A/N: Special Thanks to Greatkingrat88 for his work on the chapter, suggestions and his lessons on helping me improve my writing.
Of course, thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited and followed this story so far. I am very grateful and pleased at the number of favorites and follows it has so far.
Now something I forgot to mention in the last author notes of the chapter. For Nobunaga's character I tried to aim for a careful balance between the version we see in Fate/Grand Order and the version we see in Fate/type Redline to better fit with the story's tone.
For this chapter I do apologize for some moments with a certain oni to appear, I'll explain more in the author note at the end to avoid spoilers because she was a tricky one to get right.
And to respond to a review I couldn't PM a response to.
Jay: Yes I agree, and I understand, there are a lot of servants and how to take their dynamics towards one another and Lelouch I have been working on ironing out and advancing upon.
Anastasia has a good chance to be the main pairing with Lelouch, but there will be competition from the other girls depending on how the story plays out, and how their relationship with Lelouch builds. Medea Lily on the other hand, while I wouldn't be against such a pairing I am a tad worried she might be a little too young making me uncomfortable with pairing them.
But, if not for her implied age I do agree Medea Lily and Lelouch would probably bond and have an interesting contrast with Lelouch. Still exploring her mind set might be worth doing depending on when and how she appears in the story.
Well it's highly debatable if a harem will happen, and I am perfectly content to keep it between Lelouch and his main love interest. However, the harem prospect will be discussed in story at some point when it's appropriate, but likely to be later in the story.
If a harem were to happen one condition out of others would depend I can mention without heavy spoilers would depend on Greatratking88 who is very critical of harems involving Lelouch. Second would depend if conditions are right for a harem from a story writing standpoint which can be taken more seriously than just needless fanservice that does nothing for the story.
But that aside, Ereshkigal is still a contender for the spot of main love interest among a long list of many others that would make this author note too long for my liking.
Ereshkigal's work ethic would likely be appreciated by Lelouch, although her shyness could hinder things a bit combined with her concerns about a Goddess of the Underworld and a mortal. However, that doesn't mean a relationship wouldn't be impossible. It would need time and work to make it happen and some good character development.
Kama on the other hand, while the pairing between her and Lelouch could be interesting. Her Valentine's Day scene didn't inspire much confidence, but her Interlude on the other hand did inspire some confidence it could work.
However it would need a LOT of work to ensure the relationship doesn't kill Lelouch. But her Interlude does suggest the best way to go about a Kama and Lelouch pairing would be to avoid any physical intimacy until the relationship reaches a "safe" level I would say. Ultimately this is a relationship that would need to be handled very carefully.
It does have the potential to be interesting through.
I'll see what I can do on that last one.
Now on with the chapter.
Chapter 8
Unexpected Skirmishes
The following morning after the Khan, Ryouma and Ushiwakamaru negotiated with the leaders of the village, they agreed to Genghis' offer of protection in exchange for stopping the Oni attacks. With their goal set, the group left to hunt down the Oni while Benkei and Tamamo Cat stayed behind to defend the village.
Lelouch, Ritsuka and Hakuno were accompanied by their servants, with Sakamoto and Ushiwakamaru following them. As Ushiwakamaru led the way, Romani was providing assistance to the group by using SHEBA to help them track down the Oni while looking for any leylines they could plant a banner into, to provide a source of power for the Khan's Noble Phantasm.
"The Oni travelled from this direction," Ushiwakamaru said, pointing ahead.
Tracking them has been fairly easy, thanks to the trails they blazed throughout the forest and telltale things they had dropped. It was a likely sign Minamiyoshino Village wasn't the only village the oni had been targeting, but it only made tracking the oni to their lair much easier.
Maybe a little too easy, even...
"We should be careful," Emiya cautioned. "We could be walking into a trap."
"I agree. Have you spotted anything, Doctor Romani?" Genghis asked the holographic projection of the doctor.
"No signs of movement, and I am not noticing any magical energy signatures," Romani reported. Despite this, the Khan seemed uneasy, looking around them.
"Is someone there?" he said, drawing his sword.
"No, it was nothing. But if it helps, I'll run a quick check up on the sensors," Romani said, starting a system diagnostic.
"I do not like this. I am certain I sensed someone just for a moment," The Khan said, unwilling to put his blade away.
"I agree," Ushiwakamaru said as she drew her own sword. "We've never seen who leads the oni, but I think they know something about planning for a battle."
A short time later, further up the path and outside of Romani's radius of detection. Ibaraki-douji was busy issuing instructions to her oni subordinates, her bone sword held in one hand.
"Okay, you guys know what to do?" Ibaraki asked. "I don't have time to explain it again."
"Don't worry, boss. We'll swing around just like you want. They won't know what hit them," an oni among a group of dozen replied.
"Good, so get going!"
With their orders given, the oni hurried off to carry out their role in Ibaraki's plan.
She laughed, pleased with herself.
"Those stupid Heroic Spirits and their fragile human masters. We'll crush them here, no matter how many they are. No one crosses the oni of Mount Ooe!" Ibaraki declared dramatically.
"Oh my, Ibaraki. It's been a while since I've seen you this fired up," a sweet and playful voice commented.
"Shuten," Ibaraki said, as the entity shifted from spirit into physical form.
Shuten-douji was under five-feet tall, Ibaraki taller than her only by an inch. Her unnaturally pale skin and inhuman, youthful allure concealed a monstrous nature. She had wine red horns, short purple hair and blue eyes. She wore a bluish-purple kimono with the bottom removed to allow free movement, wearing form-fitting armor around her knees and thighs.
"I had a peek at those servants and their masters," Shuten said with a wink. "They are all quite something."
"Shuten, you shouldn't have risked your life like that!" Ibaraki exclaimed, her jaw dropping in panic at the thought of her sworn sibling putting herself out in harm's way.
"You worry too much," Shuten replied with a dismissive hand wave. "Besides, life would be boring without a little risk."
"Yes, but..."
Ibaraki's willingness to challenge the whims of her sworn sibling flattered her. She was just unable to say no to Shuten out of the devotion and admiration she had for her.
"By the way, I would like you to capture one of those masters for me. The pretty boy with black hair," Shuten requested before offering with a devilish grin. "In return, I'll help you with your plan."
An hour later the group was nearing a lake, but the further they traveled, the more Emiya felt restless. Lelouch and some of the others shared his unease. The trail they had found was a bit too easy to follow.
"We should be careful about being this on edge. We might end up attacking the wrong target if we jump the gun," Sakamoto cautioned.
"It can't be helped. Japan is home to a lot of assassin-class Heroic Spirits," Mash said.
"Not something I would've commented on," Lelouch said noticing that put everyone more on edge.
"All the same, you should stay close to me," Ushiwakamaru advised.
"Likewise, I agree," The Khan replied, eyeing the young samurai suspiciously.
Suddenly Emiya noticed something and materialized a sword. He hurled the blade towards a group of trees, revealing a oni hiding in wait. The creature fell to the ground dead. As it fell, dozens more emerged from their hiding places behind the trees.
"Ambush!" The Khan roared, drawing his sword and infusing it with power. With one swing, the Khan unleashed a wave of magical energy that mowed down both trees and oni caught in its path.
Seeing this, a look of determination appeared on Ushiwakamaru's face. The exuberant samurai began slaughtering the oni, who were coming at Lelouch. Using speed and sword strikes, she decapitated dozens of them as they rushed the group leaving severed heads and limbs in her wake. This unspoken competition didn't go unnoticed by the Khan, who had no desire to be outperformed by the samurai. Still, both servants were mindful to stay close to Lelouch as neither would allow their rivalry to threaten the young man's life.
Meanwhile, Mash was helping protect both Ritsuka and Hakuno, using her shield to shatter the skulls of any oni foolish enough to approach. Emiya was using his bow and manifested weapons to snipe the oni to keep their numbers manageable, but would occasionally use a sword that would explode upon contact to kill groups of Oni.
Ryoma was killing his fair share of oni with his katana, and occasionally his revolver. His companion Oryou was punching oni to death, using her transforming hair to impale those foolish enough to charge at her.
Their numbers don't seem to be diminishing, but they are just recklessly charging at us, Lelouch thought as realization dawned on him.
"Khagan, this is a distraction! I think the enemy is going to flank us," Lelouch called out.
"You and I have reached the same conclusion," Genghis Khan replied as he raised his sword, infusing it with magical energy again.
As the two had suspected, a larger horde of oni appeared behind them as they cleared the trees that had helped mask their approach. Lelouch raised his hand with command seals before saying.
"Khagan, I shall use a command seal to empower you!"
Lelouch held up his hand, the magical power of their pact surging as the seal glowed brightly.
"By the power that binds us, I command you: annihilate my enemies to the last!"
The command seal vanished from Lelouch's hand, and the Khan was infused with magical power, strengthening him as his sword surged with power. With a mighty swing, Genghis unleashed a widespread destructive wave of magical energy as the oni closed in. The creatures were vaporized, along with anything else unfortunate enough to be caught in the blast of energy. The trees caught in the blast were ripped apart, the woods clearing up for over a hundred feet ahead.
It was an impressive display of the Kunwu's destructive power and a hint of what it might have been capable of in the original owner's hands. Ushiwakamaru, for her part, pouted in annoyance over the considerable number of kills the Khan got. Noticing this in the corner of his eye, Genghis grinned.
However, another group of Oni approached from the side, much smaller than the second horde. What they lacked in numbers they made up for raw power, as they were three times bigger and armed with iron spiked clubs, identical to the giant oni Ushiwakamaru had slain yesterday. There was at least a dozen of them. Grinning, Ushiwakamaru engaged them seeing this as chance to redeem herself and protect Lelouch. Within seconds she had killed half of the oni, dispatched with ease despite their size and strength. The rest were cut down in under a minute, with the last one being cleaved completely in half.
"Ha, these weaklings are inferior even to the pack horses of the Heike Clan," Ushiwakamaru said mockingly with a grin.
"I am still in the lead," Genghis said under his breath.
"Where are these oni coming from? They have to be multiplying like rabbits," Hakuno noted, staying near Mash and Ritsuka.
"Maybe the Holy Grail could be the cause?" Hakuno suggested.
"Look out, my lord," Ushiwakamaru shouted, jumping onto Lelouch to shove him out of the way of a enemy attack. Seemingly out of nowhere, a giant red hand with claw-like fingernails was flying towards Lelouch. The hand flew past them, just barely missing Lelouch, drawing back to its source. Ibaraki-Douji made her presence known as wings of flame erupted from her back and she readied her bone sword.
"That must be the leader," Emiya replied taking aim at the blonde haired oni.
"Grovel in fear before the leader of the oni of Mt. Ooe!" Ibaraki declared with a laugh, charging towards them. Emiya fired one projectile after another in rapid succession, but Ibaraki evaded them, knowing they would explode if they got too close. The first servant she got to was Mash, but as Ibaraki attacked, Mash used her shield to bat away her bone sword, fighting back. Emiya joined Mash as the former attacked with his signature twin swords, but Ibaraki pulled away before she could be overwhelmed.
"I got her," Oryou said as she and Ryoma joined the fight working to surround and overwhelm Ibaraki.
Oryou intended to use her hair to impale Ibaraki from multiple directions, but suddenly before her attacks could hit, Ibaraki was able to move away from the fight. She appeared a safe distance away with a smug expression.
"How did she evade that?" Hakuno asked.
"Disengage. It's a skill that allows her to break away from a fight, restoring her condition to when the battle first started," Ryoma answered.
Smily smugly, Ibaraki raised her right hand. Flames began to gather around it, her body glowing with energy.
"I'll show you all the true power of an oni," Ibaraki said, readying her Noble Phantasm. "Great Grudge of Rashoumon!"
Her right hand detached from her arm like a rocket, flames behind it propelling it forward akin to a rocket. Even more worrying was how the hand grew to being larger than Ibaraki herself as it flew towards Hakuno and Ritsuka, but Mash managed to intercept the hand to block it with her shield.
Unfortunately, the hand grew bigger to grab both Mash and her shield, and she was carried into the air, both Mash and the hand impacting the ground away from the group. It then exploded, unleashing a cascade of fire around the impact site. Ibaraki's hand returned to its normal size, reattaching itself to Ibaraki.
"MASH!" Ritsuka called out.
The smoke and flames from the explosion began to vanish, revealing Mash was thankfully still alive, but badly injured. Her shield had taken the blunt of the explosion, but it couldn't protect her completely.
"Mash!" Ritsuka shouted, trying to run towards her, but he was stopped by Ryoma.
"Careful. If that oni gets you, then Mash will be a goner for sure. Only her powers as a demi-servant are keeping her alive, and if you die she loses them, right?"
Ritsuka stopped, reluctantly staying near Hakuno, unable to assist Mash.
"All the more reason we need to end this quickly," Emiya offered, his blades at the ready.
"Right. We'll need to keep the pressure on her to give Mash time to recover," Ryoma suggested before her and Oryou moved to attack Ibaraki.
Unseen by Lelouch and the others, Shuten appeared some distance away. She struggled to find the proper location, but once she saw Lelouch, the Khan and Ushiwakamaru separated, she unleashed her Noble Phantasm. Grinning, Shuten poured a cup of wine onto the ground, and from the spilled wine a river flowed, a river of poison heading in the direction of the heroic spirits.
As the group finished off the last of the oni stragglers, the group noticed Ibaraki when they heard the explosion that had injured Mash. A river had suddenly appeared, unnatural and vile, running right through the forest and splitting the group in two.
"Stay back, master. That river is poison. Even breathing its fumes could be deadly," the Khan warned, gesturing for Lelouch to back away.
"So that was the enemy's true plan. The oni was a distraction to divide us," Ushiwakamaru deduced.
"That's right," Shuten-Douji said, materializing behind them armed with a long sword. "Actually, we wanted to separate the masters from their servants. I suppose it was a little successful, since there are just you two and the master I want to collect as mine."
"You are not taking my master," Genghis Khan said fiercely.
"I wasn't asking, dear," Shuten-Douji replied before smiling devilishly. "I am oni. I take what I want."
"Well, you are not taking this young man," Ushiwakamaru said levelling her sword towards Shuten-Douji. "My ancestor dealt with your kind, and I am more than able to deal with you!"
"Your ancestor might've slain regular oni, but none like me, I am sure," Shuten-Douji began tapping one finger on her chin.
"You're wrong. My ancestor and her companions slew the strongest oni, Shuten-Douji," Ushiwakamaru declared.
"Really now? Because that is my name," Shuten-Douji said before realization dawned on her. "Ah, so you must be of the Minamoto clan."
Shuten-Douji gave Ushiwakamaru a look, grinning with amusement.
"At least you aren't some middle-aged cow. But can you really take me on?"
"My ancestor Minamoto-no-Raikou did it. So can I," Ushiwakamaru said tightening her grip on her sword.
"She could match me in battle, that much is true, but did you forget how I was beaten? It was by slipping me poisoned wine, which I must say was a low blow considering I can't resist good wine. She only won by trickery and not combat prowess. So I'll ask again. Do you really think you can win against me?" Shuten-Douji asked, seeming amused with Ushiwakamaru.
"If not then I'll take your head," Genghis Khan declared, lashing out with a wave of energy from his sword.
Shuten leapt into the air to evade the wave of magical energy, but Ushiwakamaru was there to intercept her. Their blades met as Shuten-Douji deflected Ushiwakamaru's blade. The pair fought in mid-air, their blades slashing and thrusting at each other. Finding an opening, Shuten kicked Ushiwakamaru, sending her flying to the ground, but the samurai recovered before she could hit the ground.
Genghis Khan attacked the oni with an aggressive set of slashes, trying to find an opening in her defences. Shuten was far stronger than her size would've suggested. Each blow struck like a hammer, but Shuten parried each one without flinching. The Khan was also mindful of the river of poison behind them, which he assumed was the result of Shuten's Noble Phantasm. Meanwhile Ushiwakamaru recovered, rejoining the fight.
On the other side of the river of poison Ibaraki continued her fight against Emiya and Ryoma, while an injured Mash stayed with Ritsuka and Hakuno. She was able to stand, but the injuries she sustained from Ibaraki's Noble Phantasm would not heal for some time. At the very least, Mash could do her upmost to protect Hakuno and Ritsuka.
Emiya was trying to pin down Ibaraki for a hit as he manifested swords around himself, launching them at the oni. Ibaraki was forced onto the defensive, using her sword to deflect while trying to keep a safe distance between her and her enemies. Her Disengage skill had been helpful, but Ibaraki couldn't use it consistently. If Ibaraki was unable to kill any of them, she knew the fight would end poorly for her if she didn't gain the advantage. Furthermore, Ibaraki was worried about Shuten, whom she admired and revered greatly. She didn't doubt Shuten's skills as a fighter, but she was nevertheless worried about her.
Around the same time Ryoma had noticed the river of poison. Although no more oni had attacked them, the situation could turn ugly if oni reinforcements were to attack. Like Ibaraki, Ryoma concluded the fight had to end soon, especially since no one wanted to risk any more unexpected surprises.
"Ryoma, should I use it?"
"No, you best save it. We need an opening," Ryoma said. Oryou's Noble Phantasm, while powerful, could only be used once. Oryou not belonging in the Age of Man, and revealing her true form would doom her. Her demise would lead to Ryoma's demise, since they were considered one servant.
"I'll give you an opening," Oryou said, slipping into Spirit Form.
Ibaraki and Emiya were trading blows. Although the latter had some cuts and some light damage to his armor, Ibaraki had not escaped the clash unscratched. None of their wounds were serious, but Emiya was still contemplating using his own Noble Phantasm, hoping to eliminate Ibaraki. However, another idea came to mind instead.
After the two crossed blades again, Emiya released his hold on his twin swords, leaping away. As he dropped them the swords exploded, catching Ibaraki off guard and stunning her for a moment before he hurled a newly crafted sword, this one was a replica of Ibaraki's bone sword. The sword slipped through the opening in Ibaraki's defences in the second she was stunned, the blade impaling her in the stomach. Then, in the hopes of finishing her, Emiya detonated the sword. Ibaraki cried out in pain, but despite being grievously wounded, she was still standing and able to fight. It wasn't enough to kill her, but the wound had to be healed, or Ibaraki would grow weaker.
I can't keep this up. But Shuten wants a Master, so I'll just have to just grab one, Ibaraki thought, firing up her Noble Phantasm.
Emiya and Ryoma expected Ibaraki to attack them with it, but instead she turned it towards Mash, Hakuno and Ritsuka. At the last possible second, she unleashed it upon them. Gathering power into her right hands, flames erupted from her wrists as her hand detached. As it flew off her arm, it quickly grew in size to be large enough to seize a horse. Mash readied her Noble Phantasm in an effort to deflect it.
No, she isn't going to deploy it in time!
Impulsively, Ritsuka shoved Mash out of the way while Hakuno dived to the side to avoid the giant hand. It shifted course and seized Ritsuka instead before flying off, but instead of slamming into the ground and exploding, the hand carried Ritsuka away over the lake.
"He wasn't the master Shuten wanted, but he'll have to do!" Ibaraki declared as Oryou materialized behind her, about to attack.
Then, Oryou struck. She attacked with fists before using her hair to attempt to impale Ibaraki, but the oni's ability to use disengage returned to her. Using it quickly, Ibaraki broke away from the battle. Emiya and Ryoma tried to find her, but Ibaraki used her skill to flee the battlefield.
"SENPAI!" Mash cried out, as Ritsuka vanished from sight.
On the other side Shuten was barely holding her own against Genghis Khan and Ushiwakamaru. The two heroic spirits hadn't dealt any damage on the oni yet, but they were dangerously close to landing a fatal blow every time. Genghis Khan had raw power and a sword that was deadly to her, while Ushiwakamaru had speed and a sword just ad deadly. Despite the danger, the oni was enjoying herself.
"Oh dear," Shuten remarked noticing Ibaraki's fist flying away with Ritsuka in its grip. "I suppose handling three Heroic Spirits might've been a little much for her. I suppose we should cut our losses. See you later."
"You are not going anywhere," Ushiwakamaru shouted, seeking to behead Shuten. Unfortunately, the oni put away her sword and used her gourd to release a cloud of poison gas, forcing Ushiwakamaru and Genghis Khan back. With a seductive grin and a wave towards Lelouch, Shuten shifted into spirit form to escape, much to Ushiwakamaru and the Khan's chagrin
"Damn it, she got away!" Genghis Khan snapped, cursing under his breath in his native language.
"Coward," Ushiwakamaru said, sheathing her sword, certain the oni was gone.
"What did she mean by that? She clearly put a lot of effort into capturing me, so why leave?" Lelouch asked, but he already suspected the answer.
"I think it's because they were successful capturing one of us," Genghis Khan replied, hearing Mash's wails of despair.
Ritsuka couldn't remember what happened after he was grabbed by Ibaraki's hand, having lost consciousness. But sometime later, he began to stir. As his blurred vision began to clear, Ritsuka realized he was inside a dimly lit room with a tamai mats on the ground. As he began scanning his surroundings, a voice behind him asked,
"Feeling okay sweetie?" It was Shuten, sitting on the ground behind Ritsuka, holding a bottle of sake in one hand and a cup in the other. "I apologize if Ibaraki was a little rough with you. Truth be told, I wanted the handsome one with black hair."
Ritsuka turned around coming face to face with Shuten who drank the sake in her cup before refilling it.
"Who are you?"
"I am an Assassin-class servant, but my true name is Shuten-Douji, one of Japan's three great calamities," Shuten-Douji said, downing another cup of sake. "I have quite the reputation, you see, which for an oni like me involves eating humans and drinking wine to my heart's content."
Looking to the corner of the room Ritsuka noticed a large basket, filled with over a dozen sake bottles.
"How can you drink that much and stay sober?"
Shuten merely shrugged her shoulders, "Please, sweetie. Two bottles of sake is considered lightweight for an oni. That isn't close to my limit."
"So, what do you want?" Ritsuka hesitantly asked, realizing he had to have been captured for a reason.
"I want you to become my master and Ibaraki's too," Shuten replied, drinking another cup full of sake.
"WHAT?! You kidnapped me just for that? You could've just asked."
"Where is the fun in that?" Shuten replied with an amused smile.
"Huh?"
"Life isn't fun without a little danger," Shuten remarked, refilling her cup with more sake.
"Okay," Ritsuka said unsure of how to respond before asking a question. "If I become your master then what?"
"Good question," Shuten answered.
Ritsuka was surprised by the lack of an answer, given how much trouble Shuten and her oni companions went through to catch him. Shuten finished drinking her latest cup of wine before speaking.
"With all of these Heroic Spirits running around, I thought it would be good for Ibaraki and me to have a master. As Heroic Spirits, we know we can achieve our full potential with a master of our own."
"That's it?"
"That's it," Shuten replied, pouring herself another cup of wine. "What were you expecting? That we want to conquer the world, or something?"
"Well, I am not too familiar with you. If you're a Heroic Spirit, then you must've done something to be what you are now."
"That kind of hurts a little," Shuten said with a saddened expression. "I'll confess though, I was surprised to find out I became a Heroic Spirit too." She looked thoughtful.
"Still, I think among the things that could've made me a Heroic Spirit was maybe being the daughter of Yamata no Orochi, and my clashes with that cow woman and that adorable blonde she greedily keeps to herself," Shuten remarked.
"Yamata no Orochi…" Ritsuka said. After a few moments, he remembered where he had heard the name before. "Yamata no Orochi, as in the Great Eight-Headed Serpent God killed by Susanoo?"
"That's right, sweetie," Shuten said preparing herself another cup of wine. "I have a little divinity in me thanks to that. Anyway, if you agree to be our master, we'll take good care of you, so as long as we don't get bored of you I guess."
"Bored of me?"
"Well, I am an oni, so don't mind me if I bite. We eat people, because that is what an oni does, so naturally people will seek our heads for it. You'll just help us ensure we can do as we want, so help me and we won't eat you," Shuten replied with a devilish smile.
Ritsuka could only swallow, knowing he just had to hold out for rescue. He had noticed Ritsuka still had his communicator, so he knew Dr. Romani and the others were tracking him. He just had to hope they would find him soon.
Elsewhere, Hakuno, Lelouch and the others arrived at a destroyed village. The discovery of some half eaten human corpses and a few dead oni made it obvious who was responsible.
As Ryoma and Ushiwakamaru inspected the village for any lingering signs of oni, but Mash was still distraught over the loss of her senpai.
"Calm down," Lelouch said putting a hand on Mash's shoulder. "Roman has confirmed Ritsuka is still alive, and we have his location."
"I know, but the way he was taken from me…" Mash began, feeling a sense of panic and failure rise within her.
"You couldn't have known they would do that. Learn from it and be more mindful of your enemy's movements, in the future." Lelouch said.
"I understand. I just hope senpai will be safe until we can rescue him," Mash said, regaining her composure.
"He will be, but we need a plan. Just charging in could endanger his life," Lelouch cautioned.
"I think one of us already has an idea," Emiya said, pointing to the Khan.
"If this village is empty…" Genghis Khan said, a smile appearing on his face. "We have slain much of the enemy including those likely responsible for this village's destruction."
Extending a hand, Genghis Khan manifested a banner with his personal crest.
"Ask the good doctor. Is there a leyline I could plant this in?" the Khan asked Lelouch.
"Are you planning to claim it?" Lelouch asked.
"If no one objects. This is an opportunity for us to call some reinforcements from my Reality Marble to back us up."
"I don't think anyone will, but after what happened…" Sakamoto said, gesturing to the ruined buildings around them.
"I found no survivors, my lord," Ushiwakamaru reported as she rejoined the group.
"I am not surprised," Lelouch remarked before addressing Roman as his holographic avatar appeared. "Roman, are there any leylines in the area?"
"Let me see," Roman said using his console to scan the area. "Yes. Go twelve paces south, then you'll be on top of it."
"In the middle of the village?" Hakuno remarked.
"That seems rather convenient," Lelouch commented.
"Maybe the village was built here intentionally by a magus," Romani suggested.
"Regardless, I hope this Leyline will provide sufficient power for my troops." Genghis Khan said preparing his banner. "From the Empire born of my hands and blood, strengthened by the blood and sweat of those who lived, fought and died for it! I claim this land as part of my Empire, so now come forth, my soldiers. Come to defend this freshly conquered territory and help me grow our Empire more, Dì guó zhī fù, (Father of an Empire)!"
Using both hands, Genghis Khan drove the banner into the dirt. Connecting with the Leyline below, the banner pulsed with energy as a heavy mist materialized near them.
"Odd," Romani said noticing something on his console. "For a moment we were nearly exhausted of our energy reserves for our support systems, but now we have more than enough."
"Maybe using the banner to tap the leyline worked," Lelouch said.
"Yes," the Khan began with a big smile, as the mist began to vanish. In its place were rows and rows of grim-faced mounted soldiers surrounding the group, at least two hundred by Lelouch's estimate. A few horses were left empty for the group to use.
"I can't summon my full army yet, but this should be plenty to deal with those oni," Genghis Khan said with a vicious grin.
"But some will have to stay behind to defend the banner?" Lelouch asked, knowing the banner was the anchor tying them to reality. If it was destroyed, they could lose the army.
"Yes. I'll leave half of them to defend the banner for now. They will use what is left of the village to build fortifications to better secure the area," Genghis Khan said.
"Then we'll march those oni heroic spirits," Sakamoto said, while Oryou cracked her knuckles.
Later that day, Shuten had left Ritsuka alone in a makeshift cell to contemplate his choices. Her words had held a thinly veiled threat. If Ritsuka didn't agree, he would most likely be eaten.
I thought she would've been more forceful, but maybe if I don't accept, she might, Ritsuka thought.
Ritsuka began examining his cell, wondering if he could escape. It was hastily built using scrap metal, but so far Ritsuka hadn't found any weaknesses he could take advantage of.
Outside the building, Ibaraki and Shuten were discussing what to do with Ritsuka.
"He hasn't agreed to be our master?"
"Not yet," Shuten said, eating from a bowl of grapes.
"But shouldn't we have been more threatening? More forceful?"
"We could," Shuten admitted before saying. "However, if we are too forceful, he could easily use his command seals to have us kill each other. We can't form a contract with him based on threats alone, and besides, those command seals could be used for our benefit to when we need them."
"Respectfully, I think you are being a little too hopeful with this human," Ibaraki said uncertainly. "Besides, we lost a lot of oni just to catch him."
"It's unfortunate, but those Heroic Spirits were stronger than I thought. However, there are a lot more up north running around. It's only a matter of time before they take notice of us," Shuten warned.
Either tempted by fate or by Shuten's words, the wooden gates were blown apart by an explosion. The oni standing guard were killed, while the rest fled from the destroyed gates. Ibaraki readied her bone sword with a growl. Shuten was surprisingly passive, continuing to eat her grapes.
Imperial Japanese soldiers stormed the Oni encampment armed with rifles, swords hanging from their belts, proceeding to gun down any oni near them as they marched inside. At the head of their ranks was a woman upon a white horse, dressed in white robes and black armor, designed to allow her to move easily in a fight. Her long white hair was unusual, with three black diamonds resting upon it. Her green eyes held a primal, inhuman light to them.
"We have finally found your hideout, vile oni! You have preyed upon the people of Japan for too long!" The woman declared from her horse as she noticed Ibaraki and Shuten.
"And who are you?" Shuten asked while finishing the last of her grapes.
"I am the Avatar of Bishamonten, the God of War from Echigo, Nagao Kagetora!" Nagao declared boldly, dismounting her horse. Materializing in her hand was a long lance with an unusual blade design, in her other hand a katana.
"I am going to take a wild guess, but you're a Lancer-class servant, aren't you?" Shuten said as she tossed the empty bowl to the side.
"Yes, I am, and you are oni. How you two became Heroic Spirits is beyond me, but I shall no longer tolerate you. You have raided villages and even dared to attack our supply lines as I am working to rebuild my army after the losses we suffered recently. Although a minor offense compared to the others, you even raided the shipment of wine I requested."
"Well, I am an oni and we do love our wine," Shuten replied with a dismissive hand wave.
"Enough talk. Prepare to die," Nagao replied. The smile upon her face didn't fade.
Ibaraki rushed Nagao, but the Lancer simply side-stepped the attacking oni. Wielding her two weapons effortlessly, Nagao parried all of Ibaraki's attacks no matter how much power she put into each swing. Nagao on the other hand seemingly began moving faster than the eye could track as she attacked Ibaraki from behind.
Her rage growing, Ibaraki unleashed one of her Noble Phantasms; Great Flame of Mount Ooe, wings of flames on her back flaring. Nagao easily dodged the flames the berserker unleashed them in great bursts, , but the soldiers who approached attempting to help Nagao were consumed by the raging inferno. All that was left was their charred skeletons.
"All of you, stay back. Get the lesser oni!" Nagao ordered.
"Yes madam," a soldier replied.
"I don't think so," Shuten said as she materialized her sword.
"You can't face both of us," Ibaraki declared as she and Nagao crossed swords.
"I can," Nagao said before adding, "and I didn't just bring human soldiers."
Exiting spirit form, another Heroic Spirit joined the battle, armed with a cruciform spear and dressed in the garb of a Buddhist Monk. His head was bald, save for a X-shaped scar. He entered into battle boldly and with confidence, engaging Shuten in battle.
"Surprised?" Houzouin Inshun said, crossing blades with Shuten. "Now know the prowess of the Houzouin-ryuu!"
With Shuten occupied with Inshun, Ibaraki and Nagao continued to do battle. Ibaraki might have had a strength advantage, but Nagao held a considerable speed advantage over the oni, but during their battle Nageo summoned bolts of lightning causing several weapons to appear around Ibaraki. The oni attempted to dodge the attack, but Nagao moved faster than the eye could see. Infusing her strikes with lightning, Nagao moved from one weapon to another, using it to strike Ibaraki in rapid succession.
What's with this servant?!
Ibaraki realized the battle wasn't going well for her, and part of it was caused by having battled three servants earlier. She did recover some of her strength earlier, but not enough.
I need to get rid of her now, Ibaraki thought.
Unleashing her Noble Phantasm, Ibaraki unleashed her Great Grudge of Rashoumon, aiming to take out both Nagao and her soldiers. Unfortunately, something caused the flying hand to veer off course, smashing through part of the wall surrounding their lair missing Nageo and her men completely.
"HOW?!"
Nagao laughed. "No arrows or bullets can touch me. Nothing fired at me from range can harm me!"
"What does that mean?!"
Nagao didn't give her an answer, but it was obvious Ibaraki's Noble Phantasm wouldn't be effective against her. Ibaraki could use her disengage to escape the fight, but that would mean abandoning her sworn sibling. She could not do that. She had to win the fight now, before Nagao could retaliate.
I won't leave Shuten. I will allow no-one to harm her!
Ibaraki powered through the lightning Nagao was unleashing from her spear and sword, continuing her struggle.
At the same time, Shuten was battling against the legendary spear wielder. But despite his impressive skills and speed, he hadn't been able to land a hit on Shuten. She was unimpressed by Inshun's fighting skills, aiming to dispatch of the spearman as quickly as possible.
I don't have to worry about holding back now, so enjoy this, Shuten thought. She had restrained herself in the fight against the Khan for fear of harming a master, but now…
Releasing a pink mist from the small gourd attached to the pommel of her sword, she let the haze expand and grow. Any normal human smelling it quickly became intoxicated dropping to their knees in a half-dazed state. Inshun, thanks to his modest magic resistance, was able to fend off the intoxicating effects of the amora. Shuten smiled devilishly and raised a wine red cup.
Noble Phantasm: Multitude of Colors, Providential Oni Poison!
Upon pouring the contents of the wine cup on the ground it grew into an expanding lake of potent poison. Inshun was forced to move back to escape it, and as the poison expanded and spread further, he called out to their troops.
"Everyone stay away from that liquid. Follow our plan and surround the mine," he commanded.
"Yes, you should back away," Shuten said with a devilish grin. "If a human so much as touches this they'll be reduced to bones, and that is not even saying what will happen if they smell it. A Heroic Spirit might survive it."
Ibaraki used the diversion of Shuten's Noble Phantasm to break away from her fight with Nagao, but the Berserker class servant had been badly wounded.
"Shuten, I think we should retreat. That other Lancer you have been fighting might not have been an issue alone, but that female leading them is something else." Ibaraki said.
"You aren't one to run away so easily. Is that woman that strong?" Shuten asked.
Ibaraki reluctantly nodded, swallowing her pride wishing to ensure Shuten's safety. She would have kept fighting if she didn't have to worry about Shuten's well-being, but she had vowed to never lose her sworn sibling again.
"There will be no running away," Nagao declared.
As Shuten and Ibaraki spoke, Nagao had managed to get around the growing river of poison to confront the two oni again. Nothing would stop this woman from claiming the heads of both oni, and not even the prospect of fighting both Ibaraki and Shuten at once discouraged her. Ibaraki charged Nagao again, but when her blade was about to make contact, it slipped through an after image of her foe.
"What?!"
"Bishamonten's Eight Phases Wheel Charge Formation!" Nagao declared.
Before approaching Ibaraki and Shuten, Nagao activated her Noble Phantasm. Mounted upon her horse, she led the charge as eight copies of her manifested. One attacked Ibaraki forcing her to defend herself, but she wasn't Nagao's target.
"SHUTEN, LOOK OUT!" Ibaraki shouted realizing too late Nagao was aiming for Shuten. The one clone had been only a distraction.
Shuten found herself under attack as she tried to fight back, but when she blocked the attack of one clone, another Nagao attacked her from atop her mount. Once an opening was made the rest charged running over the oni while plunging their weapons into her in passing.
The last attacker, the real Nagao, was surrounded by lightning as she struck down Shuten. Nagao plunged her spear into Shuten's heart before picking her up and tossing her dead body into the mine.
"Ha, one of the Three Great Calamities of Japan has been slain," Nagao declared proudly.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Ibaraki roared as charged Nagao, hell-bent on killing the Lancer even if she died in the process.
Ibaraki swung wildly at Nagao trying to land a strike, no matter how many times Nagao's own attacks slipped through Ibaraki's frenzied swings. Within moments Nagao knocked the bone sword from Ibaraki's hands before sending the oni crashing into the ground the with a powerful kick. The oni cried out in pain as Nagao drove her spear into Ibaraki's stomach, pinning her to the ground.
In the ensuring chaos, Ritsuka had managed to squeeze his arm through the bars, enough to flip open the lock. He didn't know what was happening, but he was hoping to use this chance to escape and maybe reunite with the others. However, trying to evade the fleeing oni was another problem, and Ritsuka had to hide behind some crates.
What is going on out there?
Suddenly a hand grabbed his shoulder from behind.
"And where are you going, sweetie?" A badly wounded Shuten asked.
"What happened to you?"
"Oh, I just got a little too playful with the enemy I guess. But this is the part where I would need you to become my master," Shuten said
Shuten had survived thanks to her Battle Continuation Skill, which allowed her to at least once survive attacks that otherwise would have killed her. It saved her from death, but the skill could not heal all of her injuries, which were still quite serious for a Heroic Spirit.
"And if I don't?"
"Listen," said Shuten severely, her playful demeanour dropping, "it's my sister. If you don't play along, she's going to get killed. I know we didn't get off to a good start, but right now I need you to help me."
Ritsuka swallowed. He hadn't expected that.
Simultaneously riding towards the mine were two Mongolian Riders, a pair of scouts. The oni, being asleep or too drunk to serve as proper lookouts, had allowed the scouts to approach the besieged mine from the rear.
The scout heard gunfire as Nagao's soldiers fought against the oni. They would not turn back, managing to find a damaged section of the wall surrounding the mine to investigate. Peering inside the compound, the one thing that caught their attention was the discovery of Ibaraki on the ground, Nagao stabbing the defeated oni in the heart.
"Once again I win," Nagao declared.
Despite taking a wound that should've killed her, Ibaraki willed herself to stay alive long enough for her to defiantly grab Nagao's leg while rising her right arm towards her.
"I am taking you WITH ME!" Ibaraki shouted, unleashing her Noble Phantasm at point-blank range.
The suddenly transformed giant hand exploded finishing off Ibaraki herself, but Nagao just barely escaped the worst of the explosion with her clothes partially burnt.
"Lady Kagetora," a pair of soldiers said approaching the victorious Heroic Spirit.
Seeing enough, the Mongolian Scouts made a hasty retreat before they were discovered. Riding back to where their leader awaited them, the Khagan was told about what they had witnessed.
"I see," the Khan said, turning to speak to the others.
"It seems we have a complication. Nagao Kagetora is attacking the oni encampment," Genghis Khan reported. "She also killed the oni Heroic Spirit we fought earlier."
"Do you think we could negotiate with her?" Hakuno suggested.
"I don't know about that," Genghis Khan said doubtfully.
"What do you mean?" Lelouch asked.
"According to my scouts, it seems Nagao enjoys the violence she had caused. She was smiling the whole time, even as she struck the oni down," Genghis Khan said.
"Sounds like we can't talk her down," Lelouch said.
"I think we might've been a little too hopeful for that," Ryoma commented.
Shouting an order in his native tongue, the Khan called out to his soldiers, who began moving with everyone following on their own horses. The Mongolian force advanced upon the fortified iron mine where Ritsuka was kept. Thanks to the Khan's scouts being able to approach the mine, and the oni guards' ineptitude, they discovered Nagao's army, and noticed Ritsuka was within the mine itself.
"This is a good opportunity," Genghis Khan said with a savage smile. "We can eliminate both at once!"
"Isn't that a little risky, especially for Senpai?" Mash asked.
"We'll rescue your master soon enough, but we'll need to thin the enemy's ranks and sow chaos among them," Genghis Khan said, giving more orders in his native tongue.
"I see, so that's his plan. It's a good one," Ushiwakamaru said.
"What is he doing?" Lelouch inquired riding next to Ushiwakamaru.
"Fighting a three-way battle can be risky, but if you arrive at the right time, you can attack your enemies while they are occupied with one another. You would be free to attack them, especially if you can do so from a distance, making if very difficult for your enemy retaliate," Ushiwakamaru explained sagely.
"And the Mongolian Army specializes in ranged calvary combat," Lelouch said.
He couldn't help but smile. They had the element of surprise. The Mongolian Armies could take full advantage of their archery skills from horseback. Their hit-and-run tactics would come in handy, especially against a slower infantry army. Thanks to the trees hiding their approach, combined with the oni being occupied, they had a perfect opportunity to catch them by surprise.
"I can't say I am thrilled about killing humans, even if they are soldiers," Hakuno remarked, holding onto Emiya who handled their shared horse.
"True. But know they will have no such reservations. If these soldiers are willing to follow the enemy commander this far, then they will fight to the death," Sakamoto warned.
"I am not jumping for joy at the prospect either, but we will have to face them," Emiya added.
Please hang on, senpai, Mash thought.
The Mongolian Army let their arrows fly, announcing their presence to both enemy forces. Caught completely off guard, both entangled enemy forces were decimated by a hail of arrows, oni and human alike felled from afar. The oni and soldiers following Nagao quickly realized the danger after watching many of their comrades fall to one volley of arrows after another. The human soldiers aimed their rifles at the Mongolian Warriors, but without organized volley fire the primitive muskets could not do much. Soon, they were forced to find cover from the onslaught of Mongolian arrows. Their lack of experience in the tense and dangerous situation they were in also began to show. Worsening the situation was oni continuing to fight the enemy soldiers at the same time, making them easier targets for the arrows of the Mongolian Warriors. The cavalry made another circle around the mine, raining more volleys of arrows.
"Ryouma and Mash," the Khan began, "Go, I'll clear the path for you!"
Infusing energy into Kunwu, he unleashed a wave of magical energy that demolished one of the walls surrounding the mine, creating an alternate entrance for Mash and Ryouma. The Khan's Mongolian troops continued their attack, taking aim at anyone attempting to stop Mash and Ryouma, allowing an almost uninterrupted approach to the mine.
"Emiya and Ushiwakamaru," the Khan began, pointing his sword at and advancing towards the mine.
He was followed by his soldiers as they worked to pick off the remaining oni and musketeers. The three Heroic Spirits knew enemy Servants were leaving the area of the mine to intercept them, so the Khan hoped their intervention would prevent them from attacking Mash and Ryouma.
"Interesting," Genghis Khan said, noticing Nagao approaching them on horseback. Despite the arrows his archers sent at her, every arrow had been strangely deflected away from her.
"I guess that means long range attacks are not an option," Emiya noted.
"Yes. Close combat it is," Genghis Khan said.
"You better stick close to Lelouch," Emiya said, looking over his shoulder at Hakuno.
Lelouch and Hakuno dismounted and left a safe distance away, escorted a group of Mongolian Warriors to protect them. The three servants were now free to engage Nagao. Another servant was following close behind, armed with a spear.
"Two against three. Fair odds, I say," Ushiwakamaru declared.
"Yes, but be mindful of whatever Noble Phantasms they have," Emiya cautioned.
"Agreed," Genghis Khan replied, and charged towards Nagao, intending to meet her head on.
Kunwu met Nagao's spear, releasing a dramatic shower of sparks, but Nagao managed to deflect the attack with some effort. Genghis Khan dismounted his horse as Nagao did the same, but Ushiwakamaru intercepted the lancer. Emiya leapt off the horse he was riding, materializing Kanshou and Bakuya.
"Are you lot involved with Nobunaga?" Nagao demanded.
"No. We're a third party here to put history back on course," Genghis Khan declared.
"A third party with masters," Nagao said in surprise, noticing Lelouch and Hakuno in the distance.
"So neither you and Nobunaga have masters then, just as we have heard," Emiya noted.
"Then you have the Holy Grail, the source of the disturbance in history," Genghis Khan said, taking an offensive stance.
"Disturbance? I shall lead Japan to a glorious new future, for I am an Avatar of the God of War," Nagao declared, leaping at the Khan. They locked blades, neither willing to back down.
Meanwhile, Ushiwakamaru traded blows against Houzouin Inshun, and there was no doubt Ushiwakamaru's foe was fearsome. Not because of his weapon, but his skill alone was astonishing to behold; every swing and every trust was perfection. Not a single movement was wasted, and Inshun's strikes were efficient as well as deadly, but Ushiwakamaru was skilled enough to fight Inshun on equal footing.
"You are quite skilled," Inshun said, his expression showing an eagerness to truly test his skills against his foe. "I've rarely faced anyone who can stand against my spear."
"I compliment you on your skills as well. You will not be easy to defeat, but for my Master I shall beat you," Ushiwakamaru declared.
The two traded blow after blow, sparks flying each time their weapons met. Their exchange was so fast that the casual observer would barely have been able to follow. Inshun was impressed, grateful to face someone capable of challenging him.
"I shall show you now the ultimate pinnacle of the spear. The eleven stances that established an undefeated lifetime, Hazy Inverted Moon," Inshun declared, as eleven after images of himself appeared. As a mist-like energy surrounded them, and they all merged back into one.
"Now here I come!" Inshun declared, charging Ushiwakamaru with greater power and speed.
"Wandering Tales of Shana-oh," Ushiwakamaru said, activating her Noble Phantasm. "Usumidori: Short Steps With The Heavenly Blade!"
Ushiwakamaru's blade, Usumidori, began glowing. Moving faster than the eye could see, she and Inshun charged each other. Whoever could land the first strike would win.
It was close, but it seemed Inshun impaled Ushiwakamaru's heart, but his foe vanished.
An afterimage?
Realizing his mistake, Inshun turned around just in time to deflect Ushiwakamaru's attack. His foe was powerful, and Inshun was impressed by his foe. The two fought fiercely, matching one another blow for blow. Inshun was seemingly the more physically powerful between the two, but Ushiwakamaru made up for her lack of strength for being the faster of the two.
A causal observer would've had a difficult time following their movements, for every attack the other made their foe could parry it in response.
This pattern continued until they were locked in a stalemate as their weapons locked.
"You are truly skilled with the sword," Inshun complimented. "Who are you?"
"You know servants don't give their name during a fight," Ushiwakamaru scolded.
"Too true," Inshun said before shoving Ushiwakamaru back using his spear.
Ushiwakamaru stood her ground. Before Inshun was ready she counter attacked, bringing her sword down and cutting Inshun's spear in half. Inshun tried to retreat, but he couldn't escape as Ushiwakamaru brought her sword down. The famous spearman was cut down the middle. His legs went limp, and he fell to his knees. Inshun was barely alive, but he knew he had lost. Instead of anger he was content to have fallen against a strong foe.
"Who are you?" Inshun asked.
"I am Minamoto no Yoshitsune," Ushiwakamaru said, bringing a smile to Inshun.
"So I fought the one who beat the mighty warrior monk Benkei," Inshun said. "That was a good fight, I hope we can have a rematch sometime."
"Likewise," Ushiwakamaru said. As she turned to leave, Inshun vanished into a golden light.
"Got you!" the Khan shouted, releasing another wave of destructive energy trying to hit Nagao, but she just barely dodged.
"Missed me," Nagao mocked, but Emiya unleashed a shower of swords upon her.
"Ha, no ranged weapon can touch me, fool!"
No, he has something else in mind, Genghis Khan thought, suspecting what Emiya had in mind.
Emiya had left various swords stuck into the ground around the area where the pair had been battling Nagao. Considering what Emiya could do with his imitation Noble Phantasms, Genghis deduced Emiya was planning to lure Nagao into a trap to weaken her, hopefully creating an opening where the pair could finish her off. Unfortunately, Nagao was a formidable foe, able to easily keep up with both of them.
She is faster than Artoria was, the Khan thought.
Nagao's ability to shrug off any ranged projectile fired against her made the Lancer-class servant a difficult foe to pin down. Suspecting Emiya's plan, the Khan was intent on keeping Nagao's attention solely on him. It was merely a question of how Emiya would spring his trap and if it would create an opening for him.
No doubt he intends to do so when Nagao least suspects it, he thought.
So the Khan intended to help Emiya get that opportunity.
Pressing his attack in conjunction with Emiya, the Khan tried to overwhelm Nagao, hoping to distract her. However, Nagao was far better in close quarters, wielding both her sword and lance masterfully, able to keep both Heroic Spirits at bay. Something had to break the stalemate.
Nagao fought relentlessly against her two foes, the battle intensifying with every passing moment. Then suddenly Nagao broke away, before chanting:
"O Eight-bladed Bishamonten, brandish the divine might vested in this body!" Nagao declared as her body surged with power. "Bishamonten's Eight Phases Wheel Charge Formation!"
Leaping into the air, Nagao's stallion appeared, which triggered the appearance of seven copies of herself. They charged Emiya, moving too fast for the Khan to intervene in time.
"Trace on," Emiya said, projecting a copy of Mash's shield.
Hakuno, listen to me carefully and have Lelouch relay this to Genghis Khan, Emiya thought, using his link to Hakuno to pass along a message.
With seconds before Nagao and her clones impaled and trampled Emiya, the servant used another Noble Phantasm he had copied, layering it over Mash's shield. A fed flower-like barrier materialized over the shield, called Rho Aias: The Seven Rings that Cover the Burning Heavens, once wielded by Aias the Great during the Trojan War. It was capable of repelling any projectile weapon, including ranged energy attacks. Nearby, Genghis Khan channelled power into his sword, unleashing it against Nagao, or so it seemed.
"That won't hit me," Nagao remarked, noticing the attack over her shoulder.
Genghis Khan merely grinned. He wasn't aiming for her or her clones.
The destructive wave of energy missed Nagao, instead striking Emiya's Rho Aias, resulting in the wave of energy being redirected. Nagao realized her mistake too late, but her clones were caught in the redirected wave of energy at point-blank range. Nagao survived thanks to her clones taking the blunt of the blast, but both she and Emiya were sent flying.
The imitation shield Emiya had created helped him endure the blast with minor injuries. Emiya stood up with a grin on his face, seeing where Nagao was sent flying.
"I think this should end it," Emiya said, triggering the swords he had left scattered to detonate.
Nagao had landed in the middle of a minefield, caught up in a chain of explosions. Nagao narrowly escaped, shifting into Spirit Form. Once the explosions had ended, Emiya and Genghis Khan kept their weapons ready in the event Nagao intended to continue her attack. The pair waited for several minutes, but no attack ever came.
"Do you think she fled?" Emiya asked.
"Possibly," Genghis Khan answered. "Still, we shouldn't let our guard down."
"A Heroic Spirit with the passive ability to deflect projectiles. I wouldn't have imagined such a thing was possible," Emiya remarked.
"Yes, she would've been a problem for any servant dependent on ranged combat," Genghis Khan offered in agreement. "Your strategy was risky, but not bad through."
"I just glad Hakuno managed to pass it along to you through Lelouch."
"Indeed. But let's recover Ritsuka, Mash and Ryouma so we can leave," Genghis Khan replied, whistling for some Mongolian horses to come.
"Don't forget me," Ushiwakamaru said, approaching the duo with a triumphant smile.
Ushiwakamaru was almost unharmed, except for a deep cut on her shoulder near her neck.
"I've slain the other enemy lancer. Did you two finish off your foe?" Ushiwakamaru said, putting a hand to the deep cut. It was a testament to how close Inshun's strike had come to beheading Ushiwakamaru, but luckily her attack was just slightly faster. It allowed her to behead him before his own attack could claim Ushiwakamaru's head.
"The coward got away," Genghis Khan answered.
"Oh, so you missed claiming a general's head. Well it seems having claimed a Heroic Spirit's head has put me one above you," Ushiwakamaru teased, annoying the Khan.
"Come on you two, we have work to do," Emiya said, intervening before a fight or argument could break out.
As Genghis Khan and Emiya fought Nagao, Mash, Ryouma and Oryou managed to reach the mine mostly unopposed. There was an oni or human solider that stood in their way, but an arrow or a bash to the head with Mash's shield clear any lingering opposition.
"We're coming, senpai!"
"Calm down Mash, don't get too far ahead." Sakamoto said.
Suddenly Sakamoto felt a chill go down his spine, but Oryou quickly defended him. Using her extending hair, Oryou had blocked a sword strike. Behind him a servant had materialized, dressed in tattered Japanese attire with a black coat, a long black hair styled into a ponytail, and dark eyes filled with bloodlust.
"Stupid lizard," the Heroic Spirit snapped. "But it's okay. I'd rather have that bastard see me take his head."
"Who?" Mash said turning around seeing Sakamoto confront another Servant.
"Izou," Sakamoto said in surprise, recognizing his attacker. "Mash, you better stay back. This is Okada Izou, one of the Four Great Manslayers, known simply as Manslayer Izou. He was involved in numerous assassinations, so he's very dangerous."
"Yeah I was, until you betrayed me, you bastard," Izou snapped angrily.
"Look Izou, I-" Sakamoto began, Izou let out a battle cry and attacked.
Sakamoto deflected his sword strike using his own blade. Oryou began her attack, intent on defending Sakamoto from his engaged former friend, but Mash wasn't going to sit this one out. Fearing her senpai would be in danger if she did nothing, the young woman joined the fight.
"You'll regret getting involved, little girl," Izou said mockingly, his expression a mixture of anger and annoyance.
Mash managed to get between Sakamoto and Izou, deflecting one of his sword swings before going on the offensive. Despite how large her shield was, Mash was wielding it more effectively as a weapon than anyone would have imagined given its size. She parried blow after blow while Oryou and Sakamoto worked in tandem with Mash to defeat Izou quickly. The assassin was not willing to lose his one chance to avenge himself.
Breaking away from the fight, Izou jumped back, narrowly avoiding an attack from Oryou's hair. Grabbing a handful of dirt from the ground, Izou slipped by the attacking tendrils of hair to engage Mash. As she parried one of his sword swings, Mash's eyes were hit by the handful of dirt Izou had picked up, blinding her. As she was distracted, the assassin slipped in behind her.
Sakamoto and Oryou tried to stop him, but they couldn't reach the young woman fast enough. At the last minute, however, Mash recovered and tried to dodge, but she still felt Izou's sword run through her back. It narrowly missed her heart, but she had been seriously wounded.
Izou decided against killing Mash, knowing it would force Sakamoto to defend the wounded Demi-Servant. He could try to end the battle quickly now.
"You got no one to blame but yourself, girl," Izou mocked, locking swords with Sakamoto again.
Sakamoto tried to shoot Izou with his revolver while their blades were locked, but the Manslayer dodged the shot. Oryou attacked the assassin directly. Lacking a sword, she attempted to hit Izou with her fists. The Manslayer broke away from his fight with Sakamoto to deal with Oryou, but his attempts to counterattack were blocked by her hair.
"You need to get out of my way, you annoying bitch," Izou snapped.
"You won't lay a hand on him," Oryou said with a threatening glare.
Suddenly someone else joined the fight, having used Presence Concealment to get close and wait for the fight opportunity. Shuten materialized, driving her hand into Izou's chest, but a last second attempt to dodge the surprise attack saved his heart from being ripped out. Even with a hole in his chest, Izou managed to escape Shuten's grip. He was determined not to abandon the fight.
"Never thought you of all people would have an oni save your backstabbing hide," Izou snapped.
"Blame my new master for managing to convince me to intervene," Shuten said.
"What?" Sakamoto and Oryou exclaimed in surprise.
"As for him," Shuten said glaring at Izou vindictively, "He can just die. Multitude of Colors, Providential Oni Poison!"
Raising a cup of wine, Shuten poured it onto the ground, releasing another expanding pool of poison that flowed straight for Izou. Sakamoto, realizing what was happening and having seen a similar poison earlier, quickly moved behind Shuten.
"THIS SHIT WON'T STOP ME!" snarled Izou. Although he avoided touching the poison, inhaling it was a mistake.
The fumes alone would have killed an ordinary human on the spot, but on a Heroic Spirit the effects only resulted in weakness. Izou felt his body become heavy, blistering sores appearing on his body. Even worse, Izou could feel the poison eating away at him. The assassin was forced to retreat. His skills as a servant couldn't be used, which was all the more infuriating.
"You got away this time," Izou declared, coughing up blood. "But I promise I'll kill you!"
Izou shifted into spirit form to escape with what dignity he could muster.
"I never imagined I would run into Izou, of all of the Heroic Spirits in Japan," Sakamoto said, putting away his sword.
"I'll crush him next time," Oryou declared, cracking her knuckles.
"Easy now, Izou is dangerous," Sakamoto said with a cautious hand gesture.
"So what should we do about her?" Oryou said, glaring daggers at Shuten.
Shuten seemed amused by the hostility and wariness the others gave her. However, much to Mash's relief, Ritsuka emerged from the rear of the mine.
"Is everyone alright?" Ritsuka asked, noticing an injured Mash. "Mash, are you alright?!"
"Don't worry about me, senpai," Mash said, applying magical energy to stop the bleeding. "I am fine, but what happened?"
"We made a pact," Shuten said, much to everyone's shock. "I asked him for his help, in exchange for my strength. So, here we are."
"So you're just helping humanity out of the goodness of your heart?" Oryou asked, suspicious.
"Of course not," Shuten said. "If the world ends and humanity is wiped out, what will an oni like me eat the next time I am summoned? Besides, this Chaldea sounds fun, as does all of this traveling you'll be doing."
Ritsuka studied Shuten. Although she was concerned for Ibaraki, Ritsuka had a feeling she was likely dead. Shuten didn't seem to show concern or anger, other than that flash of anger she showed against Izou. Ritsuka couldn't read Shuten. Either she was lying, or somehow she knew Ibaraki had been killed. Perhaps she was very good at keeping her composure or not showing signs of weakness before an enemy.
"Either that kid is a better negotiator than you, Ryoma, or he's way too naïve," Oryou commented.
"I promise I'll behave," Shuten said with a smile.
"Let's just keep a very close eye on her," Ryoma said contemplatively.
"Right," Mash said, also suspicious of Shuten.
Shuten was only furthered amused by their suspicion.
I think I'll have a lot of fun, she thought.
A/N: Whew a couple of bouts within the span of one day, I hope the fights were written out well. I am trying to learn how to achieve more with less words to avoid too much text.
Getting Shuten in character and achieve what I wanted to do with Ritsuka was one of the more challenging parts in the chapter to set him up as the guy who can get morally questionable servants to work together with everyone else.
Also I do feel bad about killing Ibaraki, but she is a Heroic Spirt so reassured she'll be back in a later Singularity.
The group has their first encounter with Nagao ending with Genghis Khan and Emiya forcing a retreat. Ushiwakamaru managed to take down one of Nagao's Heroic Spirit allies after an intense duel, I hope it was written out as such. Doing some of the fights in this chapter left me rather nervous with their reception, but anyway its setting the stage for a bigger clash to come.
Even through Genghis Khan has managed to bring in more troops for Lelouch and company to work with, we all know some Heroic Spirits have Anti-Army Noble Phantasms, so they'll still need servants to even the odds.
Now the question for the next chapter is how will Nobunaga and Nagao react to recent events?
On a last note, I have a new poll on my profile page. Some of you have noticed it, but for everyone else I am trying to get ideas for what kind of servant should join Lelouch's group next in the Second Singularity to be set during the French Revolution, which was something that had lasting effects on Code Geass history. I have also made another poll for Hakuno to decide on a new servant addition for her group as well. Since I can't have two polls up on my profile page, just scroll down to the link that goes to my "Code Geass Crossover R&D" then find the topic titled "Fate/Grand Order and Code Geass Project 3" which should be near the top. The forum is also where all of my other polls for my other stories can be found including those for future stories I am planning.
Or if you PM me or ask me in a review I can provide a direct link too.
Anyway thank you all for reading, and I appreciate the feedback, reviews, follows and/or favorites so far. I'll see you all next chapter.