Clean Escapes (Battle)
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(For reference, on day 4 evening was the battle against Rider, this was also when Rider got shot by Sasaku and then took her captive.)
(This is between day 4 and 5, the sun is sort of rising at this point)
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(Illyasviel)
Looking off into the distance as though she could still see the retreating trio of Masters, the homuluncus considered her options. Having any one of the Servants chase them was asking for a deadly two-on-one loss, assuming that Lancer's 'friend' had actually done something about the third, shooter, Servant. But sending both means being one spear away from death which was quite unappealing.
I could have Lu Bu use Shoot, but it's impossible to command him to be accurate with it. Currently he can only use a massive blast... Killing everyone would complete the Einzbern head's cover-up, defeating the point of targeting Tohsaka in the first place.
"Well," she commented in a frustrated tone to Lancer, "You seem to have been confused in the information you gave me about their capabilities. Care to explain?"
Cu Chulainn eyed Lu Bu before replying. "Well it seems the woman I saw must have been..." He thought over all the things. "We already know about Lancer, Berserker and Assassin. That swordsman was Saber. This leaves us with Rider, Archer and Caster. Of those three, Tohsaka summoned last, Archer."
Illya, who had concluded similarly but for different reasons. Kirei was definitely holding back some useful information he had access to as Overseer, that was certain. "So the woman you saw, and Saber, means both Matou Sakura and Emiya Shirou are Masters."
What a mess. But it got worse.
"Yes, before I left the church, that Matou kid, Shinji, said that his sister Sakura had stolen his Rider. On the other hand, that attack with spears, I've a good idea who that is, and she's a little girl about your apparent age, not a tall woman."
"So we've seen two Servants, and you're aware of another two. Meanwhile... wait a moment, then who was your 'friend'? There's too many Servants here."
"Oh. Er, he's a neutral party."
"Neutral like Kotomine is, you mean." She let that remark hang for a moment.
"Sort of, Kirei has trouble making him do anything but take care of children. All this means is he has some other agenda being out here."
Great, that priest even has a Ruler in the background. And he's still pulling all this?
It was time to start clearing the field a little. First of all; "I'm going to take down Assassin. Will you come along?"
"I've got to go," Lancer said apologetically. "I advise against fighting her without backup though. While you homulunculi are super-human, you really don't want to test your backbone - or face - against her Master's fist."
"Isn't there something to prevent something like half the Servants all grouping up?" Illya commented idly. It was ironic, given that the while War business started because the original participants couldn't cooperate and started murdering one another.
So maybe there wasn't anything to prevent it, if that was the initial goal.
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(Some time ago, ie: the morning of Day 1)
(For reference: This is just after Rin stumbled on Shirou and Sasaku, and summoned Kuro)
(Fraga Bazett)
By the time she regained consciousness, the combination of her body and prepared supporting runes had already closed the 'wound' that the stump of her missing left arm. However, the two neat wounds in either thigh had, despite being quite small, not healed properly - and she knew exactly why.
That bloody Kirei betrayed me.
The unhealing wounds clearly made by Gae Bolg. But why go to the effort to maim her then send her back to her hotel room? After breaking the rules to steal Cu Chulainn, did he not care if it was found out? Unless that's actually part of the plan. He should know that I might survive, or rather banked on that fact. So the extra wounds are just to... make sure I can only call for help?
As Bazett pulled herself up with her remaining hand, she felt something unusual and glanced over at it. She blinked and surprise and looked at her missing arm, then back at the surprise arrival on her right hand.
A new set of three spear icon Command Seals had appeared.
After searching around the best she could, Bazett confirmed that while damaged, the Summoning Circle she had used to call out Cu Chulainn was damaged, but not irreparably. However, she no longer had his earrings or any catalyst to use, or the appropriate reagents to restore her circle to use.
She remembered that a magus' blood was quite magically conductive, after looking around at the trails of her own around the room, . And though not the most civilized, it certainly had its uses in many rituals, be it circles, runes or others. Glancing at her bandaged but still bleeding legs, she came to an easy decision.
I need strength to obtain revenge.
As she finished the chant, which was delivered sitting next to the rather crude and literally bloody circle, Bazett felt a sense of satisfaction as the summoning process began. This has to be the War's last Servant, I wonder what class is left.
Holding up a hand against the blinding flash of a successful summoning, she lowered it to look up at the black figure in front of her.
"Servant Assassin, summoned upon your request."
The color I can understand. But what assassin wears half plate and carries a massive spear? The look of astonishment and confusion must have shown.
"What's with that look? Here, the contract." Without answering, Bazett received the document, looking at it in a bit of a daze. Cu Chulainn has nothing like this. In any case, the Master-Servant contract is handled by the Grail.
"I don't get it," she said finally. "Why have terms like 'neither side can wish for the destruction of humanity, the Grail system' and so on?"
Assassin stopped in the middle of tying up her blonde hair that had apparently not come arranged upon her summoning. "It's a safeguard," she replied. "There's something wrong with... all this."
"Tell me about it."
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(Day 4: a little before Lancer meets Medusa carrying Rin back to Sakura's place)
(Cu Chulainn)
"I'm glad to see you're alive and about," he greeted his former Master politely enough, though she looked upset to see him. Understandably so, since Kirei had thought to use his spear to make sure she wouldn't be able to walk. That the effect had somehow been undone was less of a surprise given the person with her. A new Servant.
"Assassin," Bazett said simply. "If he makes to attack, kill him. Right. Let's talk. I want to kill Kirei, are you going to stop me?"
"I sort of have to, yeah. No hard feelings though," he said, looking at the armored Assassin. A spearman? "I still wouldn't mind an honest fight with you, but I guess that wouldn't be an even battle."
Well, it is what it is, I guess. Fortunately, Kirei had again been somewhat careless in his instructions. "Well Assassin, let's fight." With that he began feeding energy into his spear. "Sorry, but I was told to take no risks." Against an Assassin, a quick activation of Gae Bolg was all that was needed...
"There it is," Bazett said with some satisfaction.
Rather than rush forward as expected, Assassin instead planted her feet in the ground and unfurled her... flag? The item in question began glowing, the golden highlights shimmering brightly as it began to project some sort of defensive field.
(Luminosite Eternelle)!
(Gae Bolg)!
Both sides immediately activated their Noble Phantasms almost at the same time. But not quite.
Cu Chulainn lazily pushed his spear towards its target, expecting the weapon to spring to life and pierce Assassin's field and thereafter her heart. But nothing happened, unless you count Gae Bolg just falling from his hand onto the ground.
What?
He had the briefest of moments to be surprised before Assassin set upon him by flailing about with her flag like a madwoman. In between heavy sweeps, he noticed she was wearing a sword, even if she apparently preferring using both hands to attack with a flag like a bludgeoning weapon instead.
No, I see. Her defense prevented the 'reversal of cause and effect' curse from applying. Of course, given just how much work Bazett had done to ensure she summoned him for the War, her having done research, or actually just listening during their discussions and light sparring sessions meant she was perfectly placed to realize such a strategy.
Hmph. His spear still had its charge of energy, while Assassin's flag had already been drained by her defensive move earlier. He could activate it faster than she could raise her defense, and if not she was still using more prana than he was.
Cu Chulainn jumped back quickly, to about the maximum range allowed for Gae Bolg's activation. His eyes narrowed, focusing, as he quickly fed in a little more energy to replace the portion that had bled off during the failed attempt earlier.
She can either try for the defense again, or rush in. The former probably won't make it in time, the latter definitely won't.
(Gae-
(Assassin)
"He's going for it, you're going to have to use that."
Though she started to frown at the thought, the attack was already prepared. Lancer probably wouldn't have noticed since the basis of it, which had been flowing from Bazett to her now second Servant, was not magical energy but hatred.
She had a name. Kotomine Kirei, an overseer who had messed up the War so greatly that even the Grail System itself was somehow corrupted. Also a betrayer, though that was almost the lesser charge at present. She flung a hand out towards Lancer, unleashing hate given solid form.
Cu Chulainn abruptly stopped attempting to use his Noble Phantasm and jumped back again with his class' trademark agility as several lances abruptly appeared below him, stabbing upwards.
Did he suspect... no, Bazett probably guessed wrong, and the attack did trigger his (Protection from Arrows). But still -!
More lances came up, chasing her retreating opponent. He's now aware that I can outrange his Noble Phantasm. She watched as this information changed his mind and quickly left.
However to actually gain a victory, we'll need a lot more than this.
(A day or two before)
(Bazett)
"That won't work on those," Bazett commented while watching her surprise Assassin-class Servant, Jeanne d'Arc wrap her silken banner, complete with beautiful gold thread embroidery, around her legs. "The wounds left by Gae Bolg don't heal."
"You already know these things aren't as absolute as they seem from the human level," she replied. "It's much like the immovable object and irresistible force, except neither of them actually are. One might be rank A and the other only B+. I'm sure my banner can purge the curse, just as I'm sure someone has a strong enough attack to smash through it."
My banner, protect my brethren.
The banner glowed as it absorbed Jeanne's prana, which in turn flowed into the wounds it was touching, and began cleansing the lingering effects of Gae Bolg. "I guess that's true, if you stack up legends against one another, they can't all hold perfectly. It is the basis of the Grail War, after all."
"I wonder about that," her Servant replied, annoyance creeping into her voice. "This isn't supposed to happen. I shouldn't even qualify for Assassin class."
"Well, have you killed people?" Bazett asked simply.
"Sure, but not assassinated anyone, or really done the stealth thing. In fact, I don't even have (Presence Concealment) which is supposed to be a trademark Skill of the Assassin class."
"About that... you said the Grail itself was corrupted?"
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Notes:
Yeah remember when Sasaki Kojirou was the weird Assassin without Presence Concealment? There must be some Rider who doesn't have the Riding Skill or equivalent, now that I think about it (maybe a FGO event/swimsuit one or something).
Sasaku has some versions of the Territory Creation and Item Construction skills (technically not the latter though).