is alright." He said, gesturing to the blonde haired girl who was still on the ground. Somewhat dazed as a result of everything she had witnessed.
"Tch...! I guess you have a point." He clicked his tongue as he planted his spear into the pavement, scratching the back of his head in annoyance. He was having a great time fighting against that guy, why'd he have to turn tail like that?
"Hmph, this is the second time he has decided to withdraw hasn't it?" Archer of Red questioned the white knight, who looked at him response. "Pray tell King of Knights, what can you tell me about that man?"
"I'm not actually all that familiar with his legend, but I know that his name is Karna. Does that help you?"
"The child of the sun god Surya?" The Golden King muttered in both bewilderment and excitement, grinning wildly at this new piece of information given to him. "I see then. Perhaps a truly worthy adversary has finally shown himself to me at last."
"I see that you're quite obsessed with that." Arthur commented.
"But of course. This Holy Grail War is a once in a lifetime opportunity for heroes such as ourselves to be able to gather like this and battle to the death. What kind of fool would pass up such an opportunity to revel in it?" He stated to the knight.
Arthur shook his head at this, giving a disapproving look towards the King of Heroes. He knew all too well his type, having encountered such people when he was alive. Well, at least for now Gilgamesh was on their side. He supposed that it was better than having him as an enemy.
"Well then, considering that there's nothing holding me here anymore..." With snap of his fingers, the helmet he wore earlier reappeared over Archer's head in a flash of golden light. He then momentarily glanced at Lancer, who himself giving him a stare. Though he was curious to know more about the Hound of Chulainn whose existence he was able to guess as an outsider of the holy grail war, he decided that he would learn it at a later date.
After all, today was the first time he had actually ridden his brand new treasure. Though he probably had similar constructs within his treasury, there was just something about the motorcycle that he had Reines buy for him the other day. As such, he decided to take it out for a spin now that he had accomplished what he had set out to do for the day.
"Farewell for now King of Knights, we'll see each other again soon." With that, the golden king sped away on his new vehicle.
That afternoon, near sunset...
"Ah! I finally found you!"
Coming across the lot that was now filled to brim with the scars of battle, Jeanne found Arthur sitting together two other people, one of them being a Servant.
Much like the others, she lacked a connection to the one in front of her, whom she identified as a Lancer-Class Servant. However, considering that Arthur was with them and not fighting, it meant that they were likely friendly.
"Jeanne-"
...!
Before Arthur had even realized it, the former quickly closed the distance between the two them and bopped him over the head with her shoe. Well, Laeticia's shoe to be precise. It was an act that surprised both Ayaka and Lancer.
"Why did you run off like that!?" The young saint demanded from him in a fretful tone. "What happened? Where did you go? Do you know how worried I was? And who are they supposed to be?"
Under barrage of questions, Arthur could only smile slightly as he expected this and raised both his hands in front of him in an apologetic way.
"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have done that." He began, shame filling his voice. "Something came up, but I suppose that's not excuse. I purposely left you, my Master, on your own. As a Knight, I have failed in my oath to always stand by your side. If wish to punish me, then so be it."
"W-Well, I wouldn't go that far..."
Jeanne replied, looking somewhat troubled by his reaction. Her irritation at the young man disappearing within that brief moment.
She shook her head, she'd get her answers later. For now though...
"So then, who are these two?"
The young saint asked, gazing towards the blue-haired Servant the girl who was presumably his Master.
"Aren't you supposed to already know that?" Lancer quipped with a smirk. "So much for Ruler-Class Servants being able to know things right off the bat I suppose."
"Lancer shush!"
The blonde-haired teen beside him reprimanded. The young saint could only stare at the two in bewilderment. Here before her was another Servant who lacked a connection her. That brought up the count of rogue Servants up to six... Just what in the world could allow such a thing to happen?
"I'll answer your questions. But first, I must ask if you're alright. What happened between you and Archer?" Arthur replied.
Sighing, the young saint placed both hands on her hips and spoke.
"She got away. I confronted her briefly just before I realized you disappeared, but then she ran off again and I gave chase. I quickly lost her, and tried to use my abilities to find her but to no avail. She must've already gone outside my range of detection by the time I tried to."
"I see. Then it's also my fault for not helping you catch her. My apologies." He hanged his head in shame once more.
"Don't be, it's all in the past now." She smiled at him. "Anyway, these two are...?"
With that, the white knight began to explain the situation to the young saint whose eyes grew wide at the mention of Karna appearing once more. And the fact that Archer of Red himself had taken down Robin Hood was another surprise in itself. To think that she missed such an important event.
This must've been the reason why Atalanta had chosen to suddenly appear before the two of them earlier that day, to lure both away so that her allies could be rid of the girl and the new Lancer before Jeanne could meet either of them.
Said thoughts aside, with the red-haired rogue known as Robin Hood now dead, it meant that she could allow herself to relax somewhat. That left at least only four rogues left to deal with. Karna, Atalanta, Sir Lancelot, and the masked Rider Servant.
"Heh, so that's who that red-eyed guy was?" Lancer suddenly spoke up, a growing smirk on his face. "That Gilgamesh?"
"Yes." Arthur nodded in reply.
"Talk about a small world, to meet someone like him here of all places. That explains the number of noble phantasms he used." The Hound of Chulainn grinned momentarily before he caught Ruler staring at him. "What? is there something on my face or something?"
"No, not at all."
She replied, using her abilities to identify him. So many great heroes from ages long past were now gathered together in the city of Trifas. And now standing before her was Cu Chulainn, one of Ireland's greatest heroes also known as the Child of Light.
"Now that I think about it, I haven't asked you your name yet." Arthur began as he gazed at the blonde-haired girl who was Lancer's Master.
"A-Ah right! M-M-My name is...!"
She stuttered, embarrassed thanks to smile the former was giving off as he spoke to her. The fact that she felt a blush appear on her face didn't help matters at all. Jeanne saw this and subconsciously frowned at the sight.
Taking a deep breath, Ayaka regained her composure and spoke.
"My name is Tohsaka Ayaka, I am Lancer's Master."
She stated, causing Jeanne to look at her in surprise. According to the information provided by the grail, the Tohsaka were one of the three founding families that created the grail wars in the first place. Meeting one of their descendants here... was it coincidence or something else?
Arthur himself was surprised for a different reason. He had expected her to say Sajyou, but perhaps he was wrong and that the girl was unrelated? No, the resemblance was just too uncanny. Perhaps she was still related to his former Master, just having a different name. He would need to find out about it later.
"I've been meaning to have a meeting with you for a while Ruler-san. Please, will you listen to what I have to say?"
Having heard her speak her mind, the young saint contemplated her request. At the moment, there was just too many things going that didn't make any sense. The girl in front of her may hold the answers she had been seeking this entire time. If so, then hearing her out would have been the best option available to her.
Then there was the cynical side of her that said that she shouldn't. Whatever the girl had to say could have been a lie. What's to stop her from doing so? Perhaps what had transpired was all part of an act to deceive her. One could never know.
However, the young saint already knew what her answer was going to be. Though she didn't know the girl known as Tohsaka Ayaka all that well, she would at least hear her out as it she deserved a chance to be listened to.
"Very well then, I'll listen." Jeanne replied, smiling at the girl's reaction who looked quite relieved that she accepted. "But before any of that, we should find a safer place to have our discussion."
"Follow me, I think I know somewhere where we can talk."
With that, the group of Jeanne, Arthur, Ayaka, and Lancer left the lot.
"Ahaha! It worked~!"
Smiling in satisfaction, Manaka leaned back on her throne as she thought about her success. With this, she would be able to witness more from the girl known as Tohsaka Ayaka. She believed that her and Lancer together with both Saber and Ruler would make for an excellent show of entertainment for now.
There was also the plus that she was able to play with Saber himself for a little while.
"It felt like we were lovers chasing each other... Ahahahaha~!"
Squealing like the little girl that she was, one could say that Sajyou Manaka was a nothing more than a normal girl her age at that point. Sadly, that could never be the case for one such as her who was wrapped within her own set of delusions.
"Saber~" She began as though the white knight was in front of her, looking up towards the cavern ceiling in the process. "Be sure to stay alive until we reunite okay~? I'll be really upset if something happens to you~"
That night, inside Shirou's room at the Red Faction villa, he and Assassin were currently contemplating the results of the day's events. The latter made sure that no one could eavesdrop on the two of them
"Another failure..."
Clenching his fists, Shirou uncharacteristically punched a wall hard enough that he fist went through the concrete material. Seeing this, an amused smile appeared on Assassin's beautiful face as she began speaking to her Master.
"I suppose this failure isn't entirely your fault." She said. "Lancer did decide to toy around with the girl's dog instead of going directly for her in the first place. It would have been in our favor had chosen to follow his brain instead of his lust for battle."
"I am in no mood for your games." The young priest declared, glaring at his Servant who merely smiled even more at him in response.
"Oh my, such an adorable look you have on your face Master." Assassin teased, causing Shirou to merely sigh as he walked towards the door. "Oh? Where are you going?"
"Making sure that our plans don't fall apart now that Tohsaka Ayaka has made contact with Ruler herself." He replied, but before he could take another step forward, Assassin suddenly appeared right in front of him.
"What are you-!?" He was caught off guard when his Servant had placed a finger on his forehead. The young priest then suddenly found himself feeling rather drowsy, stumbling back onto the bed within the room and being forcible laid down on his back by the Assyrian Queen.
"Just sleep for now Master, I'll take care of the rest." She said. Though she was amused by his reactions earlier, she knew that he was starting to feel rather tense thanks to the latest events that were happening. She could not approve of that, and as such, decided to take matters into her own hands. Bed rest did anyone who was feeling the same as he did some good. Even as he was, the same would still apply to him.
"I have no time for this...!"
"There's a time and place for everything. For now, you should rest." She responded, sounding rather mature and unlike the person Shirou had come to know personally. And knowing her, she probably wouldn't allow him to do anything else other than what she told him.
"Fine then... have it your way." He relented. "However, wake me up should something happen."
"Hehe! I'm glad to hear you say that."
"Che...! How pathetic a guy Archer was!"
Out in the city, in the very same empty lot where Ruler had her met with Tohsaka Ayaka for the first time, a girl with messy hair tied into pigtails was looking around the pavement while clearing away whatever got in her way with her feet. She wore something of a Gothic-Lolita ensemble with an umbrella in her right hand.
"Dammit, why do I have to do this when I could be sleeping in my bed!? I could be dreaming about Lord Julian's right about now! Ah~! Lord Julian~!" She said, a rather ecstatic expression forming on her face she spoke about the latter. Though he had yet to return her affections, she was sure that one day it would happen.
She snapped out of it when she found what she had been looking for since she arrived at the spot.
Holding it in her hand, the moonlight that shined down upon the girl revealed that the thing in her hand was a card that held the image of a woman dressed in armor holding up a bow and arrow aimed above her. The word ARCHER could be read from the bottom of the image.
"Asshole, you know the trouble you caused me? Don't go dying so easily damn it. Aren't you supposed to be a hero or something? Geez..." She spoke to it as though it were a person before sliding down inside of her pockets. And in doing, so she quickly perked up.
"At least now I can go back to my bed and sleep for the night. Lord Julian, wait for me in my dreams~!"
With that, the girl ran off into the night with a manic grin on her face.
"This is where you're staying at...?"
Arriving at the hotel, Jeanne and Arthur hadn't expected to see a hotel suite be the lodgings of the girl in front of them. The building itself wasn't extraordinarily large or anything, nor was the room they were in extravagantly designed. However, it was enough that it went against the of rural image of the city.
"Ahaha...! Well, since I didn't have any money on me when I arrived here, I had to hypnotize the staff into giving a room." Ayaka revealed, somewhat embarrassed as she placed a hand behind her head. "And just so you know, I didn't ask for this suite. This was the only free spot where they could put me in."
"Not that I'm complaining, this place has free drinks~!" Lancer called out with a grin and a bottle in his hand. Currently, the blue-haired man himself was sprawled upon the large sofa that was placed before a large television screen. Though Trifas was a city that was somewhat behind in current times, it still had places like this were people of rich modernity could live well enough as they would in their personal homes.
A little while later, Ayaka, Jeanne, and Arthur were seated around a table. Lancer was still laying about on the sofa while watching television, paying no heed to the conversation that was about to begin as he knew that his Master would have been able to explain it all by herself.
"Right then, you wanted to speak with me?" The young saint began.
"Yes. I believe that you may already know this, but there is someone manipulating the holy grail war from behind the scenes. He is the one behind the appearances of the rogue Servants that you encountered before as well as the one we fought today."
"Indeed, his name is Shirou Kotomine is it not?" Jeanne replied as Ayaka nodded. "I thought so, it seems the information from the grail was correct."
"Kotomine-san is... well I suppose I wouldn't call him a bad person." As much as she didn't want to admit it, Shirou was indeed a good person to the core. "However, the main problem is that while he has good intentions, his methods are rather extreme."
"The path to hell is often paved with good intentions." Arthur mused as both girls looked at him. "Oh, don't mind me. Please, continue."
"Right, before we talk about that man, why don't you explain to me something else first?" Jeanne suggested. That topic could wait for now. What she was really curious about was something else entirely.
"About what?" Following Ruler's gaze, she noticed that she was staring at Lancer. Currently, he was watching a show called Thunder Cats with an amused smile on his face.
"How is it that you and that person could summon and have control over Servants outside of the grail's influence?" She asked. "As a Ruler-Class Servant, I've been summoned by the grail itself in order to mediate this war. As part of this task, I have an innate connection towards all those summoned to fight through the Command Spells given to me. Yet your Lancer and the other rogues lack such a connection. Could you care to explain that to me?"
"Ah, I thought as much... you really would want to know about that wouldn't you?" Ayaka commented, having somewhat expected it. "Alright then, I'll explain it as best as I can. Though it may take a while, and I don't even understand the full concept myself."
"Please, take your time. Any information you provide us would be most helpful." Jeanne replied with a smile.
"Perhaps I should make us something to drink?" Arthur suggested, looking at the glasses wearing blonde while continuing. "Considering what you said, I believe coffee would do you both some good in order to keep you awake."
"Both of us?" Ayaka wondered aloud, staring at the young saint as a result. Why would a Servant need to drink coffee?
"Don't think about it too much, my Master merely has special needs is all." He smiled.
"Wait a minute, what's with that sort of wording?" Jeanne pouted at him in annoyance. What Arthur said just now made her sound like a strange person. Seeing the smile on his face, she concluded that Arthur said that on purpose in order to get rise out of her, meaning he was teasing her again.
In retrospect, he succeeded in his task as the young saint began to chastise her partner with a lecture.
"Listen Arthur, you can't say things like that about others or else you'll cause misunderstandings...!"
"Haha, my apologies."
And so the night went on...
END
Author's Note:
And that's it for CH10. Hope you all liked it :D
About Gae Bolg bypassing Karna's armor. Considering that the spear reverses causality in such a way that it has already stabbed a targets heart the moment its name is called out, I think it's possible. That, and the armor doesn't actually make Karna invincible. But considering it's Karna, he just doesn't give a damn about having his heart being pierced XP If you guys read the original, then you know that he can survive much worse.
And to the guy who complained about Tohsaka Ayaka, I only named her that because it helps me differentiate her more easily from the original Ayaka since I plan on using her at one point. Having two of them running around is confusing enough as it is, the exact same name only makes it worse. Making her a Tohsaka in my mind made things so much more simpler for me. That, and one other reason that I named her that.
I also face the same problem in SKoD (Which is still in hiatus due to lack of creativity on my part) in regards to Goku Jr. and Vegeta Jr. and their respective ancestors. In the former's case, I get around it because I see Goku Jr. as what a modernized Goku Sr. would be like as a teenager. In the latter case, I get around it because he has a last name compared to the original XP That, and adding Junior to their names doesn't actually sound awkward when compared to a name like Ayaka.
Anyway, that's it for now. Once again, please leave a review :D
