"MOVE!" Rika commanded, gesturing for Saori and Waver to get out of the way. They were more than happy to oblige when the bulls pulling the chariot reared back and started to bellow again. This time, it was Waver who tackled Saori out of the way. Rika then urged the bulls forward and attempted to run Kayneth over.
He also managed to get out of the way in the nick of time, but he was left much more disoriented. At the same time, Rider pushed Lancer back away from the door. Rika crashed through the wall beside him. Just like earlier, she used one hand to steer the bulls and one hand to text Saori, leaving the bulls to lead the chariot along. Gonna double back. Be ready to jump.
As Kayneth hit the floor, Waver wasted no time in jumping on him, both to disarm him of his gun, and to give him a long-awaited, well-deserved punch. Waver may not have been very physically strong, but he held nothing back as he punched Kayneth square in the face… repeatedly. Behind him, Saori looked alarmed by the rage he was showing, but after everything they'd been through that night, she wasn't going to stop him. Instead, she kicked the gun away from Kayneth before picking it up and throwing it out the second hole in the roof, which had also taken out part of the wall. That was the hole Rika wanted them to jump from…
Rika counted down through texts. As fast as the chariot was, it was large enough that certain maneuvers still needed some time to pull off. As the seconds reached closer to 0, however, Saori finally pulled Waver off of Kayneth.
"We have to go!" she cried urgently. He looked up at her, eyes flashing, but when she held up her phone with Rika's name on it, he came around.
"Right, sorry," he muttered awkwardly, rising shakily to his feet to look at the bleeding man still on the floor.
Kayneth clutched his nose, cursing, but Saori and Waver were already back at the hole in the wall, peering out, looking for Rika.
"Ready to jump?" Saori asked quietly.
"Wait. What?!" Waver squawked. He'd been under the impression that Rika might crash into the roof for a third time and stop to pick them up. How there was even any roof left was beyond him. But jumping?! Out of a window?! Onto a moving chariot?! From so high up in a random warehouse?!
"We need to get out of here, fast, and it's easier for her to just pull through than it is for her to stop," Saori explained apologetically.
"Are you going to jump?!" Waver snorted, some of his old defensiveness returning. Saori understood, but she bit her lip nervously. If she couldn't convince Waver to join her in the next… 15 seconds, it would make everything else a whole lot harder. Waver had to trust her. Had to trust Rika.
Trust, trust, trust. That was what tonight was all about, but Saori knew that trust was hard. Of course she did! She didn't use to trust Rika. At all. Now, though? Oh, how times and people could change…
"Yes. I am," she said quietly. "I know it sounds crazy, but… I trust Rika."
"Even with your life?" Waver snorted again, shaking his head, fear in his eyes behind the anger and disbelief.
"Yes," Saori repeated, still quiet, but a note of conviction entering her voice. Even though this was a situation she never could've ever imagined herself in, even in a thousand lifetimes, now that she was here, she was confident in her answer, even though she was confident in nothing else.
"I trust her. I trust Rika Seto. With everything. She may be downright insane at times, but… She's never done anything to hurt me. She's always had my best interests at heart. She's always looked after me… Even if I didn't always see it, even if she would sometimes drag me out to do things that I didn't want to, she was always there for me, and she never gave me more than I could handle."
If Rika was asking her to jump out a window onto a moving chariot high above the ground, as mad as it sounded, Rika was genuinely confident that she could catch Saori. She wouldn't have asked otherwise. It wasn't like Rika to put her friends in harm's way.
I trust her. I trust Rika Seto… And I hope that Waver trusts Rider just as much. If not now, then someday, because I can tell that he could be just as good for Waver as Rika was for me. Maybe he won't like it at first. I know I certainly didn't. But if he can build that bond…
They heard the bellowing bulls. It was time to go. Saori balanced on the edge of the wall, leaning forward. Waver went pale, reaching out to her, but she looked over her shoulder at him with compassion in her eyes and shook her head.
"I know it's a lot to ask, but please, trust her! Let her help you!" She reached out for Waver, not so that he could pull her back, but so that he could join her. He hesitated for a single second longer, but he was suddenly aware of Rider and Lancer fighting in the distance.
He's crazy too! They all are! And yet… They've never let me down before either… Sure, there were first times for everything, but… that included trust! There was a first time for everything! Including Waver deciding to take the leap of faith! Yes! That was right! He was going to be brave, for once in his life! He was going to be… heroic!
Waver pushed himself forward, joining Saori on the ledge. Then suddenly, he was falling, falling and screaming. He felt his hair billowing upward, and then sideways… Sideways… He cracked one eye open and saw Rika's back. He opened his other eye and saw the chariot, the rest of his terrified scream dying in his throat. Oh. Well. That was fast. And hey, he was still alive! Guess that wasn't so bad after all…?
"You did it, Waver! I'm so proud of you!" Saori cried in relief, looking equally grateful that Rika managed to pull off her drive-by stunt.
Rika turned around and raised her fist triumphantly at both of them. "Woot, woot! Make some noise, you two, make some noise!"
Waver gave a nervous laugh. I can't believe… I really just did that… I just… jumped out of a window… What is wrong with me today?!
But as shaken as he felt, he was exhilarated, too. Was this how Saori felt whenever she got swept up in Rika's madness? His heart's beats per minute were insane! And yet, as high as the tension was, he'd never felt more alive!
At the same time, Rika steered the chariot back towards the warehouse. "Now, it's time to get the Jolly Red Giant!"
This time, Rika entered the warehouse on ground level, Rider and Lancer's battle taking them back to the main "battlefield".
"Woo, hoo! Yeah, Rider! Let's go, Rider! You rock, man!" Rika cheered as she brought the chariot racing inside, holding the reins out to him. Rider bellowed in delight and raised a triumphant fist in return, making his way towards the chariot. Lancer tried time and time again to attack the chariot, striking at the wheels and passengers, but Rider blocked every blow.
At last, Rider vaulted into the chariot and took the reins from Rika. At the same time, she tapped one of the braces on his wrist. Rider nodded once and Rika quickly removed it before wrapping it around both of hers.
"Rika…? What are you…?" While Rider steered the chariot, Rika went on defense, bending her legs and extending her arms. The next time Lancer attacked, Rika thrust her wrists forward.
"RIKA!" Saori shrieked. While she and Waver ducked, Rika stepped protectively in front of them. There was a bang, and Rika stumbled back. Saori shot back up and clutched at her companion's arms, eyes wide and wild with worry.
"Don't worry, Saori, don't worry," Rika chuckled, shaking herself off as she straightened back up. "I'm a great hitter, remember?" It was then that Saori realized what Rika had done. She deflected Lancer's attack as if it was a volleyball serve…
"Only you, Rika, only you," Saori sighed and shook her head, but the relief was evident in her face. Waver, still on the floor of the chariot, could only stare up at them in shock and awe. Rika grinned proudly down at him before turning her attention back to Lancer.
"Is that all you got?!" she taunted. Truly, only Rika. Only Rika would taunt an immortal Heroic Spirit wielding a magical spear. Even Lancer looked surprised by the sheer audacity, but a second later, he was winding up for another attack. Rika was fast to return to her defensive position. I could do this ALL day! I'm Rika freaking Seto, and I will NEVER die! Boom! Boom! SHAKE!
Rider couldn't turn around, steering the chariot, but he'd known at once what Rika was planning to do. He was nervous too, when he heard Lancer make his next attack, but once he heard Rika's cheerful and triumphant laughter, he relaxed again.
I knew I made the right decision to trust her! The King of Conquerors smiled to himself. Rika may not have been a Heroic Spirit, but she was certainly a kindred spirit! Although, definitely in her own way, she could be considered heroic.
Rika was sure her wrists would be badly bruised after the fight was over, but because she was still caught right in the crossfire, the adrenaline protected her from the pain. All she felt was excitement as she readied for another epic defense.
Round and round they chased, and eventually, the battle took them outside. Despite being outnumbered, Kayneth and Lancer fought their hardest, refusing to give up; at least until Kayneth saw the remnants of his precious machine lying in the grass not too far away from the warehouse. He stopped dead in his tracks, a silent cry of horror tearing itself from his throat. It wasn't just the devastation that shattered him.
That machine had been far harder to build than it looked, combining magic and technology both. That was why Waver hadn't been able to destroy it all by himself. It was a failsafe, of sorts, Kayneth designing it with the explicit intention of having the technology power the device just as much as the magic did.
But Rika's decision to drop it from such a high place ruined the non-magical technology, even worse than Saori's sonic attack. She'd only been able to rattle some of the internal components, but what Rika did crushed it practically into dust. There was literally nothing to salvage, magical or otherwise, and that was exactly what Kayneth had placed his last hope on.
THOSE IDIOTS! THEY DESTROYED IT! THEY RUINED EVERYTHING! Technically, it was possible to rebuild, but the time and effort he would have to expend to acquire and assemble all the parts and pieces again wasn't worth it. It would likely take longer than the Grail War had left, especially now that everyone knew what he was up to. They would do everything in their power to stop his, all of the surviving Masters and Servants would. His element of surprise was forever lost…
With his last hope gone, Kayneth's confidence evaporated too, and he screeched to a halt. Lancer looked over his shoulder at his Master with bloodlust in his eyes. He was awaiting his Master's next command, but for once, Kayneth was at a loss for words. He had no idea what to do next, and without his orders, neither did Lancer.
