Triple Clash (Battle)

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(Sakura)

One's innocent desires, their dear wish, these things fuel one's nightmares, color their hell.
These ironies the Holy Grail gives to those who seek after it, rewarding those who War for its poisoned favors.

She knew instantly that something in the World had just shifted; a sinking premonition that, like before, others suffered and were lost for her sake, but with nothing gained by the sacrifice.

"Sakura. Sorry. Gaining my wish made me too weak to defend it or you. Like a heroic tragedy from the old days... I wonder what my sisters would say... maybe a god would find it funny... I should never have hop-"

"No!" Was that vehement denial for herself or Rider? They both knew that Illya's homunculi outside were too late. "Don't say that! Not after your strength won so much for me..."

All said, it had been a matter of seconds. Sakura and the rest had to cross the corridor to the front room before the homunculi could move up to support Rider. In that time... apparently Medusa was weak to having her neck targeted, even in her youngest form.

"I'm sorry, but it isn't safe." One of the maids was holding Illya back as another two pulled a pair of their fallen comrades out of the way. "There might be more of them."

"Where's Rider?" Illya was asking in some confusion. "She needs to assist Caster."

"She's gone." Sakura had to raise her voice somewhat in order to be heard clearly. The words were bitter, but somehow voicing them thus helped clear her mind. Sakura unconsciously make a fist as she felt a surge of strength rushing into her. Of course. Since she was a Lesser Grail with good compatibility with Medusa, this can only be...

"Sakura, what's wrong?" Rin asked in some alarm, while Shirou simply looked at her in silence, unblinking. I can probably guess why. She raised an arm and was not surprised to see smooth red-streaked black spreading across it, incomparable to the threads that her uncontrolled magecraft had etched onto Shirou earlier.

Not exactly. The Matou magecraft has more of a violet-colored effect. The midnight black is me. This is the only path for me-with-power; being tied to that, whatever the means, is to be dyed in it as well.

Rin's head snapped around, her focus dragged away by something out past the dark storm that once again enveloped the front of the house. "Kuro's wounded. Badly." That settled it.

"Help her when she gets back. I'm going after Caster."

While in a Grail War, it was true that a Servant was a Master's main strength, that could take more than one form. I don't have time to muse. She pushed unimportant thoughts to the side.

"Then I'm coming with you," Shirou said, grasping her blackening hand fearlessly before she could refuse him. "Saber doesn't have a link to Sasaku anymore, but he can catch up to me," he explained.

She looked out, through the door and corridor, into the open door to Caster's room, which now had a gaping hole leading outside. "Illya, can your people hold the fort?"

"There's only one of the secondary Servants unaccounted for on this side... but they fight well." The homunculus paused. They had significantly underestimated the effectiveness of the Shinsengumi swordmen, partially because Sasaku had easily removed half of them early on; but that only meant the remaining ones were the strongest of the lot. "Caster won't last long; it's all or nothing. Go."

Sakura nodded.

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(Okita)

"Saber, we're in a crunch! Rider's turned on us and I can't take him on!"

"Understood."

Keeping her thoughts hidden, she eyed the silent Kojirou who was still holding his broken sword. While they had exchanged probing attacks several times after the clash of their techniques, he did not seem shaken at all by the damage to his signature weapon. On the other hand, he had only moved to attack each time she backed away a little too much.

It's not rational. If his weapon was shorter, he should be aiming to close. Not flit about outside of his own range. It was also suspicious. Of course, he might simply be preoccupied with defending the door behind him, but even if he was somehow fixed to it, there were better strategies to employ. Most likely hoping to bait out a 'safe' thrust for a parry and riposte?

The question at hand was if he could still use his technique with a broken weapon. If so, she would be unavoidably open to two of his three cuts. Unless... what about directly using the Triple Thrust? An fully unblocked hit would instantly kill him. And even if he did block, he would lose more of his blade, and still be unable to reach her. But it was not possible to read his moves, somehow. Likely a Skill.

I don't have time to overthink this! Just as she was about to move on the attack, Kojirou, with a shrug, tossed his weapon to one side. Okita kept her guard at the ready as the samurai stepped forward slowly and confidently, practically daring her to attack. He stopped a little outside lunge range and, with a faint smile, produced a new sword just like the one he had discarded.

Raising his replacement blade in the same stance before, Kojirou resumed his advance.

"..."

Perhaps she had guessed at the possibility all along. Though it was a bitter revelation, at least he had given away his hand. Now her path was clear. Okita moved back, not defensively but simply to prepare her last resort in this duel.

First step, silence...

Kojirou stopped, adjusting his blade perfectly with practiced ease. "My refined secret technique..."

There would be no retreating today. Okita started moving forward in turn. Second step, infinite suffering...

Kojirou was still, almost passively watching the distance between them shrink. Depending on his timing, he could literally take her apart before being in danger himself. However, there was one critical difference between her first use of the Three Thrusts and its most developed one. It would have to be enough to win her the day. Third step, a sword absolute!

(Mumyou -!

(Tsubame -!

Based on the distances and ranges, the cuts coming at her would slice Okita's flesh before her thrusts could pierce his. But only if she had to be there to thrust in the first place. Just like one could perform three cuts or thrusts in the exact same moment, it was possible to separate the act of thrusting from the actual thrust, indeed 'skip' some distance and thrust him through while ending up behind her target.

Sandanzuki)!

The world flashed forward suddenly several paces worth. Okita blinked slowly at the sight of her outstretched clean blade, as it dropped from her hands. The Kojirou's voice echoed around the courtyard, uncaring of the winds that sought to blow it away.

Mai).

(Sasaki Kojirou)

As he had expected, simply taking out his actual sword after she had damaged the copy Kuro had made for him caused her to immediately go on the attack, but the following exchange could not realistically be predicted, only responded to.

Kojirou exhaled slowly. Watched his opponent lose her grip on her sword before following it to the ground, blood quickly pooling around her from the cut that had practically decapitated its target. She had somehow avoided the other two cuts, not that it changed the outcome of the duel.

*Cough* Clatter* Kojirou's sword fell to the ground as he dropped to his knees.

It was an odd irony, that while he developed his technique to kill a swallow over many years, its refinement to better take human life was much shorter. However, the Swallow Dance was not fully mature, so the teleportation effect he copied from Kuro had taken effect ever so differently at each fiber in his body. Additionally, the only partially closed wound given by the first clash with Okita's Three Thrusts immediately broke open again. Even a Servant's regeneration couldn't simply undo such damage in under a minute.

Somewhere in front of him - Kojirou had to turn during the teleport action, to be able to hit Okita with his cuts, which was the main complication of the technique - came the sound of someone rushing forward. At the same time, footsteps from behind him revealed... Okita's second stepping forward, probably to finish him off.

Gritting his teeth, Saber reached out to grasp the hilt of his sword, but it was snatched up by a Master in red.

"Leave him to me. (Reinforcement)" Rin said confidently, slipping smoothly into a guard stance.

*Thud* *Cling*!

As the Shinsengumi fearlessly moved to thrust downward at him, Kojirou threw himself to the side. Even wounded, his Agility was enough to foil the rather sloppy attack. Rin slashed at his opponent in the same moment, forcing the surprised Servant to deflect her blow.

Recovering faster than the human facing him down, the Servant switched targets and began to execute his next attack without hesitation.

*Splatter*

And staggered back as a black spear struck him in the right side.

"Caster?" Rin glanced quickly to her left, where, judging by the Servant-level signature, Kuro had just returned by Spirit Form-ing through the wall as Caster had arranged for. "Whoops, try this." The Archer sent a sword into her target, neatly piercing his heart before herself collapsing.

More people exited the house, armed homunculi, as Rin laid the sword down next to its owner and ran to check on her Servant.

(Kuro)

She blinked as Rin ran over, blocking her view of the courtyard. No wonder it was critical for me to return, she thought hazily. While she would definitely do it again in the same circumstances, using her Projection and other techniques after being wounded by Nobunaga's anti-Mystery weapons sure took a lot out of her.

"Hang in there!" Capable as ever, her Master didn't waste time asking unnecessary questions. After a quick look over her Servant's wounds, Rin took off the pendant which she had worn on her person even before Kuro had first met her. "Time for this-?..." she trailed off questioningly as Kuro gently pushed the hand holding the charged jewel away.

"You need to help Saber." Time was short, so she simply continued speaking over Rin's predictable objections. "It's been too long; I won't be combat-ready. Kojirou can still win this. He can save Caster."

"We've already lost Medusa," Rin muttered, turning her head to see one of the homunculi help Saber to his feet. "See? He seems fine to me," she said coaxingly.

"He can't fight an enemy Servant like that," Kuro shook her head slowly. "Please don't tempt me... you can heal me slowly after."

Rin swallowed slowly, not taken in at all, but also realizing that her Servant had come to her conclusion via (Mind's Eye). "Ok." Turning quickly, pendant in hand, she ran over to Kojirou without looking back.

Propping herself up against the estate wall, Kuro exhaled, even that slight action sending stabs of pain through her body. But lesser now. Not likely because they had somehow healed. She blinked as mist descended from the night sky, cool and moist compared to the parched winds in Nobunaga's Field.

I wonder if this is enough to become a Hero of Justice, she mused to herself. It was a bit odd how, her duties fulfilled, it was easier to think now that said clarity wasn't so needed. Sacrificing for the greater good.

"If only a single sacrifice were needed," a familiar voice corrected her from the side.

Mama?! Kuro turned around to see who had spoken, but the world spun around and refused to come back into focus. "But... you're dead here."

"It's a bit unfortunate, Illya, but-" the man was interrupted.

"... Don't be like that, Darling. Also, she's Kuro, this-you haven't met her. Did I forget to edit her record?"

"You didn't." Kuro shook her head, trying to clear her vision, as she was warmly embraced. Though he wasn't the same as Father, he was as well. This is all very confusing. "Where are we? Was Papa with you all this time? Did you see Medusa?" The questions spilled out easily, unlike earlier with Rin.

"Ahem. Well then," Mother took up the explanation. "He's been here, but your friend hasn't come by. It's a bit complicated to define where we are, but it is, as your other friend might say, in a box. I am hoping we can avoid being broken down into magical energy for wish-granting."

"You see," Father added, "When Lancer, Artoria that is, blew up the Greater Grail, that left a good deal of energy within the Grail System. Part of why the War occurred again so quickly. However, with its manifestation once again, any 'loose' souls links to it will be drawn in. That's by design."

Mother nodded. "The System or Grail by itself only really summons Rulers; restriction and a fail-safe in one. Masters are required for the more general Servant summons. One of me has been speaking with a particular Caster about this and some mutual concerns that you might be familar with..."

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Notes:

I should point out that in comparison to Dark Sakura's red-edged black ribbonesque dress, what's described here is closer to being glassy and smooth black (like the volcanic glass obsidian) with a combination of sharp red cracks/streaks. No loose bits.

Unlike the Unlimited Codes version of slashes + Tsubame Gaeshi, the (Tsubame Mai) here consists of starting the triple cut but teleporting forward and turning around mid-action. While Okita ended up further away from Kojirou than expected (they sort of switched places) his long weapon meant he still hit. Since he was using a high stance (Kuro does in her move, since she's shorter she even has to "jump" via the teleport), the neck cut had the most range, barely enough.