Chapter 13 – The Charge of the Storm King
Waver
He pressed his eyes together to adjust to the darkness and then watched his breath float in the air in front of him once he opened them again. It was incredibly chill as Waver looked up at their destination. With the city of Fuyuki brightly lit behind him, the mountain path surrounded in forest seemed like swallowed in darkness. Only the sinister dark red shimmer at the top of the mountain confirmed the presence of humans… and worse.
"You sure this is a good idea?", he asked?
Rider stepped next to him, his black beard and muscular shape making his grin look even more striking as he glanced at him.
"Getting cold feet after spending all this time urging me to fight?"
Waver sighed, trying to answer his Servant's confidence with a smile of his, even though it came out somewhat unsteady.
"Of course not. I was just thinking about this plan."
"Ah, we will see about that", Robert declared grimly.
With that a harsh gust of biting wind engulfed Robert and tore at Waver, forcing him to shield his eyes from its force. When he opened them again, Robert Baratheon was clad head to toe in an impressive set of plate armor, an imposing antlered figure draped in a yellow surcoat, his spiked warhammer leaning lazily against his shoulder. A warm sensation bubbled up in Waver's chest. He had waited for this moment, for the Heroic Spirit he summoned to finally come back to his senses and take this Grail War seriously again, but now that he was about to head into battle once more, anxiety washed over him.
"Stay close, boy", Robert said, putting his steel boot forward onto the first step of the stone steps with an audible clank. "This narrow path could also be used for an ambush."
Waver nodded, actually feeling reassured by Rider's earnest assessment. And so they climbed the stairs side by side, one step after the other. Clank, rattle, clank, rattle, clank, rattle, clank. The armored knight's heavy footsteps and the rattling of his armor were the only noise Waver perceived as they climbed towards the heart of the enemy, swallowed by the darkness all around them. Occasionally Waver couldn't help but glance over his shoulder. A reflex he rationalized with taking care that nobody was sneaking up on them from behind, but truthfully his eyes always first wandered towards the ever more distant (and seemingly ever more dim) lights of the houses. The climb seemed like it went on forever and the silence was increasing his uneasiness with every step. But after quite a while the dark shape of a Japanese temple gate appeared in the distance, contrasting against the faint red-orange glim of the sky above the actual temple. Only a few steps after that Rider came to a halt, staring at it with a tense posture.
"He is there?", Waver asked.
The antlered helmet nodded.
"He is there", Robert Baratheon remarked before climbing just another step.
In that exact moment a human shape formed itself just in front of the gate. And even though they were still quite a distance away from it, Waver could tell at a glance just how ridiculous its proportions were. While Robert already looked like He-Man in the flesh, this man-thing was something else entirely. Tall like a tree, thrice as wide and covered in layers of metal that no ordinary human being could possibly move in. It was still a knight though, his impeccably polished armor having a blueish orange tint from the moonlight above and the dark red smoke clouds puffing up from above the roof of the temple behind him. In his left hand he held a massive silver shield bigger and wider than some humans while his right rested on the just as outrageously large pommel of a sword. While his incarnation out of spirit form was a clear reaction to their approaching, it was hard to tell how much he cared about their presence. He didn't seem to move a muscle and the eyeholes of his helmet were pointed straight ahead as if looking down to them was beneath him. The only motion were the rainbow plumes adorning the top of the helmet moving with the cold wind.
"Berserker", Waver whispered.
"That damn woman…", Rider grunted next to him.
Waver glanced at him uneasily.
"Come again?"
"He's wearing the white of the Kingsguard. That beast was never more than a mad dog that the old lion pointed at everyone who looked at him funny. Gah, this must be Cersei's doing! Damn it, woman! Hadn't you filled the ranks of the White Tower with enough lapdogs already? Clearly this one must have been a bit too much to handle."
"Uh…", Waver grimaced and looked back ahead. "Maybe the girl got him wrong?"
"Unlikely. I mean look at him! There is no man alive who is built like that and wears this kind of armor! Even though… well, no, that's just my mind going off a tangent. Though with this Kingsguard armor it's not entirely implausible…"
"I can't follow you…"
Robert opened the visor of his helmet and gave him an uncertain smile.
"Well, the Mountain I know wouldn't just stand there like a bloody ornament. He lacks the patience. He would be prowling around like a wild beast."
"If you say so."
"I guess there is just one way to find out!", he sported a toothy grin.
"Bludgeon it out of him?"
"Yeah, that as well. But let me try something out first."
Robert walked up two more steps. Still far outside of the giant's range, but as he puffed out his chest he took on a significantly more authoritative voice.
"I am King Robert Baratheon, the First of his Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men. Lord of the Seven Kindoms, Protector of the yadda yadda yadda, you know the rest. If you still feel compelled to the duties bestowed upon you by your order, stand aside!"
Again, the giant just stood there, not a muscle seemed to move, even though that was hard to judge with his amount of armor anyway. Waver took another deep breath, the air having somehow become even more chilly.
"So much for that", he commented.
"It was worth a try", Robert shrugged before taking one more step.
With inhuman speed the giant in front of them switched into a defensive stance, his towering shield moved in front of him with an audible clank and his sword all of a sudden in his hand and menacingly raised above it. If Waver had blinked, he would have probably missed it. He swallowed, hard.
"So that's the dance you want to dance?", Robert declared, seemingly not in the least bothered by his silent automaton-like opponent as he raised his own shield and war hammer.
"You want to fight him afoot?", Waver asked, suddenly feeling like they should grasp every advantage they had.
"Riding him down on a narrow staircase with him having the high ground? To me that sounds like a good way to get your steed killed. No, we have to clear this path the old-fashioned way. And truth be told, I don't want to have it any other way."
And with that he closed his visor with the pommel of his war hammer and prepared himself for his charge.
Robert
Even in this moment of tension Robert couldn't help but feel thrilled about his rejuvenated and boosted self. After his first charge ended so pitifully, it was finally time to put this body to a true test. He weighed his hammer in his hand, it felt light as a feather, same with his shield. He stepped slightly to the right, careful not to touch the invisible force that was pressing against his side, then stepped all the way to the left. The armored giant in front of him didn't budge, his helmet didn't even follow his movements. Either he was extremely concentrated or wasn't looking at him at all.
It gets more and more doubtful that this is actually Clegane. What is happening? What did they do to him if he truly is?
Robert decided he would have to find out later, after he left him bleeding on the stairs. He was here to do a job after all. So he took one step up the stairs, then another, then quickly followed up with another. There was no reaction then either. As much as he would have preferred for the giant to come down on the offensive and give him a hint at how to outmanoeuvre him, he didn't seem inclined at all to oblige. Therefore it left Robert no choice but to do the opening move himself. One last step was all it took to get in range, he readied his hammer…
… and in one swift blur the greatsword was coming down on him. Robert brought is shield up and flicked it away with its edge, though the impact made his teeth rattle and didn't buy him quite as much time as he had hoped to as the sword immediately came back down sideways, aiming for his head. Robert stepped to the right, keeping his shield close, deciding to take the hit and buy himself the space he needed for some first probing strikes. This time it wasn't a glancing hit, but Robert had braced himself and held firm. The ground wasn't quite so durable though and he felt his right foot sink into the ground as the stairs were splintering under the immense pressure. At the same time, Robert was hacking away with wide swerves, letting the momentum of his hammer do its magic, first from the right, then from above. But the giant's towering shield made it difficult to find an opening, Clegane barely had to move it to intercept his strikes.
Maybe I'm able to tear it away…
His thought was nearly interrupted when he noticed that his opponent had pulled back his sword, telegraphing a powerful stab. With the Mountain still being the Mountain, Robert had to fear that he would be able to drive the point of his sword straight through his shield with brute force. Robert quickly made another step to his right and angled his shield, deflecting the incoming steel even though it tore through wood and steel with a worrisome scraping sound.
Let's go for it!
Ignoring the looming threat from Gregor's right arm, Robert deftly turned his hammer to bring its pick head forth before he let it come down from above with all his force, interlocking it with the edge of the Mountain's shield. Branches of blueish veins glistened under the moonlight as the surface of the polished mirror shield deformed under pressure. Robert felt how his strength and momentum briefly overpowered the strength with which Clegane was keeping it in the air, he heard the crunching sound as it buried itself into the ground in front of his feet. And yet it was a short-lived victory, he felt the shield slipping away from his hammer's lock, driven onwards by a push coming from a new direction. The impact made his ears ring and he was dazed for a quarter of a second as he found himself having slid down through three steps backwards. Robert noted a new thick scratch on his shield from another strike that must have come towards his head at the same time as the Mountain was bashing him with his shield.
Looks like play-acting clever only gets me so far…
He eyed his opponent who frustratingly didn't pursue him to make use of his advantage, which in turn might have given an unexpected opening. The white and silver giant just mechanically returned to a readied position, awaiting Robert's next move.
He easily matches, if not surpasses me in strength and he's surprisingly cautious. But I got one advantage that he doesn't have.
Robert switched back to the blunt side of his hammer.
He might be able to penetrate my armor purely through force, but I don't need to go through that hassle myself, not with my weapon of choice.
He felt a big grin forming on his face. Now he knew how he could win this fight. Now he could quit all this annoying thinking and let himself fully merge with the flow of battle.
"Uaaaargh!", he screamed and made another charge, much more ferocious than the probing before.
The massive greatsword came down on him once again, but he already expected its angle and deflected it with his shield, ignoring the aching in his muscles that was starting to spread, as well as the sickening sound of steel biting into wood. Instead his entire energy was put into his right arm hammering away at the Mountain's shield, one time, two times, three times. Each explosive impact kept adding another deep dent, breaking the thin steel surface and splintering the wood beneath. Each time, Robert eagerly watched for signs of Clegane wavering, tiring, but unfortunately it seemed like he needed to pursue his attack with both patience as well as relentlessness. Every lesser man would have his arms snapping after this exchange, but the Mountain was made of tougher material and while probing for a good angle of attack from one side, he started to draw his shield back and tried to only allow him glancing hits. Robert wouldn't have it, he closed in, even going as far as taking another step upward, taking care to make every hit count.
As he was turning to even the ground, Robert briefly caught the sight of young Waver standing far below at the edge of his vision, watching awestruck and not daring to move an inch. The Storm King knew that he couldn't quite press his way past the armored giant for fear of exposing the boy to danger. Part of him was wondering whether it would have been wiser to come alone so that he could fight without covering him, but for the most part he was glad of the opportunity to show off what he could do after all the complaints directed at him.
"Ugh!", Robert's thoughts were roughly brought back to the present when Clegane's shield hit his own with the force of a speeding cart on market day.
He clenched his teeth as he leaned against the incoming barrage, able to once again sense the steps under his boots shattering under the pressure of the impacts. Clegane may be a brute and clouded by his state as a Berserker on top of it, but he was a warrior at heart and adapted quickly to Robert's strategy.
Cheeky bugger!
He at first tried to take the full brunt, but as he was deflecting both sword and shield hammering against him, he quickly felt overwhelmed and staggered backward to find better footing. The armored giant however kept the pressure on and even though he wanted to avoid it, Robert soon saw himself pushed out of the stairs into the surrounding foliage. Which in itself gave him more secure ground to stand on, but not one he could allow himself to linger in as the Bounded Field here immediately put its immense pressure on him and he felt his magical energy quickly draining. Something he couldn't allow for even the briefest of moments with only the boy's meagre energy supply and most of his power coming from what the Grail provided him upon summoning.
"Don't take me lightly!", he roared.
With his relentless attacks Clegane obviously had to open up his defence. After quickly assessing the pattern, Robert let his hammer probe forward, behind the protection of the shield. A series of quick strikes later Robert managed to get behind and wrench up the Mountain's left pauldron. Clegane quickly let his shield shoot up, but that was exactly the kind of impulsive action that the Storm King needed. His retracting hammer lodged itself into the already deformed edge of the giant silver shield and in that position Robert pulled with all his strength. His muscles felt like bursting and yet the towering giant wouldn't budge if not for the risk of his shield getting wrested from his hand. So he did follow Robert for a bit, while Robert drew himself in to get out of the Bounded field and back onto the steps in front of Clegane, immediately feeling the pressure taken from him, all the while hammering the opposing Greatswort away with his shield.
"Hoooorraaaa!"
Using the momentum of his jumping down two stairs as additional leverage, the Mountain's shield finally buckled and splintered. Absurdly, his hands still held it firm, but the wood of the upper third of the tower shield cracked and allowed Robert to bend it all outward as it was only held together by the highly stressed outer riveting and the thin front coating. For all intents and purposes, it became useless in defending his left arm. Donning a grin somewhere between strained and victorious, Robert Baratheon took a breath and braced himself for another charge. Ned's girl was counting on him clearing the way. He couldn't afford waste too much time on this if their plan was still supposed to happen as imagined."
Kirei
The moon stood high, drenching the dark forest in front of him in a hue of blue upon dark green. If it had been darker, it might have been more difficult to find a path up the steep mountain, a task that even during daytime would have been tricky even for a skilled hiker. But at the very least he wouldn't have to worry about attacks during the climb, probably, given how Arya told him that Caster's shadow servants were bound to the same rules that Servants did, probably even more so. Kirei checked once more his equipment, mostly his Black Keys and the holy sacraments he enchanted them with. The latter he applied beforehand in response to another hint the girl gave him and upon which he based a theory that he'd prefer not having to test out, though likely would have no choice but to do.
Kirei Kotomine looked one last time down onto his watch. Rider and the boy must have started climbing the stairs by now, drawing Caster's attention. In the meantime he had taken the route through the agricultural fields outside Miyama, taking a path along the small river there before cutting through the forest to reach the edge of the Mountain in its shadow. It was time now. With that he darted into the even wilder woods, deftly setting one foot after another with what probably would have been thought as inhuman speed if someone had seen him. Still, with his ankles sinking in deep in fallen foliage while mowing up his path beyond shrubs and trees, having to judge whether to place his foot either on soft ground or thick, but slippery roots, it certainly wasn't easy. And yet with no enemies in sight and years of gruelling training behind him, the thought went through Kirei's that he had seen worse. Somewhere near the half-way point he somehow even ended up reminiscing about when he was climbing a steep cliff covered in sentient razor vines and sticky caltrops somewhere in Romania while a Dark Apostel was sending acid spraying flying snakes after him and a relentless young Enforcer hounded him the entire way up the mountain like a personal trainer from hell. By the time they both confronted the Dark Apostel, Kirei was cut to ribbons and bleeding from every pore of skin, solely staying on his feet thanks to cutting off his sense of pain with devine sacraments… and finally collapsing from exhaustion the moment they managed to take him down. He still wondered how she managed to get up there far less scratched up than he did…
Thankfully, the current hike was downright enjoyable in direct comparison. Soon enough, the stars he was able to see in between tree tops started to get swallowed up by an orange glimmer. The bonfire had already been set alight, the gathering at the temple had begun. If Kirei was lucky, the Red Woman was too busy to pay him much heed, especially with Berserker having to fend off the frontal assault at the gate. He had a feeling that was too much to ask for though.
More jumping than climbing he passed the last steep drop before the outer walls of the temple raising up in front of him. With that last step he passed the Bounded Field. So before bracing himself to climb those as well, he looked carefully around. No guards, no shadows were lurking around. If he was expected, Caster didn't make it obvious. But Kirei still needed to be careful and avoid having one of these living shadows sneak up on him. Especially when in a vulnerable position. He crouched down and touched his legs, whispering:
"Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil."
He felt his muscles tensing as the holy sacrament was taking hold. He was able to use strengthening magic like any Magus could, thanks to Tohsaka's teachings, but entering the domain of a hostile religion that attacked the chapel of his father made him feel very traditional today.
Kirei looked up at the structure of the rather small outer wall. The wooden panelling was slightly withered, apparently the forest facing side was a low priority in terms of restoration. At a glance it looked like it would be able to hold his weight, but in the middle of the night that was more of a good guess than anything. Above that were the roof tiles, coming in flat and cylindrical shapes alternating each other. A flat one was probably his best bet. With that in mind he jumped, first towards a more secure part of the panelling with his left hand, then hurled himself up from there towards the roof tiles, grabbing one with his right and dragging himself up. But it turned out this was the part he should have been more worried about. Even though looking like just the other ones, the tile came immediately loose. Frantically Kirei pulled up his right hand and clung to a cylindrical tile just before gravity pulled him down. His right hand, still clasping the loose tile, followed back up and soon enough he managed to bring his body sideways onto the roof, distributing its weight so as to not cause more havoc. Unfortunately just as he was thinking himself safe, his foot caught another loose tile and sent it plummeting down, making it reach the ground with an audible clank. Kirei suppressed the urge to roll his eyes as he pushed himself up and readied himself, taking out two Black Keys in both hands and scanning his surroundings. However the only shadows around were cast by the flickering of the bonfire further away in the central yard.
Kirei had purposefully taken a route that brought him to the side of the building where he was just outside the view of the worshippers and instead was able to approach from the administrative, auxiliary and residential buildings behind the main hall. Thankfully the Ryouudou shrine was decorated with trees along the walls, hiding his approach as he followed the walls towards the main shrine and used the roofing as as a vantage point looking into the yard. Even then he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. However the bonfire was burning brightly with the majority of present residents having lined up gate-side, each carrying a piece of wood that probably used to be part of an ancient shinto relic of which that the Red Woman was raiding the temple's stores. If she hadn't run out of those by now and used chips of no particular origin. In any case, the red lady herself stood in front of the shrine next to her Master, overseeing the procession with her hands fidgeting as everyone was saying a prayer and giving their chip to the flames. Something was off. He recalled how Arya described the process of their prayer. The Red Woman would first light the fire before letting her followers into yard. After everyone had assembled she would formally greet them and hold an introductory speech as the chips were given out. Once everyone had it, she would say the prayers and then everyone would start line up to give their chip to the flames.
For their plan they had scheduled to converge on the temple at the time she would hold her speech in order to prevent her from cancelling at the last moment and avoiding their grasp. And yet… she wasn't holding a speech… and judging from the small amount of people still lining up with the chips, it appeared to Kirei that the timetable had been changed. His eyes narrowed as he stared long and hard at the Red Woman. She was giving out an otherworldly glow, appearing to stand there as if in daylight despite the late hour as she was still fidgeting nervously. As if expecting something.
What are you thinking?
The Executor's grip around his Black Key tightened. There was only one way to find out. Having the trajectory down, he let his Black Key cut through the night air, having it fly straight at the Red Woman… or rather at the glowing ruby amulet that she wore so prominently. The weapon cut off its chain, being angled so well that it barely nicked her skin. The woman still gave a short shriek that startled the crowd and drew all attention to her. To her as the glow subsided and in between two blinks the red of her dress faded into white, her hair turned dark black and she even seemed to shrink a bit. Now at the same place as previously the Red Woman stood there was no more exotic foreign priestess, but instead a very mundane middle-aged Japanese woman.
"Tch", Kirei clicked his tongue as the first heads rose up towards his position, following the trajectory from the Black Key lodged in the ground. It was time for a positional change.
He turned around and found himself staring into the shapeless faces of two shadow creatures raising from behind the roof, black knifes protruding out into the glow of the bonfire. Kirei had his thrown Black Key replaced even before they began to jump him.
Oh Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world seeking for the ruin of souls!
Kirei let go of both of his Black Keys and when they touched the nightmarish creatures they flared up in bright orange light, causing the two to instantly snap and hiss and dissolve.
As expected, you really don't like exorcisms.
The girl had told him of how useless her magical in nature, but otherwise not enchanted sword Needle was against the servants of the Red Woman and also how the boy king seemed to have no trouble dealing with them thanks to the effects of his sword. Arya mentioned that it was called Valyrian steel and was supposedly forged with dragonfire and spells woven into the metal in between foldings. Judging from her descriptions, at least one of these spells had to have magic-nullifying characteristics and using that knowledge it was fairly easy to prepare fighting these creatures.
Kirei summoned four more Black Keys and slid down the roof (this time uncaring of flipping tiles), jumping down into the backyard of the shrine. Scanning the area for more shadow servants, he found about half a dozen of them creeping out of the shrubbery.
Mmmh.
Deciding not to waste his weapons and take advantage of his exorcism sacraments, Kirei jumped the first one and cut through it, before rushing up to the second one and do likewise.
Their lack of a corporeal anchor makes them invulnerable to non-magical attacks, but means that they need raw magical energy to be created and to sustain themselves, just like Servants.
One more fell to his blade, the other ones reacted by clustering together and trying to cover each other as they approached him. The darkness made it hard to judge the exact position of their blades, but that only meant that he needed to be faster.
I wonder how long she can keep this up. In the end, I just need to buy time for Arya to strike.
He writhed his way through the barely invisible daggers coming at him while whirling around with his Black Key. He had more reach and was faster and even a glancing hit caused them to immediately dissolve. In close combat the shadows simply had no possible chance against him.
"There he is!"
A very large group of burly locals came bursting out of the main hall the second he defeated the last one of the shadows. Kirei quickly retracted his Black Keys as they started to surround him, seeing no further living shadows lurking around.
It seems she has seen the futility in using her shadows and now bets on me wanting to avoid harming the locals too much.
A grim smile came upon his lips as he settled into the opening position of his Bajiquan.
"I haven't had a decent exercise in a while. Do your worst!"
Robert
Steel and steel clashed, again and again, filling the cool night air with the song of battle Robert had lusted for so long. With his shield ruined, the towering white giant in front of him replied to his advances with all the more ferocious strikes of his own. The stag on Robert's shield had by now been turned into a misshapen chimera, its edges taking on the shape of a twisted star. And even though he tried to avoid it as well as he could, Clegane even with his mechanical and methodical attacks managed to slip through and give him some thorough whacks on his armor, though luckily failed to penetrate so far. The points still stung and ached however.
"Uuaaargh!"
A feint here, a reaction of Clegane there and once again Robert's warhammer darted forward and hit the Mountain at his left upper arm, the spike driving deeply into the greaves protecting it, drawing black blood out of it before the Storm King retrieved it. The bastard made no sound, instead the greatsword instantly came for Robert. Lightheaded from the thrill of battle, Robert took it head on, catching it with his shield and going in closer. His warhammer did another strike, this time a quick backhanded one, this time targeting Clegane's lower arm. Plate was struck open, the chain mail beneath ripped apart and when Robert pulled back, the Mountain's grip on his shield had significantly weakened.
He doesn't even acknowledge my hits with as much as a grunt. Seven hells, I will have to end this here or the fight could last the whole bloody night!
He felt the magical energy surge through his body as he mentally steeled himself for what he was about to attempt. The trick card he gained through his status as a Heroic Spirit, through his summoning into this weird Servant vessel thing.
Clegane's sword snapped forward in a terrific stab. Robert brought up his shield against it, but that seemed to have been too much for it to bear after all this punishment. The sword smashed right through it and into the side of his armor, a pang of pain going through his body from somewhere just above his hip. As if in slow motion, Robert noticed Clegane pulling his sword back and in the spur of the moment got an idea. He twisted his ruined shield and pulled it closer to his body himself, trapping the enemy's sword in a grip of his own. A maniacal grin on his face Robert Baratheon hammered down his weapon once more, finally smashing the Mountain's shield out of his grip and have it come clattering down onto the pebbles which were left of the steps. He switched back to the flat end of his hammer. It was time.
"I am the Demon of the Trident! Stooooooorms Eeeeeeeeend!"
A red light was cutting through the night, but it did not come from Robert's hammer. It was a glow coming from the chest plate of his opponent. Like rubies in the bright summer sun, it shimmered in front of him, taking on the shape of a three-headed dragons. Amidst the rush of battle Robert Baratheon suddenly felt struck with the feeling of freezing water clashing against his legs as he went in for the strike, driving the hammer deep into his enemy's chest. The air exploded around him and so did the bushes and trees and the ground beneath him. The sound must have awakened the whole mountain. And when the debris clattering against his helmet settled, he had for the first time managed to push the Mountain back. And not just that, he had blown him straight off his feet and fired him back first into the pathway behind him. All that was left of the stairs there was a big crater in which Gregor Clegane sat crumpled together, arms and legs sprawled out in every direction, his chest plate burst open only to show an abyss of black blood.
"Yes! Yes!", Waver was shouting behind him and when he glanced back he found him jumping up into the air with his fist raised. "This is how it's done! You are awesome, Rider!"
"Fucking finally…", Robert whispered in between the heaves of his lung, he was more exhausted than he liked to admit, but donned a boisterous smile nonetheless when addressing the boy, forgetting that it was rather pointless behind the visor. "Ha! Boy, don't you dare say you ever doubted me!"
Kirei
Two men had wound their arms painfully tightly around his while two more escorted them close by just to make sure that he didn't struggle any further. The odd procession dragged him through the altar room and back out into the yard where they were greeted by the young man that both Rin and Arya had independently identified as a deranged serial killer that was still on large. Ryuunosuke Uryuu greeted him with a cocky smile.
"It seems even someone as troublesome as you can be overcome by numbers!"
Kirei twitched with the swollen cheek where most of the fists had come in. Notably only after he was already overwhelmed and pushed to the ground, immediately after he had heard the big explosion coming from the direction of the gate.
"Savour this view as long as you can", he replied calmly before looking over to the Red Woman walking out of the parting crowd towards him.
The real one this time, he had to assume. It probably was the case, given how a wave of heat washed over him as she came closer. One that decidedly didn't come from the bonfire.
"We are lucky we managed to overwhelm the intruder", one of his guards said. "But it was a close thing. Never seen someone capable of mauling more than a dozen men this badly this quickly."
"It is as if he let himself get caught after all, is it not?", she addressed him with a melodic voice and the man was shifting uncomfortably.
"After messing us up so much? I can't see why."
Caster stopped just in front of him, curiously expecting the blows on his face.
"Whether you were captured or let yourself get captured, I welcome you regardless, Kirei Kotomine."
She still made no motion whatsoever to have him released from the stranglehold. Probably a wise choice on her part, all things considered.
"It seems the introductory part is superfluous then, Lady Melisandre of Asshai", Kirei spoke back. "Though I am surprised you have me brought before you for conversation instead of having me killed outright."
"You do me injustice, priest of the foreign god. I have no intention to spill blood on these holy grounds you have intruded upon. Neither yours, nor mine that you are so determined to spill just like your father before you."
"You weren't as considerate of the holy ground you had slain him upon. Or is it because you don't consider it holy to your Red God?"
The Red Woman's radiant features darkened slightly as she pondered his words. Then she sighed.
"I am afraid I cannot kill you, despite your transgressions, because you still have a role to play in this game."
Kirei perked up at that. That was very surprising to hear.
"Is that it what your flames told you?"
Lady Melisandre's eyes narrowed and Kirei immediately realized that it was probably a mistake saying this.
"You seem awfully well informed about me and what I am doing. And yet you are so very blind to the goals of whom I serve. Again, just like your father."
"Then enlighten me."
"Oh, I will. I was just about to address the crowd with today's sermon. Probably the most important one for their future. And one I was specifically postponing until you were able to join us. Because once you hear my mission in this time, you will understand why I am neither intending to play your game… and much less allow myself to be sacrificed as long as there are still souls in this city that can be saved."
"Is that the reason why feed on them? To buy yourself more time for proselytizing?"
The Red Woman shook her head.
"You will realize your folly soon enough. For I have seen your little conspiracy in the flames. Know that the stray she-wolf won't be going past the Mountain. For the stag will not match it either."
"Is that so?", Kirei wondered, grinding his teeth at how she seemed to know exactly the plan they had spoken about during their meeting.
The priestess of R'hllor didn't bother to indulge him further. She turned back towards the crowd and walked next to the flame, starting with the sermon she apparently had long awaited holding.
Waver
The explosion had nearly knocked him down the stairs, but luckily Waver's first instinct had been to throw himself flat on the ground and that allowed him to avoid most of the blowback. When he got back up out of the rubble, he found his Servant standing victorious while Berserker had been half buried in the mountain, the massive hole in his chest a dreadful sight. Dreadful at least for Waver's faint heart, but given that beast's monstrosity he had witnessed before, what little pity that was left in him was quickly replaced by the rush of victory.
"Yes! Yes! This is how it's done! You are awesome, Rider!"
This was what the Grail War really was. No foul magic traps, no sneaking around and catching people unaware, but genuine duels by the proxy of spirits where the better fighter wins. And Waver had clearly summoned the better fighter. The giant with the antlered helmet and the yellow and black surcoat was his ticket to victory now that had finally, after all this time, been truly awakened.
"Ha! Boy, don't you dare say you ever doubted me!", Robert proudly bellowed, his booming voice barely muffled by his helmet.
"I can't say that, but I sure don't doubt you now!", Waver replied, looking past him to the crater with Berserker still lodged in. "What now?"
Robert shrugged.
"We are only supposed to hold the line after Arya got in."
Waver looked back at the stairs behind him. The darkness and the faint lights of Miyama at the foot of the mountains seemed ghostly once more.
Has she already run past us? How are we supposed to tell when she's in spirit form?
Waver turned back around and somehow even before he realized the implications, his heart sunk.
"Something isn't right", he whispered.
"What do you mean?", Robert's voice made the frown behind his visor apparent.
Waver swallowed, looking hard at their opponent.
"Servant vessels to house Heroic Spirits are just made of magical energy. They shouldn't leave corpses."
Robert back towards the crater himself now, probably a bit more urgently than he intended.
"You can't be serious", he growled.
"Oh believe me, I sure hope I'm wrong here."
Unfortunately he wasn't wrong. Even amidst the utter darkness he could see when it started moving. With very unnaturally mechanical movements like a puppet on strings Berserker retracted his arms and feet, clawing his way out of the hole in the mountain in complete disregard of the massive hole in his chest. Now as the moonlight fell upon it, Waver also noted that it wasn't just a play of the lighting that its blood appeared black before. He was not bleeding, not truly, for the fluid seemed to have already dried into a thick black residue of death.
"Others take me!", Robert Baratheon roared. "By the Crone's shrivelled teats, what fucked up madness is this?"
"Oh, no, no, no…", Waver pleaded in vain.
The ruined giant straightened its back and raised his greatsword aloft as if to challenge Rider. Waver noted that he had stubbornly grasped it tightly during that entire massive hit.
"Didn't I hit the bugger hard enough? How in the Stranger's name can he still stand?"
"No, you hit him alright. That blow should have shattered his Servant core. There is no way he can still exist, except if…"
Could it be?
"Except what, boy?", Robert may have been tough, but the uneasiness in his voice was hard to miss.
"… Battle Continuation…"
"Come again?"
Waver shook his head.
"It… might actually be pretty common for Heroic Spirits who are famous for fighting on after mortal injuries. Their Servant vessels are said to sometimes be able to keep their form for a limited amount of time despite the destruction of their core."
"… so you are saying the cunt just can't die?"
"No, he surely will, but as long as he has enough mana left, he can fight on."
"Oh that is just fantastic… What now?"
All kinds of possibilities raced through his head and he quickly latched onto the first one:
"Maybe we should retreat and sit this out. Even after all this he doesn't seem willing to attack us on his own."
"By now the priest must already be inside the temple. How long do you think he can survive alone against Caster?"
The realization struck him nearly as hard as the Storm King's warhammer would have. If the priest dies, the girl Assassin dies with him and their alliance would be void. At the back of his mind a sinister voice crept up, saying that this may even be the most pragmatic outcome. The girl was the only one Robert was refusing to kill. But after nudging him into battle by pulling on his regrets for letting his boy son get killed, Waver couldn't possibly suggest inaction without looking like a giant hypocrite. They had to think of something and fast.
Robert threw away the remnants of his shield and grabbed his warhammer with both hands, apparently having already decided for a course of action.
"What are you doing?", Waver asked frantically.
"You say he can keep himself together as long as he has any juice left. For me that sounds very much like there are limits to this foul sorcery. I will have to push towards these limits if we want to open up a path for Ned's girl."
Waver stared long and hard at the back of his partner, this odd king of another world. No, he couldn't possibly suggest inaction. It was now or never.
"… Okay… But be careful!"
The antlered helmet bobbed to the side.
"I'll try to be."
And with that he darted forward, his hammer whirling around in a terrifying circle around him. He was a powerful sight before, but from Waver's limited point of view he had initially appeared more cautious when he methodically took apart the opposing giant's defences. Now with both their shields destroyed however he seemed to have become free to put all his energy into his hammer.
Berserker still had greater reach though, so the greatsword came down on him again. Rider blocked it with the solid steel handle, knocking it away, before ramming the tip of the hammer into the foes' shoulder. The rest was a hard to follow blur of attacks and counter-attacks where steel bit into steel in short succession. That man Robert called The Mountain was still a dangerous foe, but Waver ended up wondering who the true Berserker here was. Each attack that Robert parried was followed by the cracking sound of a strike against his shoulders or arms and the latter were especially reeling with each hit, the arcs of the sword becoming wider and even more easy to deflect until the Storm King was free to target points of his body.
Crack. Badump.
A sickening sound echoed through the mountain path as Robert in a sudden low blow knocked out one of his opponent's knees and Berserker sank unceremoniously to the ground, barely holding his body upright kneeling with his other leg.
"Just… staaaay… the fuuuuck… dooooown!"
Robert raised the spike of his warhammer high up in the air and brought it down with one earth shattering arching blow directly upon Clegane's head. The brute had no strength left to defend against that. Another metallic crack, though nowhere near as loud as the one before, followed up be a low plopping sound and the sickening crunch of flesh was audible. After blinking, Waver saw that Berserker's helmet was crumpled together and the head within it must have been completely disintegrated since Robert's hammer was deeply lodged behind the man's collarbone.
"My god, Rider, his head…"
"I… No...", Robert himself seemed awestruck. "Seven hells, I think he never had one!"
"What?"
It was too late to wonder about the implication. That moment of shock was all the now headless as well as heartless Berserker needed as an armored hand suddenly grabbed at Robert's hammer and he Waver saw him struggling and failing to free it.
"No… Hurry back!", Waver shouted, but when the words left his mouth Berserker's giant sword was already coming down on Rider's shoulder, hitting him behind the pauldron and biting deep into his neck. So very, very deep. "Rider! Robert Baratheon!"
His heart stopped when he saw the blood gushing out of the wound and soaking the previously yellow coat. Seconds that seemed like minutes passed in which the scene in front of him was frozen in time. Then he heard a gargling sound that he only realized after some delay was Robert's voice.
"Fucking bastard… I'm sorry… It… seems I wasn't careful enough after all… Ugh… Maybe… my heart wasn't in it… after all…
His hands slid off the handle of his warhammer and even though he tried to stumble backwards, Berserker's sword just bit even deeper, the whole strength of the monster forcing him down onto his knees.
"Boy… I'm sorry… But thank you… this was… fun…"
Robert Baratheon was starting to emit a blue mist that soon engulfed his whole body. Or rather, it was his body that was dissolving into this blue mist. Waver held his mouth in shock as he watched his Servant vanish in front of his eyes, his ticket to victory and acknowledgement cruelly wrestled from his hands. He knew that this was a possibility from the very beginning and given how little support he was able to give with the handicap of being himself, it was a likely outcome. And yet it still stung, not just loosing, but also loosing that fool. Robert Baratheon was a drinking, idling, whoring fool, but he was his fool and having him ripped away just as he made a breakthrough with him…
Grinding his teeth he looked up and saw the last of him vanish. The horrifically maimed monstrosity retracted his sword and returned to his ready position. As if looking down on him with eyes that didn't exist anymore. All of a sudden Waver became aware of his own mortality, looking up at that sword being directed at him. He glanced down at his command spells. He was still a Master, but without a Servant they were useless to him. And he didn't have any spell at his disposal that would allow him to block or evade this monstrous blade coming at him. His legs nearly gave way.
Damn you… Damn you, Rider… why would you just leave me like this. Why… Damn you. Damn you…
Grinding his teeth so much they nearly burst, he turned and fled the battlefield. That bastard Berserker could die alone in a ditch for all he cared. Fearing to slip and fall in the night, he wasn't quite sprinting, but still walking very fasting, taking every step with his eyes locked onto the ground. Neither looking behind, nor noticing the scenery passing by.
Oh no!
Another imaginary stab into his heart struck him once he realized one important detail of their enemies that he forgot.
The shadows! Shit, shit, shit! What am I going to do?
Without Rider to protect him, he could be ambushed at any point. Should he make a jump into the foliage within the Bounded Field and hide there until sunrise? His pounding heart probably wouldn't survive that. But could he return to the MacKenzie residence? The MacKenzies were still under the thrall of the enemy. That would be suicide. As much as it hurt him to leave them without saying goodbye, he had to find shelter elsewhere and leave the city as quickly as possible. The church was burned, so the only thing left was a hotel, he-
Before ending his thought he realized that the steps became less and less steep. In all his haste he must be getting closer to the foot of the mountain. Option sleeping within the Bounded Field was out of the question with that. He would feel doubly silly now to turn around and go back closer to the enemy base.
Hotel… Here in Miyama? No, better in Shinto! I'll cut straight to the bridgedbrdgann-
Waver felt a sharp sting in his brain and suddenly his mind was all messed up. Somehow he didn't know what he was just thinking about. No, he didn't even know what thoughts were anymore. He still saw the ground under his feet come rapidly closer to his eyes, but had no way to process what that meant. His whole world was just a blur of colors and shapes that were rapidly fading until there was nothing left except darkness.
Kiritsugu
Kiritsugu Emiya put down his Walther and locked the safety, looking up the mountain now with his bare eyes instead of his scope. He had a perfect view upon it from his vantage point atop the scaffolding of a house at the edge of town that was still in the process of being build.
Come to think of it, this might be the best possible outcome for us. Berserker and Rider have taken each other out, so now there is only Lancer, Caster and Assassin left. Without Berserker as her protector, Caster is wide open and Assassin isn't suitable for a direct fight with a Saber. So all that is left is dealing with Lancer. With a little bit of luck, he'l also break his teeth on Caster. Though that is probably too much to ask for.
He looked back down on his sniper rifle and then up towards the foot of the mountain where the boy Master had crumpled together.
An unlucky outcome for him of course. Lancer is only around because he managed to find a new Master, so the risk of having a stray one on the large is doubly apparent. I can't allow him to find another if we manage to take out his current one. And targeting the Master may be more prudent than to rest the fate of the world on Saber's optimism that he can still fight.
His Bounded Field should have swallowed the sound and muzzle flash of the rifle, but just to be sure he had to change positions. Picking up the bullet case, Kiritsugu heaved himself up and turned towards the ladder back down.
Kirei
When the Red Woman adressed the crowd, Kirei was still locked in place and forced to watch her from the back. She was given no microphone and she had to speak against the cackling of the large bonfire, but
"I welcome you, people of Fuyuki. I welcome you, those who have come to seek solace in the light of R'hllor! I welcome you, those who are eager to hear my words of salvation.
Before we begin: I can ease you mind about the chaotic scenes that had unfolded earlier. That brazen assault on this holy site has been repelled and peace has returned to our congregation. I apologize if it caused you unease. All the more proud am I to have seen you sacrificing to the Lord of Light and saying your prayers. Now please allow this humble servant of his will to speak one of hers:
I pray to you, o R'hllor, to protect those who walk in your light and those who have yet to learn of your glory! I pray to you, o R'hllor, to give us strength who fight against the approaching darkness! I pray to you, o R'hllor, to give your blessing to this world so that it can evade the touch of the Great Other."
She received a wooden chip herself from her Master and when she gave it into the flames, the bonfire sparked and cackled and burned significantly brighter. Kirei wondered whether she seriously expended mana for such a renaissance fair trick or whether she employed mundane means. The crowd was enjoying the spectacle regardless of what the case truly was. Therefore it was surprising when the Red Lady's melodic tone turned a whole lot more solemn when she continued.
"You may be surprised at the urgency of my prayers. Maybe even harbouring doubts despite your proven devotion and loyalty to the cause. If you do, I can only tell you to at least listen to my warnings, trust that I would never jest about things so dire and decide for yourself. For my time in this world is short and all I can strive for is to have you to prepare for what is to come. You yourself and everyone you may be able to reach as well.
There is a great danger approaching at the horizon. A servant of the great enemy will descent upon this very city. If he is not stopped, he will claim this entire world for himself. It will be a time of hardship and sacrifices and unimaginable pain. Brave souls will stay and fight, others will take their loved ones and flee. Either will face death if they are hindered by hesitation. For when the ice winds blow and the world gets engulfed by a night that never ends, this city will have no place for the frail or the cowardly.
Therefore I call upon you, you chosen ones of R'hllor, to look into yourself and see what can you do for yourself and your neighbors and your city. Leave if you can or prepare if you cannot! For the night is dark and full of ter-"
A wave of shock rippled through the crowd as the Red Woman broke off and staggered. The reason for that was something Kirei saw even before she herself did. Her Master, Ryuunosuke Uryuu, had stood at her side when she began her speech, but after handing her her wooden chip he had quietly taken a step back to remain just behind her. And now at the climax of her speech, he stepped closer… and rammed a slender blade through her back into her heart. The aghast Lady Melisandre turned towards him.
"You…? But how can it be…? You couldn't possibly…"
"Why so surprised?", Uryuu said darkly. "I have been here the entire time. Valar Morghulis."
He turned briefly towards the crowd that was still frozen in place, but certainly not for long once it completely sunk in what had just happened. He withdrew his blade and dashed past Kirei into the temple before anyone could react. Kirei himself turned to one of the wide eyed men holding his grip.
"What are you gaping there, I am not the one who stabbed her!", he thundered with all urgency he could muster and indeed the grip loosened on both his arms until they let him go as all four of his guards rushed themselves after him.
Kirei quickly sprinted towards Caster who had already collapsed on the ground, kneeling at her side before the crowd could completely surround her. She gave him a grim, blood-stained smile.
"You must be proud of yourself, having deceived my vision", she said bitterly, her red eyes boring straight at him.
"Your vision worked flawlessly. But sometimes the things unsaid are the most important ones. Though it does not matter now", Kirei spoke softly. "You spoke of a role I still have to play. What did you mean?"
Her hand rose as if wanting to caress him, but she stopped just short of his jaw.
"Kirei Kotomine… Before this battle ends, the great darkness will make you choose: Doom for a few or doom for all… You must choose and you must choose wisely! Or else the other one will… And then… and then I will have truly failed in my task…"
Her arm fell limply to the ground and her body started to dissolve. Still pondering the meaning of her words, Kirei stood up and cut his way through the crowd.
Ryuunosuke
Ryuunosuke was still rubbing his eyes, feeling like he had just awoken from an awfully long slumber when they bashed the door in.
"There is the bastard!", someone shouted.
He looked dumbfounded towards the group of various people ranging from very young to middle-aged as they came sprinting at him.
"What in the-", he couldn't finish the sentence as the first one already jumped at and tackled him to the ground.
The bruises taken from that sudden tumble were enough to clear up some of the fog still cloudin Ryuunosuke's mind, or at the very least enough to complain about his situation.
"You got the wrong one! I swear, I swear, I haven't done anything!"
Something very strange had happened. Ryuunosuke could still vaguely remember that he was fooling around with that weird old scrapbook with the foreign writing, doing a sacrifice to summon what he hoped would be a demon and all of a sudden he found himself tied up in in a wardrobe. He had no clue how he got there and how many days, weeks, or maybe even worse he was missing in his memory. Then all of a sudden a foreign teenage girl ripped open the doors, cut his ropes and let him loose in this super old fashioned house he found himself in.
The girl!
"You seek the girl! That must be it! Hurry, she fled up into the attic!", he shouted frantically, but the grip wasn't releasing.
The man holding him shoved a black notebook into his face and Ryuunosuke took a bit a while to realize what the emblem on it meant. Why was he wearing casual clothes then? Was he off-duty or an undercover cop?
What is going on?
"Shut up and save this for the station. Ryuunosuke Oryuu, you are under arrest for the assault and possible murder of Lady Melisandre!"
Melisandre? Meli… sandre? Sounds foreign… have I killed any foreigners? I don't think so…
"You've got the wrong one, I don't know any Melisandre!"
The man tightened his grip even firmer and Ryuunosuke felt like his head might pop off his neck.
"How can you even try to talk yourself out of this? Half of Miyama has seen you stab her!", he growled, obviously annoyed at his ongoing refusal to see reason.
"That can't be!" Ryuunosuke insisted. "I never kill in public!"
"You never… what do you mean by that?"
Ryuunosuke gulped, realizing that he may have said too much.
"Lawyer!", he croaked, remembering how it was done in the movies.
"We'll see how much that will bring you", and with that he was hoisted up his feet and dragged out surrounded by numerous angry stares.
He couldn't understand how the world could have turned upside down this much only because of that little dabbling in black magic…
Kirei
By the time he was reaching the chapel, dawn was already beginning to set in. On short notice Arya had notified him that they should meet up here instead of the hotel room and refused to elaborate why. He soon saw the reason after passing through the police tape and entering the chapel. Kirei found the girl sitting in the front row, clasping her hands in front of her face. And in front of her, lying on the seared wooden floor with closed eyes, his hands folded atop his chest and a peaceful expression on his face, lay the boy Waver Velvet. A nasty hole adorned his forehead.
"We may have succeeded in our quest, but we have their blood on our hands as well. The fat king, who was the best friend of my father… and this boy… they have died because we lied to them. They have died for a feint."
Kirei kneeled down next to the corpse, a cold chill going up his spine as he looked at his cause of death.
"If it was not for them, we would have never been able to make her think she was in control of the entire situation. And his murder was not the doing of Caster. This can only be Emiya's handiwork…"
He sighed. The man Kirei considered his greatest foe in this conflict. The last challenge before this was over.
"Yes", Arya replied, her hands balling to fists. "That makes it only even more cowardly."
"This is a man who does not know empathy and will stop at nothing to accomplish his mission", he explained drily. "You see why I was so keen to face him before?"
"And we will again", she said.
"Very soon we will. There are only three left when there were seven. This is the final stage. He will have to face us. And we will have to face him."
And then I will have to decide.
So... well, given my fittingly GRRMian pace, I will better not promise too much. But it is summer break and I have spent the last couple of days almost solely on finishing this chapter. Let's see whether this can become a sprint to the finish line...
Till next time!