Picking up where we left off.
I added the tail-end of the last chapter to the start of this one in order to improve the overall flow of the story, but other than that the overall changes to this chapter are minimal at best.
As before, this chapter is where things will begin to deviate from canon, though what few changes do will be calculated by Lelouch to further his plans. Will he side with Lancer or Saber? Will Iskander be able to sway him to his side?
Who knows? Though personally I'd side with Broskander any day.
That said, let the games begin!
Fate/Zero Requiem:
An Alternate Tale of the Fourth Holy Grail War
Fifth Night: Howl of the Mad Beast.
'That was a little too close…' Lelouch marveled, releasing the breath he'd unknowingly held as Saber used the momentum from her Prana Burst to not only avoid Lancer's Killing Blow by a hair, but to also land a grazing blow of her own in passing, forcing the Knight of Fianna to drop the Golden Spear. 'If I wasn't already dead, I'd say that was bad for my heart.'
Ignoring Diarmuid's Master for the moment as the man berated the Knight for failing to take Saber's head, he instead turned his attention to the likewise wounded King of Knights as she summoned her armour back, Excalibur once again hidden beneath its sheath of air as she moved into a ready stance.
'Admirable resolve.' he marveled, his respect for the deceptively small woman increasing ten-fold 'However, it would appear she's favoring her left arm…Lancer must have landed a glancing blow.' He deduced, a suspicion Irisviel confirmed as she proclaimed her inability to heal Saber for all to hear.
'With Gae Buidhe's effect, she won't be able to swing her sword as she was earlier.' he rationalized, looking on impassively as Saber dismissed Irisviel's concerns, though her words didn't match her expression "Given what she's displayed thus far, I estimate her overall power has been cut in half.'
While things like statistics didn't really hold up when it came to Servants, Lancer's neutralization of Saber's left arm was a master-stroke. Without it, the King of Knights wouldn't be able to unleash her full potential, which meant Excalibur wouldn't be making an appearance any time soon until either Diarmuid or Gae Buidhe were destroyed.
'In which case, it would probably be in my best interests to keep Lancer alive until Saber has been taken out.' he deduced, glancing down at the Knight of Fianna, who was voicing his pleasure at being able to face off against the King of Knights even as Saber likewise praised her opponent 'I don't know how my own Noble Phantasms would measure up to Excalibur, but better safe than sorry.'
At that moment, just as Lancer and Saber were bracing themselves for another clash, one which would undoubtedly be in the Diarmuid's favour, a crash of thunder tore through the air, Lelouch's eyes widening in alarm as a bolt of lightning struck the ground between the two Knights, forcing them to back away.
'Caster?' he wondered warily, shielding his eyes from the lightning with a curse as he glanced up at the sky along with Saber and Lancer, only to gape in disbelief at the sight descending on them from on high.
'A Chariot?' he stammered, unable to help gaping at the sight of the massive, ox-drawn vehicle that was thundering towards them, an apt description given the lightning that was coming off the massive beasts' hooves, their bellows matched only by the war-cry of the equally massive man at the reigns as he directed his vehicle to land between the shocked Knights.
'It would appear that Rider has finally deigned to grace us with his presence.' he noted wryly, eyeing the walking mountain of muscle with trepidation, a sentiment shared by both Saber and Lancer, as the man spread his arms wide beneath his fur-lined crimson cloak.
"Both of You! Sheathe your weapons!" he commanded, his very voice seeming to boom like thunder in the silence that followed his arrival, Lelouch unable to help a shiver of apprehension that raced up his spine at the fiery glint in the man's crimson eyes that dared, nay, invited anyone to defy him "You stand in the presence of a King!"
'He certainly acts like one…' Assassin scoffed disdainfully as he fought to rid himself of the memory of his father that had superimposed itself over the Servant's form in the face of his proclamation 'Though I doubt its respect that is staying Saber and Lancer's blades…'
Indeed, as proud warriors and Servants, it would take more than words, even those from a Servant, to make either Knight back down. It was far more likely they were still stunned by Rider's sudden intervention in their duel, and were simply waiting to see what the massive man wanted before either ignoring him outright or finishing him off, a question that was soon answered by the giant himself as he beamed at all in attendance.
"My name is Iskander, the King of Conquerors!" the massive Servant declared, heedless of the looks of shock that adorned his audience's features at how cavalierly he revealed his True Name before his opponents, Lelouch's widening behind his mask at such a bold declaration "I am participating under the Rider class in this Holy Grail War!"
'Is he insane?' Lelouch wondered, unable to comprehend why Alexander the Great would do something as costly as revealing his True Identity so brazenly. While his legend was not as influential on Britannian Society as King Arthur's, the fact remained that the man was one of the greatest tacticians of his era, indeed, a revolutionary whose many successes had inspired many a Britannian campaign, entire lectures were often devoted to them at the Military Academy.
With this in mind, you could probably imagine how it physically pained Lelouch, as a fellow tactician, to witness the acclaimed King of Conquerors make such a foolhardy mistake.
'That is…if it even IS a mistake…' he muttered, eyes narrowing as he gazed down at the living legend, ignoring the cries of the distraught boy, likely Rider's Master, that was apparently riding in the Servant's chariot, recalling the break in at the Library earlier that day, more accurately the objects that had been stolen 'Iskander wouldn't make any move if it wasn't integral to his victory, and I highly doubt there's a Servant alive who hasn't heard of the King of Conquerors.'
In short, Rider didn't need to hide his name to be more effective in battle. The sheer fact that you faced a man who once conquered the known world would be enough to give any Hero food for thought.
True, Lancer's spears could give him an advantage in one-on-one combat, but against a Rider-class' hit-and-run tactics, they would serve little purpose. The same could be said for Saber, even if she weren't injured, there was little good an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm could do her against Rider's speed unless she unleashed it right as he was charging her, timing that would need to be spot on.
Bereft of Excalibur and with her physical performance hindered by the curse of Gae Buidhe, Saber was arguably in a worse position than Lancer from a purely statistical point of view, especially when you factored in his own plans to ensure the Knight of Fianna's continued survival.
'Though Statistics mean little when it comes to Servants…' he reminded himself, turning his attention back to the King of Conquerors, who had silenced his Master with a flick to the forehead 'A fact Iskander knows all too well.'
With the other Servants...
"Fate has brought us all together to fight for the Grail." Iskander called out, heedless of his Master's whimpering as he smiled at the two Knights, as if greeting old friends "But first, I would like to ask you something." He spread his arms wide as if to embrace them both "How about yielding the Grail to me and joining my army? If you forfeit your claims to the Grail, I would regard you as friends, and share with you the joy of conquering the world!"
Up on the scaffolding, he spotted Archer stumble as if struck from behind, the King of Conquerors unable to help the widening of his smile at the reaction, though it soon faded as Lancer and Saber spoke up, the two of them shooting down his generous offer without a moment's hesitation, Saber actually berating him for 'insulting' her.
'High-strung that one…' Rider sighed, scratching the back of his head in exasperation, entirely unconcerned by the hostile glares being sent his way by the two Knights "I am more than willing to discuss terms." He offered, feeling he was being perfectly civil in doing so, only to be rejected once more.
"Besides, I myself am a King." Saber declared, her expression defiant, and unless the King's eyes were failing him, disappointed as she matched him look for look "A King responsible for the well-being of the Kingdom of Britain. No matter how great a King you are, I cannot lower myself to the rank of Subject."
"The King of Britain you say?" Rider mused, his brows raising in surprise as he took another look at the small figure "What a Surprise! I didn't expect the King of Knights to be a little girl!"
"Would you like to try the blade of this 'Little Girl', King of Conquerors?" Saber demanded, holding the invisible Excalibur with both hands, heedless of the pain in her left arm, refusing to show weakness before another King.
"Looks like negotiations have failed…" Rider sighed, his brows furrowing as he rubbed the side of his head, ignoring Waver's cries of protest even as he glanced up at the crane "Or maybe not. What do you have to say on the matter, Archer?"
"Archer?" Saber and Lancer wondered, tensing at the mention of their fellow Knight, Saber letting out a curse as she lunged next to Irisviel to protect her from a sneak attack "Where is he, Rider?"
"There, atop the highest structure." Rider revealed, his tone jovial as he smiled at the King of Knights "I saw him following you and your Master when you came to answer Lancer's Challenge. He's been watching the entire fight this whole time."
'Damn it all!' Saber swore, her eyes narrowed even as Irisviel's widened at the idea of an enemy Servant being so close to them this whole time without either of them noticing.
"Lurking in the shadows like a common assassin-!" Lancer spat, the First Spear of Fianna's handsome features hard as he glared up at the crane accusingly, aiming Gae Dearg accusingly at their unseen spectator "You dare to call yourself a Knight, Archer?
"Go easy on him, Lancer." Rider urged, his tone jovial as he stood with his arms crossed before him "After all, as an Archer, he's best suited to fighting from a distance. Yet not once during your battle did he ever draw a weapon. Nay, if anything you should applaud him for allowing your Duel with Saber to proceed uncontested, for I highly doubt he was the only other Servant drawn by the sound of your clashing blades."
Lancer fell silent, his eyes still narrowed, though it was clear most of the anger he'd harbored had faded in the face of Rider's words as he eyed their surroundings along with Saber, leaving Rider to turn his attention back to the crane as he spread his arms wide.
"So what say you, Archer? Are you not ashamed to lurk in the shadows despite the prowess displayed here by Lancer and Saber?" he demanded, raising both fists in the air "And as for the rest of you that are surely lurking in the shadows, gather here and now! Those too cowardly to show themselves will earn the scorn of Iskander, King of Conquerors!"
With Lelouch...
'He certainly has a way with words…' Lelouch noted, swearing under his breath as his position was compromised. True, it didn't mean anything to him, as his doubles were currently watching over Kiritsugu, his accomplice and Lord El-Melloi like hawks, and were more than capable of acting autonomously without his direction. It was simply the very fact he'd been discovered upset his game plan.
He'd intended to wait until either Lancer or Saber were eliminated, preferably the latter, before swooping in to finish off the victor before they had a chance to recover. Considering both of their Masters were within striking distance, it would take but one well-placed bullet to take out the remaining two Knights.
However, thanks to Rider's thunderous arrival, not only was this plan officially shot to hell, but his position and said objectives had been compromised by the King of Conquerors' challenge.
'What to do…' he mused, eyes narrowing in contemplation 'No self-respecting Servant would ignore such a blatant provocation, certainly not a member of the Knight Class, but if I refuse to answer his challenge and remain hidden, then they'll become suspicious.'
That and a part of him was rankled by the King of Conqueror's words. His pride, which many had warned him was one of his greatest weaknesses, rising to the fore at the idea that anyone, Heroic Spirit or what have you, would dare to call him a coward.
'Damned if I do, damned if I don't…' he sighed, shaking his head at the idea even as he made to step into view, only to blink as a surge of Prana heralded the arrival of another Servant, his eyes widening as a black knight appeared below, his armored form obscured by a strange dark fog, the howl, like a maddened beast, that emerged from the creature tearing through the night sky.
'Berserker!' he swore, his eyes narrowing as he glared at his foe, trying and failing to spot any discernible features through the thick fog even as he stepped back to a less visible position 'Kirei,' he called out over their link 'Can you see anything?'
'Nothing.' came the reply, the Executor's words grim inside Lelouch's mind as he peered at the Mad Servant through his Servant's eyes 'Whatever that fog is, it's preventing me from seeing his stats.'
'Must be a Noble Phantasm…' Lelouch deduced, his eyes narrowing in suspicion as he glared at the black Knight, only to blink as the Mad Servant turned to glance at Saber, the crimson light emanating from the grill of his helmet lighting up with hellish intent as he began to tremble in fury 'Oh dear...'
With the Servants...
"Hey, King of Conquerors." Lancer called out, a smirk adorning his handsome features as he regarded the clearly Mad Servant warily, knowing all to well what a maddened beast could do if underestimated "Aren't you going to invite him to join you?"
"Invite him?" Rider grumbled, grimacing at the idea even as he regarded the black knight with a hint of disappointment "He doesn't look too interested in negotiating to begin with." He confessed, before patting a trembling Waver on the head "So, boy. How powerful a Servant is he?"
"I…I don't know." Waver stammered, the long-suffering boy gazing upon what was arguably the most dangerous Servant of all with terrified confusion "I just…can't tell at all…!"
"What?" Rider groaned petulantly, not that Waver noticed, the King gazing down at his Master with palpable disappointment "You may be a lousy Master, but shouldn't you still be able to sense his Strengths and Weaknesses?"
"I can't!" Waver countered, unable to tear his eyes away from the Black Knight "I can tell how strong Lancer and Saber are just fine, but other than the fact I can tell he's a Servant, I can't read anything about that thing!"
"Looks like another troublesome enemy showed up…" Irisviel muttered, the homunculus sticking as close to Saber as she could, the King of Knights grimacing as more and more Servants seemed to pop out of the woodwork, making it all the harder for her to protect her stand-in Master.
'Lancer at least I can trust to act with the decorum of a Knight.' She muttered, eyeing the Spearman before glancing at Rider 'The King of Conquerors I'm not so certain, it would be tactically sound to take another Master Hostage, but something tells me he'd never resort to such tricks.'
That just left Berserker and the still concealed Archer. While it troubled her that the Knight of the Bow had been watching over their battle all this time, the fact he hadn't targeted Irisviel while she was battling Diarmuid spoke highly of his character.
That just left Berserker to worry about, a realization she came to just in time as the black knight's head turned towards her, like a hound sniffing out its prey, the hellish light escaping from its grill seeming to grow brighter as a howl of unrestrained malice tore from its throat, the Mad Servant lunging at her with the force of a wild beast, grabbing the pole that had been severed during her earlier duel with Lancer.
"Irisviel! Get back!" Saber yelled, lunging forwards to meet the attack, blocking it with her Excalibur, only to blink as, rather than being cleaved in two by her blade, the pole continued to bear down on her, forcing the King of Knights to redouble her efforts to hold it at bay.
'How is this possible?' she wondered, grimacing as she braced herself against Berserker's insane strength. By all rights, the only thing that could possibly match a Noble Phantasm was another Noble Phantasm, like Lancer's Spears or Rider's Chariot, yet here Berserker was pushing her back with something he'd picked up off the ground.
'Wait…' she muttered, her eyes widening as she spotted the black lines, like the veins of a leaf, that covered the impromptu weapon, seemingly emanating from where Berserker's armored hands gripped it, spreading out like a Spider's web 'So that's it, he's reinforcing it with his Prana! Whatever he touches becomes a Noble Phantasm!"
"Who are you?" she demanded, driving her opponent back, only for the Black Knight to bounce back almost immediately, ceaselessly pressing his attacks, the King of Knights grimacing beneath the strain due to her wounds her eyes widening as he brought his improvised weapon around for a blow that would've surely crushed her skull, were it not for the timely intervention of Lancer, who cleaved the iron pole in half with a single swing of his lance.
"That's enough playing around, Berserker." The Knight of the Spear proclaimed, pointing Gae Dearg at the Mad Servant accusingly "Saber has a previous engagement with me. I won't just ignore it if you insist on interfering further."
"What are you doing, Lancer?" Diarmuid's Master demanded, the anger in his tone more than apparent as the Servants, with the exception of Berserker and Rider, flinched, having completely forgotten about him during the battle "This is your chance to defeat Saber."
"I will slay Saber!" Lancer proclaimed, Saber's eyes widening at the almost desperate expression on the Knight's face, "I, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, swear this on my honor! My lord, I but ask that you allow me to put down this mad dog first!"
For a moment, all was silent, and Saber actually gave herself a second to breathe at the apparent sign of Lancer's Master's consent, only for a shiver to race down her spine at the man's next words.
"With my command Seal, I order you…" he called out, Lancer's desperate plea falling on deaf ears even as Saber braced herself for what was sure to come "Lancer, assist Berserker and kill Saber."
Even though she knew it was coming, the sheer speed and momentum of Diarmuid's spear still caught Saber by surprise, the King of Knights bracing herself for the blow, only to blink as, rather than impacting off her sword, Gae Dearg's shaft was blocked by a hexagonal pane of pink light that formed in the hair's breadth between her face and the deadly tip of the Crimson Rose of Exorcism, which ricocheted off with an audible clang upon impact.
"And here I was thinking your luck with women was bad, Diarmuid." a charismatic voice noted, Irisviel's cry of surprise drawing Saber's attention to her stand-in Master, the King of Knights' eyes widening at the sight of the masked figure standing at the Homunculus' side, limbs concealed beneath an ominous mantle "Though it would seem your luck with Masters is just as bad."
With Kiritsugu...
Kiritsugu swore at the sight of the Servant manifesting next to his wife, the Magus Killer bringing his weapon to bear on him despite knowing full well he wasn't equipped with anything that could make so much as a dent in a Servant.
'How the hell did he escape my notice for so long?' he muttered, recalling how Rider, who he'd immediately dismissed as a moron despite his identity, had revealed the masked Servant's presence, more accurately, had revealed he'd followed Irisviel and Saber here.
'What the hell was that girl doing?' he growled, his faith in the so-called 'King of Knights' abilities taking another sharp dive as he glared at the masked Servant, looking for any signs of ill-intent, only to freeze as something sharp was placed against his neck.
"Don't move." a woman ordered, her voice brooking no argument as she tilted the edge of her blade for emphasis so that it traced his carotid artery "Rest assured, if I had wanted you dead, I could've killed you without revealing myself."
'Assassin?' Kiritsugu wondered, his mind racing a mile a minute as the woman claimed his headset for herself 'How can that be? There should only be six Servants left, and five of them are gathered below.'
"If you are expecting your compatriot to assist you, we have already restrained her." The woman continued, her voice betraying no emotion "Rest assured she will not be harmed, but if either of you shows any signs of resistance, we will kill the homunculus."
'Damn it…' Kiritsugu hissed, a dead weight forming in his stomach at the threat to his wife even as another set of hands appropriated his Sniper Rifle, the presence of the blade at his throat keeping him from looking at the woman's accomplice.
"No unnecessary movements." she warned, Kiritsugu unable to help noting how similar to Maiya she sounded, not her voice, but in the cold, professional tone she delivered her words "We may still have a use for you, so don't make me do anything I'll regret later."
With the Servants...
"Archer…" Lancer grit out, the Knight of the Spear clearly torn between shock and relief at the Masked Servant's interference as his body lost some of the tenseness that came from resisting the Command Seals, as the situation had changed enough that they were no longer compelling him to assault Saber against his wishes.
On the one hand, he was surprised that Archer, who he had considered a coward for lurking in the shadows, no doubt intending to snipe the winner of his and Saber's duel, would give up such a tactical advantage.
On the other hand, his involvement had spared Diarmuid's honor from being trampled on, the Knight of Fianna's opinion of the Masked Knight improving drastically in the scant seconds it took him to realise what had happened.
Berserker, lacking the wits to form an opinion beyond 'Kill Everything', merely roared his fury and continued to attack Saber head on, his improvised weapon lashing out to strike down the King of Knights, only to be repeatedly blocked by more of the same Hexagonal panels that had halted Gae Dearg.
So preoccupied was the black knight with his task, so great his desire to crush the King of Knights, that he failed to notice Rider's Chariot bearing down on him until the massive Oxen were literally breathing down his neck, and by that point there was little the Mad Servant could do other than be trampled underfoot while Lancer leapt clear at the last moment.
After all, his Master's Command had been specifically to aide the Black Knight in destroying Saber. At no point had Lord Kayneth commanded that he also protect the Black Knight from harm.
"Hoh? He's quite the tough one, isn't he?" Rider noted, the King of Conquerors sounding impressed despite himself as he watched Berserker push himself off the ground, the Mad Servant looking none the worse for wear despite being trampled by the Gordius wheel.
"Mad Enhancement doesn't just rob Berserkers of their minds; it also dulls their sense of pain." the Masked Servant, Archer, pointed out, his tone calm and analytical despite the shock on the other's faces at Rider's interference "Or perhaps it's more accurate to say it 'transfers' the pain. So unless Berserker's Master is some kind of Masochist, he'll probably recall his Servant about now."
Sure enough, with a growl like a cornered beast directed at his fellow Servants, Berserker vanished into the ether, leaving behind a small crater where he'd collapsed and a hint of murderous intent.
"It would seem our black friend has retired for the evening." Rider noted, the King of Conqueror's amusement fading as he glared up at the wall of containers that concealed Lancer's Master from view "I don't know where you're watching from, Lancer's Master, but don't use your petty tricks to interfere in a battle between Knights."
"Are you really one to be pointing fingers after your entrance, King of Conquerors?" Archer quipped, earning an unrepentant grin from Rider even as the Masked Servant turned to regard the wall of containers "As Rider rightly claims, your Ally has fled, Lord El-Melloi." He called out, Lancer's features tensing further even as Rider's master yelped at the mention of the man's name "What now? Will you withdraw? Or are you prepared to face the consequences of tarnishing Lancer's pride?"
"You certainly are a mouthy upstart." Lord El-Melloi noted condescendingly, unaware of how the Masked Servant's fists clenched at the sound of that familiar aristocratic sneer, so similar to those of the aristocracy from the homeland "Honestly, just what is it with these Servants, mouthing off to their betters like this?"
"You think yourself superior to Epic Heroes, Lord El Melloi?" Archer inquired, the mockery in his tone apparent for all to see "You? Who lurks in the shadows and needs to resort to a command seal to get your way, while Saber and Rider's Masters bravely follow their Servants into battle?"
"It is hardly my fault that the Einzberns didn't train their pet homunculus in the proper etiquette regarding how Masters do battle." Lord El Melloi sneered "And as for Rider's so-called 'Master', I must admit I was wondering who'd be audacious enough to steal my catalyst…to think it'd be you, Waver Velvet."
Rider's Master, Waver apparently, flinched at the use of his full name, the terrified youth huddling next to his Servant as if fearing drawing further attention to himself, which in all honesty was a moot point, given Rider's actions already.
"I had wondered what madness could have possessed you to steal my Relic." the Archibald heir continued, his tone mocking, though there was a definite undertone of malice if you listened closely enough "But I never would have expected you would be foolish enough to enter the Holy Grail War yourself." He scoffed "It would seem I'll have to give you a special lesson in the fear and pain involved in a battle to the death between Magi."
Waver whimpered, the poor boy looking absolutely terrified as he sank down to his knees, head clutched in his hands, wondering what on earth had possessed him to do such a suicidal thing, only to blink as Rider placed one massive hand on his back, the King of Conqueror's features soft, like a Lion looking over one of his cubs, an analogy that was made even more clear as he turned to glare at their surroundings.
"Hey! Lord El Melon or whatever you call yourself!" he roared, his voice shattering the silence around them "You claim that you were to be my Master? Don't make me laugh!" he nodded towards the Masked Servant "As Archer says, only a man brave enough to ride into battle at my side could ever be my Master! A coward like you that lacks the courage to even show his face would never have been worthy of summoning me!"
"Well put, King of Conquerors." Archer applauded, earning a bitter glare from Lancer at the insults they were directing towards his lord, "I'd stay close if I were you, Irisviel." he warned the homunculus, who blinked at his casual use of her name "While I applaud you and young Waver's courage in standing by your Servants in battle, Lord El Melloi has already shown he has no qualms using his Command Seals to force Lancer to go against his code of chivalry, and with Berserker gone he could command him to attack you to get to Saber."
"I'll take my chances…" the Homunculus opined, eyeing the Masked Servant warily even as she glanced worriedly at Saber, who was torn between her desire to leap to Irisviel's side and keeping a wary eye on Lancer, who even now seemed to be struggling to keep from lashing out at her.
"I suppose I can't fault you for being cautious." Archer acknowledged a note of approval that earned a blink of confusion from the woman "Indeed I'd think less of you if you so readily accepted my help." He raised a hand from beneath his cloak "With that said, allow me to put your fears to rest, as a token of my intent."
So saying, he snapped his fingers, which was followed almost instantaneously with the crack of a gunshot, Waver's shriek of alarm all but drowned out as Kayneth's screech of pain tore through the night air Lancer calling out to his master in concern.
"R-retreat, Lancer!" the Archibald heir cried out, clearly in pain from the way his voice cracked "Forget Saber, get me out of here!"
"You heard the man, Diarmuid." Archer called out, his tone cordial, as if he hadn't just attacked his fellow Knight's Master right in front of him "It would seem you and Saber will have to finish your little Tête-à-Tête at a later date."
Lancer scowled, looking like he'd like nothing more than to run the Masked Servant through, but another gunshot and pained screech from his Master decided things for him, the Knight of Fianna sparing a brief glance in Saber's direction before leaping off in the direction of his Master, leaving the remaining Servants and Irisviel standing in silence.
And I'll just leave off there.
So as you can plainly see, Zero is not messing around.
For those of you who point out that Zero's 'Shield' shouldn't have been able to block Gae-Dearg, allow me to assure you that had the Tip of Gae Dearg made contact, it would've gotten through.
However, Zero placed the shield in such a way that it blocked the shaft of the spear, not the tip. He merely timed the shield so that it was just close enough to make it appear as if he blocked the tip of the Spear.
As stated in the Type-Moon Material Collection, only the tip of the Crimson Rose of Exorcism can cut through Magic, which makes sense, as you can hardly 'cut' anything with the shaft. As such, all Lelouch had to do to block the spear was prevent the tip from coming into contact with anything magic.
Some of you can probably guess just what the shield is, but I'm not going to spoil anything for those who don't at this juncture. I will confess, however, that it all ties into his Noble Phantasms.
For those of you wondering why Zero would have Kayneth shot if he needed him alive, I never said they hit anything vital did I? Or maybe he did? Who Knows? Well I do, but for the rest of you, you'll have to wait till the next update.