Fumble Order Redux 5

Before the club could connect with anyone on the carpet, Mash had intercepted it, her arms and shield visibly shaking as she tried to protect the others. Trent's eyes widened at the sight of her, even as her legs started shaking, because despite her struggles, there was an azure glow shining off her weapon.

Still, she couldn't stand for long in the face of Herakles, and was knocked from the flying carpet, hitting the ground with meaty smack. Before he could continue forward or swing his weapon again, a tangle of roots exploded from the ground and lashed out at him, each one knocking him away from the group.

Undeterred, the Berserker let out another howl, the sheer concussive force slamming into Blackmore and reminding him of the necessity to breathe. While Cu Chulainn took to the fore of the carpet, runes firing rapidly off his staff to deter their target, Trent looked back at the Director.

Her eyes were wide and locked onto Herakles, her hands balled into fists as she bunched her skirt up in instinctive terror. The blood draining from her face had given her an albino pallor similar to the Einzberns, but she had clearly been shaken by Berserker's attack.

Even as Mash hopped back onto the carpet, Blackmore was reaching back and shaking the stunned albino. He was trying his best to keep his voice level as he hissed, "Olga, this is our only chance, quickly!"

"Ah-" She stopped herself as she retook command of her faculties, shaking her head in an attempt to clear it. She took a deep breath and cried out in a poor imitation of a young girl, "B-Berserker! Stand down!"

For a moment, Herakles stopped in his assault, his head turning towards the Director for a moment, all sound dying away. His scrutiny continued for a long few minutes as his gaze bored into Olga, the albino doing her best to keep from quaking despite the weight of the demigod's glare.

The silence was shattered by Berserker's enraged howl and he redoubled his efforts, desperately trying to reach the carpet to kill the intruders in his territory.

While again shaken by Berserker's roar and animosity, Trent managed to keep a better hold on his wits as he tried to give orders. "Scheherazade, take us up Mount Enzo, as fast as you can! Mash, focus on deflecting Herk's attacks away from the carpet rather than blocking them outright. Cu, keep up what you've been doing to keep him away, but be ready to launch him into the path of oncoming projectiles if Archer tries to attack us!" As he stopped to breathe, the carpet had already started pulling away from Berserker and the storyteller had escaped his grip to shift around on the carpet while Mash gave a shout of assent. Looking to the clearly stunned Olga, he remarked, "It's too bad it didn't work, but it was a longshot anyway. I'll have to ask you to focus on taking out any non-Berserker enemies that try and attack us."

The albino did an admirable job of pulling herself together and gave a swift nod, aiming her finger off to the side, chanting under her breath as she prepared to shoot down any attackers.

The magic carpet did the closest approximation to a peel out that Trent was sure it could perform, missing only the accompanying sounds of spinning tires and squealing rubber. It whipped away from the Grecian Berserker, the vehicle lent speed by Scheherazade's desire to escape his wrath while the others tried to keep him from killing them.

Blackmore found that he and the rest of the group paid little heed to the various lesser threats of the city with the threat of Herakles chomping at their heels. Still, the closer they got to Mount Enzo, the more Broken Phantasms were shot their way, all of them intercepted by a flung Berserker or dodged by a quick weave through the air.

None of the damage even seemed to slow Herakles though, as he kept up his dogged pace, ripping through architecture and lesser undead in his single minded chase.

When they hit the stairs heading up to the Ryuudoji Temple, the arrows came faster and faster, causing Mash to stand at the fore of the carpet, shield set in front of her as she blocked them. Though her arms buckled under each strike, she stood strong with her teeth grit in determination as she stood before the others. Despite the repeated blows and the strain she was clearly under, she stood firm.

"Master, I still don't know if I can do as you said, and decide on just a few things I want to protect…" despite her hesitant wording, Mash readjusted her grip and her stance steadied, the edges of her shield glowing a light azure. As a Broken Phantasm slammed into her shield and exploded, she was unmoved as the carpet advanced. "I want to protect everyone, I want to make sure that everyone back in headquarters is safe. It might not be for the best… but I definitely want to protect everyone!"

As she said that, she straightened her back and set her eyes forward, determination burning behind her words as acted as vanguard. Cerulean light pulsed off Mash's shield, forming into a solid wall, symbols scrawled across the phantasmal bricks as it solidified. The Noble Phantasm, currently unnamed and not completely manifested, was a blue hued wall of thick bricks that solidified before Mash's shield.

Watching this, Trent shook his head ruefully, a small smile on his face as he kept his eyes on the young lady's back. "If you're resolved to follow that path, Mash, then I won't stop you. But make sure your heart never wavers in that ideal, because if it does, then that wall doesn't have a stable foundation."

He didn't receive any verbal reply from her as she stood steadfast, her unnamed Noble Phantasm weathering the assault. Staring at her back, he couldn't help the but admire her, someone who was so different from him, willing to put the everso limited life that she had at risk for the sake of so many people who would never know…

Trent let out a noise that was a cross between a sigh and a despairing chuckle, desperately packing down his desire to breakdown for the umpteenth time as he reached out and gently placed his hand on Mash's back. "There's just one other thing you need to remember then, Mash. You're not alone in this fight. You've got the Director, Doctor Roman, Da Vinci, Scheherazade, all of us backing you up. So if you ever need a hand, all you need to do is ask."

"Yes, Master!" He could feel Mash's back straighten as she registered the comment, her Noble Phantasm pulsing even further. It was just after that moment that they broke into the main clearing of the Ryuudoji Temple, soaring past the Blackened Archer as he rained weapons down on Berserker.

Looking at the scene, Trent gave a resolute nod as he looked to Cu Chulainn, the Celt giving him a much more skeptical look as Mash's Noble Phantasm faded. "Gonna need you to hop off hear and take out Archer, Berserker's far more likely to keep on us as it is."

"You ask a lot, kid, making me put off a throwdown with Herakles. Someone needs to keep Archer from crashing your upcoming rendezvous with Saber," the Caster remarked as he stood and headed for the edge of the carpet, his eyes darting up from the Master to the rapidly approaching treeline on the far end of the clearing. He then sighed as he dropped off the vehicle, runes flaring into existence as he prepared to engage the Archer.

Trent shook his head as the carpet kept on going forward, and called over his shoulder, "I'll try and make it up to you at some point, Caster! I get the feeling that we'll meet again and have similar situations ahead of us!" The blond watched as the Celt turned his head, a small grin on his face as he gave a short wave to them.

Satisfied that Cu Chulainn was going to watch their backs, the Canuck turned his gaze forward as Scheherazade had the carpet up its speed as it darted through the trees. Soon afterwards though, the sound of trees being destroyed and uprooted began as Heracles started chasing after them.

The chase kept up as they moved from the forest and into the caves leading down into Mount Enzo, the Blackened Berserker's chase sounding just as destructive. Despite the darkness of the caverns, Trent could see how pale Olga had grown, causing him to wryly declare, "Well, this certainly is a one way trip."

"How can you joke at a time like this?" she asked through grit teeth, her face set in a mask of grim determination.

The blond snorted as he kept his eyes focused on what was immediately ahead of them, "Answer's simple, sweetheart. I can only keep up the professional act for so long and I'm nearing the end of my rope. I'm at the point where I either laugh or I cry." Despite saying that, there were still ideas percolating in his head, especially regarding what might happen after the battle with Saber.

"Oh, and your professionalism is so important right now, Blackmore," the Director snarled as she pulled off the hat she'd donned and threw it.

Checking that the rune-inscribed stones were still in his pocket, Trent chuckled, "Oh, Olga, you sweet summer child. If I hadn't been holding back, I'd have verbally ripped apart so many people by now."

"I can't believe you think that matters!" she groused as she turned her gaze back toward the fore of the carpet.

Trent shook his head and tried his best to keep from bursting out laughing. "I'll have you know that I'm an expert at destroying people verbally, as well as pissing them off. It's for the best that I've kept a lid on it."

The magus shook her head as they rapidly approached a backlit cave mouth, the light coming from beyond sending a slithering feeling of worry into Trent's gut. As they cleared the arch, Scheherazade pulled the carpet into a swift ascent, causing Mash to stumble and the other two to let out surprised yelps. However, this saved them from the wave of shadowy energy that slammed into their previous position, collapsing the entrance.

The cavern they had entered was long, wide, and tall, bare except for its single occupant and the great pillar of dark light at the center of the cavern. The figure had a regal air about her despite the harsh black armour she wore and the eerie black and red sword she held at her side. She watched them imperiously, her pale golden eyes boring into them as she maintained her unfazed expression.

Artoria Pendragon turned to face them fully, the light from the corrupted Grail silhouetting her ominously as she did so. "You are the interlopers then."

"Just so," Trent called back from their vantage point, earning a glare from Olga even as Mash and Scheherazade readied themselves for whatever might happen. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, O' King of Knights." As he greeted her, he sketched a bow from his kneeling position, though it was an awkward thing.

The tyrant ignored his words as she shifted her grip on her weapon, dark energy licking up and down Excalibur Morgan's blade. Feeling the bottom of his stomach drop out, the Canadian cleared his throat as he continued, "Really, I must thank you for keeping this Singularity going as you did."

"I have no need for it," Artoria answered coolly, raising her weapon up to unleash the gathered energy.

The Canuck leaned forward, keeping his eyes on both Saber as well as the cavern at large, and continued, "Oh no, really! Without this Singularity, I'd have not met you, Cu Chulainn, or Herakles! Two of the heroes who I've admired from childhood and one who I'd come to be interested in my teen years. Had you not taken control of this Singularity as you did, I'd never have gotten the chance to encounter you and them!"

"Again, your blathering does not interest me. You should simply accept your death as inevitable," the Alter replied as she settled into her stance, eyes locked on the quartet.

Trent lifted a finger up, an awkward and giddy smile on his face as he nervously chuckled, "Just, just listen. There's one thing, one thing you really gotta know." When Saber shifted fully and readied herself to launch the attack instead of respond, the blond continued, "The talk ruse was a distraction."

As the rest of his group looked to him in shock and confusion, Artoria's face twisted in annoyance and disgust, the Alter almost ready to unleash her attack.

None of them were ready for when the rubble that had been shifting to burst outward, Berserker roaring as he bore down on Saber Alter.

Artoria quickly swivelled on her heel as she swiftly brought around Excalibur Morgan, aiming to blow him away before he could reach her. Herakles left a small impact crater in the cavern floor as he leapt out of the way, his footwork light for his size as he kicked off the upper wall of the cave, launching himself past Artoria as he aimed to cut her down.

The two launched into a quick exchange of blows, the quartet on the carpet quickly started strafing around the growing fight. Watching the blurred figures try and kill each other, the sole Master among the quartet ordered, "Mash, stand ready to defend us if need be. Olga, feel free to take potshots if you think it's necessary. Finally… Scheherazade, ready the full release of your Noble Phantasm."

"Of course, my Master," the Caster murmured, her eyes closing slightly as she began channeling her own energy.

Olga clamped her hand down on Trent's shoulder, and hissed, "Blackmore, what the hell is this? How are we going to handle both Saber and Berserker?"

"We're not going to, Director, they're going to take out each other," Blackmore answered as he kept his eyes locked on the ongoing battle. Despite Saber having the upside of rationality, Berserker closed the gap with his ferocity and rage.

The albino shook his shoulder, fingers digging into its flesh as she snarled, "They're going to kill each other?! Saber already defeated Berserker once! Even if we interfere, things are far more likely to go in her favour again!"

"Well, in most cases, you'd be right," Trent agreed as he reached up to pry at her fingers, wincing slightly at the pressure she was putting on his shoulder. "But there's one factor that you've discounted, and well, I suppose there's no chance that you would've known about it."

Before Olga could reply, Scheherazade interjected, "Master, I'm ready."

The blond gave her a sharp nod, causing the Caster to let out a steadying breath as she declared, "This is the story of my endless wish… created using my words night after night for the sum of one thousand and one nights…"

As Saber and Berserker clashed again, the petite swordswoman deflecting Berserker's weapon down Excalibur before unleashing a wave of energy at him, which he hopped over. The two kept up their battle, paying no mind to the group even as Scheherazade withdrew a scroll from her cleavage.

"Alf Layla wa-Layla."

Upon the Caster's intonation, she flung open the scroll and unleashed a horde of colourful figures, the lot of them charging at dueling pair. Though she ignored them for the most part, Saber quickly dispatched the squad that tried to harry her with another blast of shadow, even as Berserker simply ignored the group attacking him. Taking advantage of Artoria's distraction, Herakles brought his stone bludgeon down on her shoulder, cleaving into her with a disgusting sound.

Ignoring the fact that her left hand had fallen limply away from the hilt of her weapon, the Alter didn't even notice as a pair of thieves stabbed their swords into her legs. With a ferocious grimace, she brought her weapon to bear and roared, "EXCALIBUR MORGAN!"

The explosion of black and red energy blasted the rest of Scheherazade's summons out of existence, as they'd been assaulting Herakles in hopes of finishing him off. The Berserker himself was sheared in twain, leaving his upper half with only a single arm attached.

With her main opponent dispatched, Artoria turned to face them, her expression incredibly sour as her stance faltered due to the injuries she'd taken. As she raised Excalibur again to attack them, a blur of black and gray launched itself at her.

Despite losing most of his body mass, Berserker had managed to fling himself at Saber, roaring incoherently as he did so. For the last few moments that Herakles existed, he completely obscured Artoria, leaving the quartet on the carpet holding their breath.

As the most famous Greek hero faded away into golden flakes, Trent's mouth twisted into an expression caught between triumph and sadness. "Because while she's already gone, for the sake of Illyasviel von Einzbern, Herakles will surpass his legend."

Saber's corpse fell to its knees, as Berserker had managed to wrap his jaws around her head and bitten it clean in half.

Despite the feeling of elation that swept through the group, they were all knocked off the carpet by a wave of force as a man's voice remarked, "Well, this is quite the surprise."

Olga stared at the figure who had appeared next to Saber's corpse, his green suit making him stick out like a sore thumb.

"…Lev?"