A/N: I just finished the ending chapter for Fate/Zero: Hyakki Yakou Route. This is really a bad thing for me, as I am struggling to fit some things in the middle. But just like I said, this is my first time writing a fanfiction, and a crossover to boot, so please enjoy your reading. :D
Italics for emphasis or thoughts
CAPITALS for when someone is inserting a word in English or for emphasis
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Credits go to Hiroshi Shiibashi for Nurarihyon no Mago and Gen Urobuchi and Type – Moon for Fate/Zero
Chapter 6: Saber vs. Lancer, a Battle between Two Honorable Knights
The Nura Clan House:
"Soudaisho, are you sure enough to let Kejoro off her own with only her Servant?" Karasu Tengu inquired while pouring out sake from a bottle to Nurarihyon's cup. "From what I've heard about the Grail Wars, Caster – class servants are the weakest classes that get eliminated quickly, along with Assassin Class servants."
"You heard what the fox deity said." Nurarihyon lit up a pipe in the coldness of the night. "To minimize casualties, only the Master and Servant were allowed in the war. Bringing other people aside from the Master and Servant may increase chances of it happening. Although we fight as a clan, there are times when we must let a clan member fight on their own to discover what they are really worth and to be strong enough to fight for the Nura Clan. When Kejoro said that she didn't need a back – up, Rikuo just replied with a smile. That means he's letting her go for a while. You know about Rikuo and his fight with Gyuuki, right?"
"Yes, Soudaisho, but that's a different case! Gyuuki is our ally, and he only did it to teach Rikuo…that…" Karasu – Tengu trailed off from his sentence. Gyuuki fought Rikuo one on one, to let him learn more about the Nura Clan and to accept his demon side.
Nurarihyon continued, "Kejoro – san was slowly discovering something on her own thanks to Caster. Rikuo knows it too. Besides, you have seen her power, Karasu – Tengu." He took a drag after the explanation.
"During practice? Yes, I've seen it, but she made little progress in that week, Soudaisho. She never even used Osore to…" Karasu – Tengu paused for a moment when he realized what the 1st Heir was talking about. Sure, Kejoro did not use youkai power during those practice sessions, as it was ordered by Caster not to cheat practice in any way, in order to amplify her Reinforcement capabilities taught by Caster. But her own Osore reserves multiply as she continues to practice reinforcing physical capabilities through the secondary power source, prana, resulting in her emanating youkai aura that is more potent than before. Without Kejoro realizing it, she increased her own power as she continues to use prana.
"Caster, you surely are a monster in that regard…" Nurarihyon lit up again his already dead pipe that was dampened by the coldness of the winter.
"Maiya, can you see them?" Kiritsugu inquired as he prepared his Walther rifle.
"There's only Saber and Lancer. Other than the servants, only Irisviel was there." Maiya replied as she saw them through the lens of her Steyr AUG.
"Any sign of Lancer's Master yet?"
"No. Just them. We can't find him from here."
He paused for a while before deciding on their vantage point. "Then you approach from the eastern wharf. I'll take west. That way, we can search Lancer's Master and other Masters from there."
"Understood." Maiya then proceeded to the destination where Kiritsugu pointed at. Kiritsugu just watched Saber's battle with Lancer for a while. Then he turned on again the thermal sensors on his Walther rifle and installed a silencer afterwards.
"Now, let's see what you can do, my adorable King of Knights." Kiritsugu smirked as he took the western part of the warehouse and positioned himself to look for Lancer's Master.
"If I'm just a guy, I wouldn't feel like this and would not need Caster's charm." Kejoro grumbled as she observed the battle between Saber and Lancer. "And speaking of charms, Caster, why aren't you affected?"
It's-a-secret. Caster giggled, to which Kejoro sighed. Caster then told her the secret after she enjoyed that sight.
I have no magic resistance activated at all times, unlike the trait of Saber's class, so I have to make a temporary one. Although I mess up with my Territory Creation ability, at least it works in my favor, even though it's only for a limited time.
"Yeah, and that only applies for your own, not mine." She said with a hint of annoyance in her voice.
This fades too, you know? I can't include you in this kind of barrier. She showed her the fading inner barrier, to which Caster repaired it afterwards with a sleight of her hand. Not like your charm. So be grateful for that.
"Alright, I know. Thanks." She said it while still observing the fight of Lancer and Saber.
Kejoro – san... Caster called out to Kejoro to tell her something, but Kejoro stopped her sentence.
"Yes, I can see that. Saber's blade is being revealed bit by bit thanks to that spear. But what kind of sword is that?"
Perhaps it's one of the famous swords that possess the same fame as the infamous Kusanagi that is in our country. But those spears from Lancer are what I'm worried about. If the red spear alone is powerful to cancel out the air covering the sword, then what about the yellow spear?
"As you said, Caster, Noble Phantasms need not only be one. You saw the proof in Archer's kind of attack." Kejoro recalled their conversation regarding Archer's power.
You're right. I forgot. A storage full of Noble Phantasms. And I think I saw… Caster paused for a moment when she remembered what she replayed on the mirror. One of the Noble Phantasms resemble too much like Kusanagi. No matter how many times she replayed it, one of the Noble Phantasms that Archer shot looks a lot like Kusanagi.
"Something wrong?" Kejoro quipped while she observed Lancer's and Saber's actions.
Nothing. It's just that I remembered something that made my blood boil in anger. Caster just suppressed her rage for that arrogant king. It's as if he stole away a most precious treasure in their country.
"Then at least keep your focus for the moment. You'll never know when we will be attacked." She advised. Caster decided to simmer down, and ease her breathing to not let them know where they are.
Sure thing. Afterwards, they felt a whirl. They looked up to the direction where the whirl went to, and found out that it was Assassin observing from the crane.
That's the third one. Should I take them down, Goshujin – sama? She had her enchanted gauntlets at the ready just in case her Master orders her to do so, but Kejoro stopped her for the moment, as this is not the time to participate in a battle royale along with other Servants.
"Not this time." Kejoro quipped. "He's an observer, so let's keep an eye for that one for a while. Otherwise, we might blow our cover."
"I got a visual of Lancer's Master. Can you see him from there?" Kiritsugu inquired, as he adjusted his lens from thermal to normal.
"Negative" Maiya replied. Kiritsugu then told her this.
"Okay, I'll take out Lancer's Master from here." He prepared to take the shot from his Walther, when he felt a gust of wind. He looked through his normal lens to find out the cause, just in case another Servant appeared, and saw the Assassin. Everyone thought that he was dead, but not Kiritsugu and Maiya. Maiya also saw Assassin as she prepared to zoom in her Steyr lens from that point.
Assassin. As I thought. Kiritsugu just clicked his tongue as he observed the events from one of the container boxes.
"Should I take him down?" Maiya prepared for a sneak attack, and focused her lens on Assassin.
Kiritsugu stopped her in her plans. "Not now. Remember, this is Assassin we're dealing with. Besides, we're not equipped to fight Servants right now." He just decided to let this one fall off for now, as the situation was to his disadvantage due to the Assassin serving as a watchman.
What a waste. I let Saber fight for nothing. But at least he confirmed one thing: Assassin's Master, Kotomine Kirei, is still actively participating in the war from the confines of the Church. And that Assassin is still alive.
The Assassin was just observing the battle from a far distance, relaying information to Kotomine Kirei through Shared Perception. Meanwhile, Tokiomi communicated with Kirei using something that looks like a fusion of the turntable and a phonograph.
"Any sign of the stray Servant yet?" Tokiomi inquired. Kirei adjusted the Chinese collar on his priest's robes before giving a reply.
"No, my lord. Apparently, the Master has summoned a 'proper' Caster to say the least. Unlike the Caster running amok, this Caster displays its abilities to the fullest extent with preciseness. And if Assassin's report on his battle with Caster is to be believed, this Caster focuses on physical attacks, using spells as last resort." He gave his report in a clear and concise manner.
Physical attack? He never heard of a Caster focusing on physical attacks. If he ever heard one, it will be from Irish legends. Could the Master have summoned a Caster from an Irish legend? Could he face such a threat to the Grail War?
"If you are wondering what kind is it, the Assassin's report says that the attack consist of 'Breaking' a weapon and turning it into a Noble Phantasm."
Broken Phantasm? Not all Servants can do that kind of thing to their Noble Phantasms. Exchanging their trump cards for sheer power is an absolute disgrace to any Servant, as they take their only chance of surviving the war, only to throw caution to the wind. Tokiomi just sighed at the foolishness of that servant. "Please continue."
"She used the Dirk of the Assassin as an object for converting it into a Noble Phantasm." Kirei finished his report.
Converting an ordinary weapon into a powerful spell bomb… He never heard of it, much less use it. That kind of unorthodox method used by Caster of all Servants is not elegant to his ears. "I see. And who is the second Caster's Master?"
"Apparently some kind of spirit. Caster's Master is also an unusual one, as she is not the kind of Magus that you see everyday. She wears a kimono, and helps Caster with her fights. More precisely, forcing a Servant in submission and holding them in their grip." Kirei concluded.
He just resisted the urge to grit his teeth, as he saw that the Master is apparently one that he can never underestimate. "And what of Caster's form? Did the Assassin have some kind of illustration as to what is the appearance of that Servant?" He inquired with great curiosity.
"A lady with fox ears and a tail. She also wears a somewhat modified version of the kimono. Apparently having a skill similar to Charisma, but different from that actual skill. Either way, Assassin could not move away from them due to that skill. Also, when provoked, her eyes held a strange light, as if a predator has found its prey." Kirei described her unemotionally. At that notion, Tokiomi paused for a moment.
Fox ears, a tail, and a kimono… He almost lost his composure when he had found out what that servant is. Or at the very least, a clue on whom she is. Either way, she proves to be a dangerous opponent in the Grail War, even though she is summoned as the lowest of classes. He also realized the advantage of summoning a Servant in their domain. He gritted his teeth silently when he found out that he was outsmarted by a wildcard Master. His Magus pride simply could not take it, that a novice of all people can summon a potential game – breaker. Bonus point is the fact that the Master is a spirit, just like her Servant, enabling them to disappear and appear freely. More points for the Master, as she is the first one to defeat a Servant, in a hand –to – hand combat of all fights.
"What shall we do, my lord?" Kirei inquired. Tokiomi paused for a few seconds before giving him a reply.
"Leave them as they are for now. They might serve as entertainment to the King of Heroes. Meanwhile, keep an eye on the Servants." Tokiomi concluded, hiding his annoyance at the lingering fact that he found out.
"As you wish, my lord." Kirei replied devoid of emotion in his voice and unsureness in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Saber cannot keep up with Lancer's strikes, ever since he unravelled his Noble Phantasm that can destroy through her armor and dispel her Invisible Air, the magical sheath of air that covers her sword. Saber backed off as Lancer struck her blade once again, revealing the length of her blade. Now that it is useless to hide her sword anymore, and that her armor is useless before Gae Dearg, she decided to dispel her armor and place the durability of the armor to her sword.
"Let's finish this, Lancer." She announced as she was getting nearer Lancer's range, while Lancer keeps backing off to lengthen the range even further. Without a second thought, she used Invisible Air as a boosting device to close the range between them and was going for the kill when Lancer kicked his other spear in front of Saber. He caught it just in time and revealed his other Noble Phantasm just as Saber was about to strike him.
Noble Phantasms need not only be one… She mentally berated herself for that blatant mistake that she made, but as she will strike him already in that range, she has no choice but to dodge the spear, lest she suffer a critical damage. She landed a small cut on Lancer's left forearm, while Lancer landed a cut in Saber's left wrist using the yellow spear.
A draw, if one can still call it a draw.
"Tch. You made me waste my patience." A man with his blonde hair in a sleek hairstyle that was Lancer's Master quipped as he healed Lancer's forearm.
"I deeply apologize, my lord." Lancer replied as he grinned on his fortune.
"Irisviel, please heal me too." Saber said. But Irisviel was shocked to see Saber's condition.
"I already healed you, Saber, yet…" Iri slightly panicked since Saber's wrist was still bleeding from the slash of the yellow spear. But there was no mistaking it, she healed her already. Her capability as the best healer is challenged by that yellow spear that struck Saber's wrist.
"No, I already healed it. You should be in full health already." She replied, this time with confidence.
Then Lancer dropped the big surprise. "My Gae Dearg can pass through your armor with relative ease without a single dent, and still wound you. But if you have not discarded it, you might stand a chance against my Gae Buidhe."
I should have realized this sooner… Saber went deep in her thoughts, as she remembered the Celtic legends, before giving Lancer her reply.
"The red spear that renders anything made of Magecraft useless, the yellow spear that deals wounds that will never heal, and a mole below your right eye. You are Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, first of the Knights of Fianna. It is an honor battling with you." Saber declared.
"The honor is mine, but who would have thought that you will be my first enemy? No Heroic Spirit can ever mistake that golden blade of yours, King of Knights." Lancer acknowledged with deep respect for the one named King of Knights. Although he blew his own cover, Lancer is overjoyed to have found out the identity of his opponent. "Now that we know each other's names, we can now fight honorably as knights, although I have wounded you already. Do you feel that it's unfair, Saber?"
"Don't make me laugh, Lancer." Saber replied carrying her pride as a knight. "It is more of a shame for you if you worry about my wound."
"So it seems." Lancer then wielded his two spears with relative ease and prepared to approach cautiously at Saber. Saber, containing her excitement at facing such a calculating opponent, fixed her stance and decided to do the same. Two demonic spears against a golden sword, under the clear night of a full moon. Such was the tension filling the air that even Kejoro and Caster can't wait on who will strike the first blow.
Then something happened which disrupted the decisive fight between the knights.
"A chariot?" Irisviel gasped as she saw the approaching vehicle that threatened to destroy the warehouse. Bolts of lightning accompany the arrival of the glorious vehicle pulled by bulls and those who were in the middle decided to step away from the mad way of approach of a Servant.
"Put your weapons to rest, for I, Iskandar, King of Conquerors, have arrived!" A man with a very large body build and in red robes has announced his name proudly, to which Kejoro and Caster just sighed. Doing a faceplant on the dirt is not enough to express how idiotic the Servant was. No sane Servant will ever reveal his or her identity boldly in front of other Servants. That is just like asking for a suicide. The tense air that is filling the warehouse is diffused for a moment as Iskandar introduced himself, conquering the tense atmosphere that filled the entire warehouse.
Footnotes:
Gae Dearg and Gae Buidhe – A red spear that bypasses anything made with magic, and a yellow spear that renders the wounds unhealed.
Kusanagi – a Japanese legendary sword, the one that struck down the Yamata no Orochi. Wielded by the Shinto god Susanoo
Steyr AUG – an assault rifle that was used by Maiya for recon. It also has modified scopes, just like Kiritsugu's Walther rifle.
Shared Perception – a technique of Magi which enables them to see what the other can see, provided that the other person will give consent. Tokiomi cannot obtain consent from Archer, so he decided that Kirei will be the one who can do it.
A/N: For those who have reviewed my fanfiction, I give all of my thanks. But for those who wanted to rush the story, I would like to inform you that I would like to develop things slowly, as was the suggestion from one of my earlier reviewers (Thank you very much, ImagineBreaker). That way, the reader may catch up to whatever is happening beween the two. :D
Please rate and review.