Having heard Reyven's call, Garren stood and made his way to the hallway, hoping to meet her halfway and that he did. He rounded the corner with a troubled expression, watching her make her way down the hall at a speedy pace. "What do you mean? Someone is trying to get our attention?" he asked and kept pace beside her as they walked to his study.
"Anyone's most likely, they were simply announcing their presence and it is unlikely to be directed just at us. Thus, it is also safe to suspect there will be others."
Garren took a moment to process the information and its implications before giving a nod, "I understand. What do you suspect we should do then? This could very well be our first encounter with anyone."
They both walked into the study and Garren walked around to stand behind his desk while Reyven stood in the center of the room once more. "Indeed, but it is just as likely to be everyone's first encounter with the others as well and there is likely information to be had one way or the other." One hand was perched on the grip of her pistol, a finger tapping gently on it, "The way we carry this out is up to you, Master, but I can recommend a choice of action."
He gestured her to continue, "Go on, I'm no tactician here. I might have an idea or two but you're the one with experience and who knows your limits."
She tipped her head in acknowledgement, "I recommend going in alone with you staying here and observing with a familiar or via my own eyes. It is the safest course of action even if you will be limited somewhat," the slight frown on his face spoke his displeasure with the idea even if he knew her point. It also did not escape her attention, "If you truly wish to accompany me then I recommend keeping a good distance, once more, for your own safety and to keep your identity hidden for that much longer but it is up to you."
Garren let out a deep breath and sat down, knowing he'd have to give this a bit of thought. Sure she had a point, it was better to stay hidden not only for his own safety but because it'd make him harder to find and target as his identity would remain anonymous. But still, to be able to see that sort of clash first-hand and perhaps have a bit more dictation on the field, not to mention thinking it'd be the honorable thing to do, not hiding from his foes. But what was honor in the face of certain death?
His eyes trailed over to his swords, perhaps he could bring one along for the sake of it but if he was attacked by a heroic spirit it wasn't likely he'd have anywhere near the skill to match and another mage wouldn't give a toss for a sword of all things. In the end he sighed; reason prospered this time around but only because of the stakes, maybe next time when one-on-one was guaranteed he'd tag along.
"Alright, Hunter, you know what's best. I'll stay behind this time and watch."
Her shoulders visibly fell a little, "Thank you, Master," she stated softly with a bow.
"I'll try to keep in touch. Fight hard and do your best."
"I shall. I will make haste at once," and with that she vanished into a trail of purple dust as she entered her spirit form. Garren nodded more to himself than anyone in particular after a few moments and sighed before sitting forward in his seat a bit and taking out his journal. Might as well take a few notes while he watched.
By the time Reyven arrived the clashing of blades already was filling the air and she had to make sure to take her steps carefully around the shipyard so as to not be spotted. She started with a brief patrol around the area, skirting the edges of the containers and being wary of all her surroundings as she looked not only for a place to observe, but possibly to catch anyone unwary as well.
As she soon discovered though, she was not the only one more keen to watching. From her spot behind several shipping containers near the water, while she could hear the battle and not see it, she did have a vantage point on a large crane and thought it would make a good place of observation. That was, until she considered there would likely be others with the same mindset and indeed she soon learned that what she previously thought was a flag was actually another individual entirely.
Brows furrowed in concern, she took out her monocular and extended it some to get a better look, confirming it to be none other than the previously thought perished Assassin. Or at least, one she could assume was them based on appearance. That answers that suspicion...she thought to herself with a frown and glanced in the direction of the ensuing battle as the sounds of a collapsing shipping container and distant voices once more reached her ears.
It was not that she did not trust her Master, indeed she had no doubts what he saw was real, no, something else far bigger was at work here and it would require more looking into. At the moment though she had to focus on finding a good place of observation without revealing herself to anyone just yet. She did a bit more surveying and once she got to the crane she realized while being up higher on it would give her a better view, one of its lower platforms provided enough of a vantage point that she could watch and listen without hindrance or alerting Assassin.
"Master," she whispered softly, knowing he could hear her if he was watching, "you are watching?"
"Yes, Hunter, I've seen everything thus far. It seems we were right to assume something was amiss with Assassin." Reyven only gave a nod of her head in response and took out her monocular to see if she could get a closer observation while retaining her distance, "I can see the two Servants' power levels. If I were to guess the woman in blue is Saber while the other is Lancer. I don't know about the woman in white though, were I to guess she is Saber's Master given her position."
Reyven frowned as she adjusted her lense to focus on the woman Garren had described, her features growing dark and her finger twitching instinctively. "Master, that woman-" she didn't have time to finish before a male voice filled the area, addressing Lancer directly.
"That must be Lancer's Master then. What were you saying, Hunter?" Garren asked but Reyven had to press herself to the steel structure as she heard a creak and glanced up to see Assassin had begun to look down.
When she was certain he had returned his attention to the battle, for Lancer had been given permission to use his Noble Phantasm and likely reveal his identity in the process, she reached back and summoned a jar of blue elixir. She quietly popped the cork off the jar and drank deeply of the glowing blue liquid, shivering in discomfort as she felt much of her body grow numb but raised her hand to see she was all but see-through.
Now that she was at least fairly masked, she spoke once more to her Master, this time in a voice just barely audible. "It is unsafe to say much. I will observe, say more later," with that she crouched down again on her ledge and gazed out at the battle taking place.
Lancer had discarded his short spear and now held a revealed red one at the ready in one hand as he addressed Saber, "Understood, I'll be sure to take notes of what transpires. Stay safe." She merely nodded and felt her eye twitch at the tingling sensation around her neck at the movement. The elixirs she had were quite effective at what they did and with her enhanced ability as a heroic spirit they lasted a bit longer than they would otherwise. Though that did not make them any more comfortable to use all things considered.
The battle ensued once more and it was clear something indeed had changed with the exposing of the spear. As the knights clashed again the magic obscuring Saber's blade was parted and revealed the blade amidst the swirling winds. Briefly anyway as Reyven could not get a good look at the blade before Saber backed away, the blade once more being obscured. The Hunter couldn't help but lean forward some, intrigued. Could the spear have anti-magic properties? It would make sense given what happened and Lancer's previous questioning about how Saber's blade was hidden.
Perhaps it would be revealed in greater detail soon enough but for now she continued to watch, noting how much heavier of an offensive Lancer took and how Saber moved to parry, defend, and retreat. Both were certainly exceedingly skilled warriors and it would be difficult to take either on their own, all the more reason to not interfere now aside from the fact she could gauge certain moves and skills each used the best she could. It was easy for her to see a pattern in her opponents' styles and use it to her advantage when she fought them or while she was in the process thereof. To have this information prior to any encounter would likely be crucial to her chances aside from the surprises she already had under her belt.
A few more clashes and once more they went at each other, from their stances Reyven was able to tell what Saber was likely going for, using her superior armor to take a glancing blow and strike while he was open. Though this was to assume he did not raise the handle to block or parry it but she'd have to see how it played out, hopefully able to figure out the strength of either the spear or Saber's armor in the process.
The distance closed and blood drew but it was Saber staggering back, Lancer giving her a quick flurry to press the brief advantage but his opponent recovered fast enough to deflect the blows and back up a safe distance. The woman in white might not have been what her Master thought but she still appeared to be a magus for she healed Saber's wound and Reyven made sure to note that as well; it'd be crucial should she and Saber clash.
Saber confirmed Reyven's previous assumptions that Lancer's spear had counter-magical properties while also revealing her own armor was magically woven. Perhaps not the most useful of information in the long run, but still possibly something important to figuring out their identities. They once more squared off, and as Saber took a position after dismissing her armor Reyven noticed Lancer was backing up slowly, given how before he'd only advance or stand his ground she saw this as unusual and wondered why Saber did not as well.
Suddenly he seemed to slip and in an instant Saber was closing the distance, her blade, or at least her wind magic along with it, propelled her forward at a great speed. Even Reyven could not deny the power behind the attack, but it was clearly a setup as Lancer kicked his second spear up from where it had been buried amongst the rubble of their fighting, the wrappings unravelling themselves to reveal a yellow spear beneath it. The tip aimed right for Saber's incoming head.
The female knight must have realized her mistake too late but adjusted quick enough not to end herself for in a moment's notice she was tumbling to the side while Lancer dropped his second spear, a slash visible upon his forearm. Reyven narrowed her eyes and shifted a little to get a better view of Saber but saw the woman stand after a few seconds.
Once more, words were exchanged before Lancer's Master's voice filled the area, "Stop talking and get to work, you fool! Finish her. What are you waiting for?" Lancer's forearm had a faint glow and it appeared he was healed of his wounds just as Saber had been earlier.
"Someone's certainly impatient. Wouldn't necessarily blame him if this wasn't going as quickly as it could be. Can't really rush a duel." Reyven blinked, having almost forgotten her Master was watching as well through her eyes.
Panic came from the white-dressed woman, Irisviel if the Hunter heard it correctly, as the healing magic was not working and that perked her interest. Things started to come together in her mind and Saber made the same connections while he made observations of his own. Lancer was Diarmuid, first knight of Fianna while Saber turned out to be the fabled King Arthur of Britain, a true surprise in its own right.
"Wow...when they said heroic spirits I never realized this was the extent of what it could include. And to think King Arthur was actually a woman. I'm only surprised because of the stigma women faced back then but I guess you can't argue if they manage to pull the sword from the stone." Reyven gave no comment of her own but was fascinated herself, such an interesting point of fable turned end over end with a seemingly small thing being able to make all the difference. On top learning two of her opponents' identities though, Reyven also had a few other things going her way. Firstly, she knew of the powers of both of Lancer's weapons and the threats they posed, and because of one of those weapons Saber's left arm was crippled, unable to be healed until Lancer was defeated.
Not only did this mean it'd likely significantly weaken Saber, but also that so long as Lancer remained in play she would stay as such and it'd likely be a good idea to leave him be until it was either necessary to do so or Saber fell first. Perhaps either of them would call her craven for such strategizing but she did not care, this was a war, a battle she could not simply return from the Dream to should she fall. Even then, it was not as though she'd known glory and honor for most of her life anyway.
The two combatants prepared to go at each other once more and Reyven couldn't help but think Saber would be outdone at last; the odds weren't particularly in her favor after all. Before either could attack though, lightning struck between them and from the skies came a chariot driven by two massive oxen, the large man behind the reins shouting a warcry seemingly at the top of his lungs all the while.
She truthfully couldn't help but blink and be taken somewhat aback by the suddenness of what could only be a new Servant's intervention. He landed between the knights and there was a momentary pause from everyone, apparently still taking it all in just as she was, when the great man threw his arms up.
"Both of you sheathe your blades!" he proclaimed, "For I am a King! I am Ishkandar, King of Conquerors! In this battle of the Holy Grail, I am of the Rider class of Servants!" The Hunter couldn't help but blink again with wide-eyed amazement. Surely it seemed stupid to anyone to reveal so much all at once, even were one such a prideful individual that it bordered on narcissism. Perhaps such a thing was to be expected from someone with the title 'King of Conquerors' though.
"Alexander the Great? That's certainly a surprise in its own right, not to mention the entrance. Guess it's not my place to complain about useful information though. All that leaves us with is Archer, Caster, and Berserker left to see." Reyven nodded, better not to take for granted information that could be used, no matter how it was gotten, especially if it could be used to one's advantage. Such was the way of the War.
The rebuttal from Rider's Master toward his Servant caused the Hunter to frown, though she could not tell for what emotion. He sounded no older than a boy, perhaps not too young but the thought of possibly seeing the death of another young person did not sit well with her. That, and she highly doubted he knew just exactly what he was getting himself into. What he'd see, what he'd experience. So was fate though and he'd tangled himself up in this war just as her Master; she wouldn't go out of her way to harm him, but she might not protect him either.
"Suppose you can't say he didn't try. Seems old habits do die hard though," her Master's words snapped her from her thoughts and she refocused on the situation at hand, hearing the three Servants bickering about Rider's offer to join him in world conquest. When it seemed combat was about to stir again as tensions rose, Rider's Master throwing a fit on his Servant from his stupidity, Lancer's Master spoke once more.
It seemed he knew Rider's young Master by name even and what he had to say was none too pleasing for the Hunter to hear, especially since it was directed at a boy. Threatening to give him 'private lessons' about what it meant for mages to kill one another and that he should feel honored to have been getting them from him. It was hard to believe this was the Master of an honorable Knight. It made her wish to give him lessons about what it meant to treat killing like a game.
"That voice...it sounds familiar," Reyven once more heard her Master speak to her and raised a brow, could they all know each other then? "The name and face is on the tip of my tongue, but he sounds too narcissistic. Too much like a prick."
Before much could be said, Rider addressed the mage directly, "Mage who is speaking now, am I to believe you would be my Master rather than this boy I'm sworn to serve? That whole idea is absurd, and laughable! Only one brave enough to ride onto the battlefield standing by my side could ever hope to be my Master! A coward who lacks sufficient courage to show himself is nowhere close to being worthy of me!" It was quickly followed by a deep boasting laugh and Reyven couldn't help but feel a small smile creep up upon her face in appreciation. The boy at least seemed to be in good hands in some fashion it seemed.
Her gaze lingered over to Lancer and she could see the dark look upon his face and she could not discern whether it was from anger at Rider's insult to his 'new lord', embarrassment, or perhaps because he shared the thoughts that Rider proclaimed and simply did not voice it. It could very well be a matter of each in their own right but the knight said nothing so she could only leave it to speculation.
"Of course, there are others out there, skulking in the darkness, watching us!" Rider announced once more as he turned to direct his voice around him and Reyven simply expressionless, knowing what was likely to come here shortly. When Saber questioned the mighty man still standing in his chariot, he complimented the knights on a duel well fought and how it surely must have drawn other Servants to watch and learn. Reyven glanced up to Assassin still perched high above her and then around the rooftops of the other warehouses, wondering who else might truly be out there.
"Heroic spirits reborn through the Grail, gather here and now! Those too craven and cowardly to show themselves here tonight will draw the vicious scorn of Ishkandar, King of Conquerors!"
"Reyven…" her Master's tone had an aching pleading to it, no doubt wanting his Servant not to receive the same scorn of being labeled as cowardly or weak.
But she simply shook her head. She knew when she was outclassed and while the others may yet know of her existence, they did not yet know her identity and at the moment her secrecy was her greatest strength. Besides, her time would come.
As it stood, Rider's taunt certainly seemed to work as golden wisps collected atop a nearby street light. Reyven glanced up to Assassin above her before returning her attention to the scene before her, it seemed things were certainly starting to ramp themselves up a bit.
That's gotta be the Servant that killed Assassin the other night and that certainly doesn't look like any Berserker. Perhaps it could still be a Caster but I think it's safe to assume by this point it's Archer. Garren had to open his eyes and write down a few more things quickly before closing them again to return to watching everything through Reyven's, Hunter's, eyes. He needed to become more familiar with the distinction otherwise it could cost them revealing her possible weaknesses.
He rubbed his eyes and watched, scribbling details in the forms of small notes and hoping they wouldn't look too cluttered when he could look at them again. This new Servant, who claimed to be the first King of all things, seemed quite agitated to be in the presence of two others who claimed to be Kings themselves and all too alright to flaunt what could only be his Noble Phantasm. Golden tears in reality appeared hovering behind him with two different weapons aimed at Rider and Garren could only assume that was how he killed Assassin, throwing those at the poor fool without a care in the world. For how narcissistic he was though, this Servant definitely seemed to have the powers to justify it and Garren couldn't help but be a bit worried by that.
He'd admit to being a bit anxious to see where this would go. He'd seen Saber and Lancer fight and it was a wonder to watch as someone who was competent at swordplay. Seeing two masters of their craft, legends of history no less, clash with magic and greater strength than when they were first alive on top of it made for a spectacle he all too easily got caught up in. He hadn't even seen Rider in action yet and had only gotten a glimpse of what this new Servant could do from the night before so he couldn't help but be a bit eager for a bit more action not to mention if the other two joined in. That'd certainly be a party.
Then, out of the blue, a swirling black flame sprang forth not far from where Archer was perched and yet another figure stood from the same spot, releasing an agonized howl as he did. "Must be our Berserker. Only leaves Caster left," he mumbled more to himself but Reyven gave an acknowledging nod from what he could tell. From this distance Garren could make out that Berserker seemed to be another knight, covered in armor at the very least, and had a dark aura around him that seemed to mask his power from Masters because as hard as he tried to concentrate he could not glean a single bit about this one. That was a bit concerning.
Berserkers eyes were turned to Archer and when the Servant noticed he seemed none too pleased and fired his weapons, followed none too shortly by a rather large explosion. Garren briefly thought the Servant had met the same fate as Assassin but that only lasted as long as it took for the smoke to clear, revealing the knight standing with one of the swords thrown at him in hand. There was a brief moment of perplextion from him until Rider explained for everyone what had happened: Berserker had evaded the first blade, snatched it from the air, and smote the second from the air with it.
Once more Archer seemed quite agitated and even more shining portals opened around him, a blade from each one and none the same. The next few minutes were ones Garren didn't think he'd ever forget for as long as he lived, whether that be before the end of this war or long after. Berserker's clash with Archer could only be described as awesome in the truest sense of the word, blades snatched from the air with ease and used to deflect their brethren with equal swiftness and seeming effortlessness, power behind every motion and action, it was truly a sight to behold.
By the end of that Archer seemed ready to unleash an army's worth of weaponry upon the opposing Servant, who all the while stood watching on silently, though did not get the chance to as his Master must have had other plans. Archer called a warning to an unseen force and dismissed the golden portals before giving a warning and withdrawing in a flutter of golden dust, and not a moment later Berserker had laid his eyes upon Saber. He appeared to quake where he stood before releasing another agonized howl to the heavens and with a swiftness which should not belong to such a dark presence, ran to scoop up a piece of the sliced lamppost which Archer had been perched upon, and was upon the female knight in a fit of pure unbound rage.
Saber seemed only just able to block and redirect the blow before she was able to fend Berserker back, though only for another second for he was upon her once again in that time. Even from Reyven's perspective Garren could tell the ferocity in which Berserker assaulted the King of Knights, where a blow might be deflected and his balance upset he'd correct it in a flash and would once more attack.
"He certainly seems to have it out for her…" Garren noted, opening his eyes to write more details down as he'd been too caught up in the moments prior to have done so. He was sure he might even be missing out on something now but took a moment to revise some of the more recent notes to ensure they were legible and add to them a bit before returning to Hunter. It seemed he 'arrived' just in time to see Rider charge Berserker and Lancer as they advanced on Saber.
The latter of the advancing attackers noticed Rider's charge and got out of the way but Berserker realized it an instant too late, the massive oxen flattening him before he was sucked under the wheels of the chariot and was sent barreling for several meters as Rider continued on to turn and watch the Servant finally roll to a stop. Garren couldn't help but take in a breath as Berserker lifted himself shakily on hands and knees, watching Rider with what could only be a spiteful glare before vanishing in a swirl of black flame. Who- or whatever that Servant truly was, he had to admit that they terrified him. So much power with such speed and agility and almost nothing seemed capable of stopping it; it didn't sit well with him such a dark creature could have such traits and he'd have to make sure he limited Reyven's engagements with that one in particular as much as he comfortably could.
Rider called out Lancer's Master once more, arguing it in his best interests for Lancer to withdraw lest Rider join Saber to put him down. Garren was able to put two and two together after that, thinking in the time he hadn't been paying attention Lancer's Master must have commanded him to aid Berserker for the knight certainly didn't strike him as one to break an honorable duel to take out competition.
He didn't get far into his thought though as Reyven spoke again at long last, still in a hushed whisper, "Master...shall I eliminate Assassin?"
Garren blinked and he realized what she was getting at, that now was the perfect time to strike them while the numbers of the others were thinning. He had to give it a moment's thought as he contemplated if she'd truly get the jump on the Servant whose sole job was just that, but his faith in her won out. "Do it."
Kirei stood within the church before the magical device shaped like a phonograph which allowed him to communicate with his mentor, Tokiomi. Even where he stood though he could see all that had transpired that night at the warehouse district through the eyes of Assassin, who, had perched themselves atop a nearby crane so as to observe the battle easily but likely go largely unnoticed themselves.
Truly it had been a fruitful night with a wealth of information having been gained from this one encounter alone that could no doubt be used in the coming days. There had still been tolls taken though with Gilgamesh showing himself and losing his temper to the mad dog Berserker, to the point Tohsaka had even been forced to use one of his command seals, but such was the way of things. Arrogance had its price, after all, and it seemed they would be paying for Gilgamesh's.
Rider and Saber were all that were left now but as they finished their talks the former snapped the reins for his chariot and took to the skies. It'd be difficult to track that pair but it was likely still possible for his Assassins to and if not then another opportunity would likely present itself eventually. All that was left now was Saber and the Eiznbern woman as Rider took his leave.
Kirei was about to order Assassin to continue to track Saber and her Master when the sound of striking metal from behind his Servant drew their attention there. Just as Assassin turned their vision was filled with the sight of a silver-haired woman dressed in a black garb wearing a grey-white hat. Not even Assassin had time to react as the woman plunged one warped blade into their chest with another soon plunged under the chin of his Servant. He watched as a single shadowy hand reached forward to paw at the woman's shoulder weakly before she yanked her blades free, not even flinching at the brief splatter of blood across her cheek.
The last thing he saw Assassin seeing was the sky as she pushed them off the top of the crane with her foot. Kirei opened his eyes slowly and was silent for a long pause, "Tokiomi, we may have a problem..."
Saber stood amongst the battlefield with Irisviel now that their trial had been completed, "They were all powerful adversaries. Not one of them was a conventional enemy…" she could not keep the foreboding from her tone but now was no time to make light of what had happened. She had been on the receiving end of much of the combat and while she had gleaned some information about the other Servants, some still remained almost entirely in the dark and most if not all of the others already knew her name. Not to mention the injury which Lancer had inflicted upon her, leaving her left arm crippled.
"So this...is the Holy Grail War…" Saber turned to Irisviel as the woman looked to the sky, wondering if she had expected this from the start, or if she was realizing the scope at which this war could reach and how it could only get worse from here. They stood there a few moments longer, eyes grazing all the carnage as memories of the past few minutes came flashing back with each scar upon the area.
Saber willed her armor and dress to vanish, being replaced instead by her black suit once more as she reached a hand out to gently grab her companion's arm, "Irisviel, it is time we take our leave." The silver-haired woman was quiet for a second before turning with a small smile and a nod.
"Yes, lets. I hope you do not mind if I drive the car this time though," she requested with yet another giggle and just before Saber could respond the clacking sounds of footsteps caught her ears and attention. Immediately her face hardened once more and she stepped protectively in front of Irisviel, looking around slowly before her eyes fell upon a figure, a woman approaching them from the other side of the ruined streetway.
Saber's brow furrowed and she slowly stepped in front of Irisviel, summoning her battledress and armor along with her hidden Excalibur. Something did not feel right with this woman, from her odd choice of clothing to the way she so casually approached despite the destruction around her. She had silver hair similar to that of Irisviel's, was dressed in more modern but still out of place attire, and wore what looked like a flintlock in a holster on her thigh, though did not have any other visible weapon on her or even in her hands. The woman finally stopped several meters away, still and silent for several seconds as both seemed to size the other up before she folded her hands together at her waist and gave a bow.
"Good evening, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Though I am sad to say it is not under the best of circumstances," she spoke formally and with a soft voice but there was still a certain presence about her that made Saber uneasy.
As it was, Saber hesitated and gave only a nod in return though the woman did not straighten. Given this stranger's appearance and what Kiritsugu told her last night about an eighth summoning, she decided to voice her mind. "You, who are you? Are you the second Assassin?"
There was a pause lasting a few seconds before the woman shook her head slowly and straightened at last, though her hands remained folded over her stomach. "No, I am not Assassin, but I am still a Servant in this War," Saber's eyes narrowed and she eyed the woman suspiciously. "You may call me Hunter."
"Hunter…? An eighth class?" Irisviel breathed in disbelief behind Saber, though the Servant did not take her eyes off this 'Hunter'.
She did not waste time thinking on the possibilities, something simply did not feel right at all with the situation at hand. "Why are you here? Why did you not reveal yourself at Rider's behest?" this woman may not be Assassin as she claimed, but Rider's calling had been clear and if had shown herself then then it was equally clear what it labelled her as.
"I have my own reasons for not showing myself earlier, not the least of which being that I know when I am outmatched and there was nothing to be gained to do so. If you wish to list me as craven because of it then that is your business, I am no knight and glory has never been a part of me." Then why has she chosen to come out now…? Saber thought to herself and tightened her grip on Excalibur even as it remained at her side. "As for why I am here…" the woman's gaze turned to look behind Saber at Irisviel, "I am here for her. Such is my duty."
Saber wasted no time raising her hidden blade and wrapping her left hand around it to the best she could, taking a combat ready stance though Hunter's head only slowly turned to her at the aggressive action. "So you would seek to harm my Master then?" Saber exclaimed, ready to strike or take on her guard at any moment, injured arm or no.
Hunter shook her head, "No, perhaps not yet, just her."
There was a soft gasp from behind her and Saber's eyes widened before her grip tightened again on her weapon. How does she know? There was no time to further waste on these squabbles, she was fine with what she was branded as and if she sought to hurt Irisviel she saw no point in continuing any conversation. "That is not something I am going to let happen. If you insist on harming Irisviel then raise your blade for you will not get to her without going through me first!"
Hunter gave a simple tip of her head, "As to be expected," the woman said softly still and reached to her thigh to withdraw her flintlock with her left hand. As she did Saber could see another silver object had been hidden behind it and she watched as Hunter used her hand to slide the object free and spin it in one fluid motion, revealing it to be an oddly shaped knife with an equally odd design upon it.
Saber eyed both of Hunter's weapons, having never heard of a Servant using a combination of two weapons one might expect of either an Archer or an Assassin. Is this what sets her apart as the Hunter class she claims to be? Which was she more proficient with and which was her Noble Phantasm? Saber's jaw tightened some as she raised her gaze back to Hunter's face to see it was blank as when she had first arrived.
"Irisviel, step back, I do not trust this woman…" she had already claimed to be after the young woman and as she had not honorably answered the call of another Servant to reveal herself, it was simply best not to take a chance.
Hunter simply stood there, still as when she'd first drew her weapons, whether waiting for Saber to attack or finish speaking she did not know but decided she would not wait herself, crippled arm or no. The distance between them closed quickly and still Hunter had not reacted, she was suspicious but at the same time would not hesitate, releasing a warcry as she swung her blade with a powerful stroke, aiming to take her head off.
Even halfway through her swing her opponent simply watched her with what could only be described as exhausted eyes before she suddenly simply pushed back with her feet, practically floating a meter back out of the reach of Saber's weapon. The sudden evasive action was a bit of a surprise but Saber was quick to adjust her swing, swinging it back around the other way as she advanced only for the same thing to happen.
Hunter almost appeared as light as a feather with how swift upon her feet she was for where Saber would swing the opposing Servant would simply push back or dash to the side. Even though she had yet to attack as Saber assaulted her, Hunter was agile and nimble, evading some strikes and feigns by simply ducking or leaning and at one point flipping back as Saber swiped at her legs.
Saber got more and more weary as she continued trying to strike the woman down; Hunter had yet to attack even when an opening might have presented itself and though her face remained straight and her eyes locked upon the knight, she still seemed to insist on playing these games with her. Suddenly, in the middle of one of Saber's strikes, the woman did not simply evade as she had with all the times before but instead raised her flintlock and fired in less than a second. Saber barely had time to react as the shot was aimed right to an opening in her strike and it was she whom was forced to evade with a step to the side, her swing going far too wide and the shot grazing her armor.
She gasped at the force the bullet had for even with the graze she stumbled some, put off balance for but an instant before she corrected only to see the gun trained at her legs now, barely retreating in time before the shot blew a hole in the street as big as her fist. As was already previously noted though, Hunter was swift, far too swift and when Saber retreated to avoid the bullet, her opponent was already closing the distance with a dash toward her this time.
Saber raised her blade and made a quick horizontal cut to drive Hunter off but instead of stepping back as she had all the times before, the woman ducked and flipped her knife around, shooting forward in an attempt to slash the knight as she passed. Gritting her teeth, Saber spun and stepped back, cutting down to fend off her attacker and each of them made contact with their blades. Hunter's weapon had slipped between the gap in her armor at her midsection and had caused a rather painful, if shallow, cut while the knight herself had managed to catch the other with a slash down her side as she had tried to step away.
Both stumbled back with Hunter rolling to keep her momentum going away from Saber before she landed in a battle-ready stance away from her, even though she staggered for a moment, gripping her side as Saber did the same. The knight winced and felt the blood running down her armor, far too much for what should have been a shallow cut, "Irisviel!"
"I'm on it!" Saber felt her wound close and the pain subside with it.
She breathed a breath of relief and raised her blade once more, "Thank you Irisviel." Her eyes were already on her opponent and she watched as Hunter dabbed at her wound before rolling her shoulder and standing straight once more. Saber furrowed her brow and eyed the wound on Hunter's side, sure her strike had been more of an offhand one, but there still should have been enough power behind that to do some damage for how much contact she made in their trade. Her eyes widened in surprise though as she saw that all the damage to the woman's side appeared to only be a scratch, a thin red line traveling down pale flesh.
Saber locked eyes with Hunter, seeing that the woman was simply waiting on her with those seemingly ever-tired eyes of hers. She had to take a moment to think this situation over. Who is this woman? Her blade must have a curse of some sort, causing even shallow wounds to bleed profusely and cause injuries to be even more painful than normal. Not to mention that she has a hardiness undeserving of the clothes she wore or the speed she possessed. Perhaps a hardening enchantment on her skin? That didn't sound right, but what else could it be? There was no way someone should be able to take a strike like that and simply have a cut that barely breaks skin, especially when she could have sworn it bit deeper and there was blood on her clothes to prove it. What was at work with this woman…?
"You are fast, I will give you that. Though I'm curious how you could take such a strike as that as if it was nothing." Perhaps the woman was somewhat craven, but she was still skilled and clearly an intelligent individual and had proven herself a bit more worthy of the knight's time, if only barely due to the combat prowess she showed herself capable of. Besides, it was not as though there was any hurry.
Hunter raised a brow and lifted her arm a little to look amongst the torn clothing to eye her wound, "This? It's...a bit of a curse in its own right."
Saber chortled with a smirk, "Tch! A curse which makes the skin like armor? You must jest if that is the case."
Her bravado faltered for a brief instant as she saw the dark look in the woman's eyes, "That is more of a byproduct of it. Not all struggles are as visible as they seem...I would have thought you'd understand that better than any, King Arthur…"
Saber clenched her jaw and tightened her grip on her sword, the words were not spoken in a taunting way, but that made it no less of an annoyance her name was known. Especially when she knew nothing about this woman. "If you insist on using names, then surely you'd be willing to share your own, especially when there is no one else to hear it. Not to mention it is only honorable for two fighters to know one another's names when locked in combat such as this."
Hunter was silent before she slowly shook her head, "I apologize, but there is no benefit to doing so, not to mention that while I do not wish to tarnish yours, I had my honor squandered long ago…" The woman appeared to be in thought while Saber frowned at the response, not truly knowing what to make of this woman all things considered. "I am sorry, but even were I to tell you I am doubtful you would even know of it, though all is better that way."
Saber's frown persisted and she merely took a stance once more with a twirl of her blade, "So be it, prepare yourself."
Hunter gave a bow of her head and took a stance of her own, which set Saber off that she might try something different this time as before the woman had simply stood still had waited for her. Sure enough, a moment later Hunter was closing the distance, sprinting forward with a quick forward dash to almost be right in Saber's face in less than a second. The knight was quick to respond in kind though, slashing and stepping to the side with her blade already coming up in a defensive pose as the woman tucked and rolled to the side.
Hunter finished her roll and suddenly came up with a swift uppercut which Saber was quick to parry down, only to find the barrel of a pistol in her face. She leaned back and spun away with a fending slash which made her opponent leap back to avoid the blow. Saber only just got to facing Hunter again when the woman was already upon her, making quick calculated strikes with her odd blade that put Saber on the defensive, not only to avoid being hit but whenever she made to swing the woman would fire her flintlock to disrupt her.
She hasn't even reloaded once, what sort of weapon is that? Another shot rang out and Saber raised her blade to deflect the shot, feeling the bullets power as it was redirected, only to find Hunter dashing forward and about to swing. Saber used the position her blade was already in to go for a thrusting slash, only for Hunter to twirl around it, holstering her pistol on her belt and swinging her arm wide.
Something did not seem right with the attack, with the length of the blade, even if Hunter reached out fully it still wouldn't quite hit Saber, not to mention how much she was telegraphing her strike by comparison to the others and the holstering of her gun, it didn't feel right. Thus, as the swing came through, Saber took a step back and heard the sound of metal scraping across metal, her eyes widening as she watched the blade separate at the handle and the knight leaned back, hoping she'd just barely be able to avoid the strike.
She just made it, watching the small blade on the pommel of the weapon cut through the air just centimeters from her eyes. The blade had pivoted on itself. What Saber had thought to be an odd design was all intentional, the blade able to swing around on itself and be caught in the other hand to make a single blade two.
Saber used her momentum going back to perform a flip of her own and stood with her weapon at the ready as she locked her gaze on Hunter once more, though the woman was simply straightening slowly from her attack, her own eyes trained on Saber. The knight looked at each of the woman's hands, her right holding the one half of the weapon out to be seen while the other was held in a back grip, though from what she could tell both weapons were equally wicked in a appearance.
That must be her Noble Phantasm. A cursed knife which can split itself into two separate blades...but I have never heard of such a thing before. Who could she be? Saber narrowed her eyes some as she gave the other woman another look up and down before relaxing her stance, standing straight and holding Excalibur more to her side once again.
"So, that is your Noble Phantasm? A fancy trick, though I cannot say I've ever quite seen or heard of anything like it."
Hunter raised her hand up as though to inspect the weapon before lowering it and returning her attention to Saber with a nod. "Yes, these are these are the Blades of Mercy and it doesn't surprise me that you haven't. These have been passed down through the Hunters of Hunters since they were needed and while I cannot say the ones who have come before me would approve of their use now, they are still required should I wish to complete my duty."
Hunters of Hunters? With a name like Blades of Mercy I'm beginning to sense what this 'duty' she speaks of might have been but I still have no idea what her name could be or why she would need to kill others of her class. Suddenly, a thought came to her and Saber glanced back at Irisviel before turning once more to Hunter, "Why is it you seek to harm Irisviel? What is this 'duty' you keep speaking of?"
Hunter merely closed her eyes and shook her head slowly, "You wouldn't understand even if I told you," she responded with a sad, skeptical voice. Her eyes also shifted to the woman in white standing behind the knight, "I am sorry, my lady, were it my choice I would not kill another person unless it was absolutely necessary. But I believe you might already know the reason for which I must continue this Hunt."
Saber's lips tightened in a thin line and she glanced to Irisviel again before returning her gaze to Hunter, leveling Excalibur to the woman, "If you insist on remaining vague then I will have enough of your nonsense. Let us finish this."
Hunter locked eyes with Saber and for a moment the knight thought she saw a sad plea in the woman's eyes before she gave a bow, "As you wish." Hunter's left hand reached to her belt and there was a puff of golden dust. Saber's eyes widened for after, as soon as Hunter moved, the woman disappeared into a similar cloud of gold dust only to appear right in front of the knight an instant later with a flurry of attacks from both her blades. Saber had no time to even think of trying to get in a strike of her own, the woman's hands moved with incredible speed and what Saber couldn't deflect or parry she had to evade and she was doing a lot of both. Even then the swift Hunter was able to score hits even if most of it was deflected by the knight's armor.
When she thought she saw an opening and was about to strike Hunter looked as though she was about to move to the side when she once more disappeared into a cloud of gold dust.
"Saber!"
The knight's eyes widened and she spun, ducking and drawing Excalibur across Hunter's stomach as her opponent jabbed both of her blades into Saber's left arm even if the original target was the knight's abdomen. Saber screamed in pain as Hunter viciously tore the blades up out of her arm and caused a large splatter of blood even as the woman tumbled away and rolled onto the ground to lay on her back.
Saber staggered forward clutching her left arm and trying to ignore all the pain and blood as she looked back to where her opponent lay. Hunter lay with a deep gash across her stomach and was covered in blood both of Saber's and her own no doubt but given how the last injury went the knight was a bit surprised by the damage done even if there had been more power behind the strike than the last time she'd managed to land a hit.
Suddenly though, as blood flowed down onto the wound, Saber's eyes widened as the wound stitched itself a bit shut and Hunter sat up and struggled to stand herself up before taking out a vial of red liquid that looked like blood and slammed it into her thigh. She took a deep breath and the knight watched as the wound sealed itself fully, same with the previous wound which had remained a red line up to that point as it sealed itself too.
Refusing to take her eyes off of whatever this woman was, Saber shouted to her companion, "Irisviel, I require healing!" The deep gashes began to close themselves and Saber rolled her shoulder, ensuring she could at least move it and was glad to find it was fine. "Thank you Irisviel, but I think it is time for you to leave. There is something not right with this woman and I do not believe it is safe for you to remain here."
"Saber…" the woman's voice came to her with a gentle tone, "Remember what I said before. Please, have faith." The knight took only a second to look back and meet Irisviel's eyes before she understood and nodded, hoping Kiritsugu would understand if he truly was here.
Her eyes found their place on Hunter once more to find the woman looking on with sad eyes and the knight frowned. Every time I land a blow we trade strikes and she always comes out standing almost just fine. It's almost as if my blood is healing her... "What are you…?"
Hunter was quiet but sighed and closed her eyes, "I told you...cursed...but I am sorry to say I must end this, it has gone on too long." And with that the woman was moving once more before further words could be exchanged, Saber already prepared for anything. This time as the woman dashed forward she did not disappear and while Saber thought this would make things easier, she watched as Hunter connected her blades and swung her right arm out for the other blade to swing around the first and snap back together.
In her other hand, Hunter withdrew what looked like a large furred claw of some sort and as she dashed again to be but two meters away, Saber already moving in for a strike, the woman hunched over with the claw clutched in her hand and jolted as a savage roar filled the air, seemingly from her. A gust of strong air burst out at the same time as the roar and it sent the knight flying back several meters. By the time she had recovered and had located Hunter again, the woman was almost at Irisviel.
"No!"
Suddenly the air was filled with loud popping and gunfire rained down from two rooftops that peppered Hunter and sent the woman off-course. She rolled out of the way the best she could and as she came out on her knee she raised her pistol and snapped off a shot toward Irisviel but Saber swung her blade and a large gust of wind intercepted the bullet and sent it just enough out of the way to not damage her friend.
Clearly seeing she was out of options as she was continuously pushed back by gunfire, Hunter ran back around one of the shipping containers and when Saber followed she was already gone. The knight remained cautious for several minutes and protected Irisviel with her body but when nothing happened she knew her opponent had chosen to retreat. Saber breathed a deep breath of relief and felt her shoulders fall, giving one more glance around before feeling the weight of stress on her body set in and dispelled her armor and weapon in favor of the black suit Irisviel had gotten her.
"Saber! Are you okay?" speaking of…
The knight turned to the woman in white and gave a small smile with an accompanying nod, "Yes, Irisviel, I am. Thank you for your assistance, I do not think that would have gone nearly as well without you." She slowly turned away and felt her smile fall, locked in deep thought of what to make of the encounter. Who was this woman? An 8th class? Her identity unknown even with the name and nature of her noble phantasm being exposed? Everything about her was...wrong and on top of everything else that had happened that night, it was all so much to take in. Finally she looked back to her companion, "Irisviel, what of you? Are you alright?"
She gave a decisive nod, "Yes, a bit shaken, but I'll be fine." Irisviel reached out and took Saber's hand, "You fought long and hard tonight, Saber, very much so. I think for now it is time for us to retreat and regroup so we might go over everything we've learned."
Saber nodded, "That is probably for the best," she looked around their combat field at all the destruction and sighed, almost feeling like even now they still had more ahead of them tonight. "Let us be off, I think the sooner we can put everything that we have learned together and strategize the better off we will be." Irisviel replied with a nod and Saber bowed her head some, glancing back to where they had first met the still mysterious 8th Servant before turning and heading back to where the car had been parked.
AN: Hello everyone and thank you again for continuing with this story. I'll admit it is a bit out of my normal behavior to upload this often but I've had a lot of ideas with this story and it just feels like it's coming a bit more naturally to me even if it's not as well written as other things I've made in the past. Hopefully it's still decent enough for you guys and girls and if it isn't I highly encourage to please leave a review to give me a few constructive criticisms as you see fit. They only serve to help me and the story improve and I also wouldn't mind hearing what your thoughts may be about how you may feel the alternative take on things is going thus far.
I know it's a tad slow, and honestly the best way to read is in tandem to watching Fate/Zero if you haven't already or what have you to fully understand what is going on, but perhaps that too is something I could work on, just don't want it to be too long or too slow and all. Anyway though, I still appreciate beyond measure you might give this tale the time of day and hope to provide for you all more in the future. Thank you all again and I wish you the best of luck and an absolutely wonderful day.