Fate/Terminus part 3
Part 3
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Location: Einzbern Headquarters, Fuyuki City, Japan
"What happened to you?" Ivysviel demanded of her Servant. She sat on the futon in the living room of a small town house that the Einzberns had rented for the purpose of this Holy Grail War. Its decorations were tacky and gaudy, easily from the past century, but it fit its purpose as a safe house perfectly. Viewing it from the outside, nothing would distinguish it from the many other city houses in the neighborhood. That, plus a Bounded Field set up around the house and meager garden offered it a lot of protection.
Rider stood before her, all but burnt to a crisp. In many places, his coppery skin was burnt scaly black, in other places oozing red. His long hair still smoked slightly, and his cape had essentially burnt away.
"I initiated a battle with Saber and her Master, as per your orders to eliminate other Servants," reported Rider, hanging his head. "I believed them to be dealt with, but it was a surprise attack from Archer that caught me with my guard down. My barque was destroyed, and this damage to my body is what I assume to be Archer's Noble Phantasm, which he titled Streik Gessler. I am very sorry for this loss, Miss Ivysviel."
Justinian, who stood behind the futon with folded arms and a aggravated expression, spoke now. "When will your Noble Phantasm be repaired?"
Rider bowed. "The Spirit Slaves conjured for its use are working on repairing it, Master Justinian. Naturally, the vessel of a king will be much more difficult than a single blow from prana weaponry. As for my crook and flail, I lost those in the defense to Archer's Noble Phantasm. It was a crossbow bolt, alight with green flame, which I suspect has the capability to pierce through any defense."
"That information will be helpful," said Justinian. "I shall add it to our file on Archer." With that, he padded out of the room, silkily, like a cat.
Rider nodded, turning to his Master. "If I may partake of a bit of your mana, Ivysviel," he said softly. "My current appearance is less than desirable to me. I wish to heal my wounds and repair my clothing. Will that be alright?"
Ivy nodded. "Go ahead, Rider." She smiled. "After all, we've got to have you looking and feeling your best for your next fight, right?"
"Indeed," said Rider. "And if it is Saber or Archer the next time I find myself in battle, I shall be sure to crush them quickly and thoroughly. You have my word on that." His body glowed brilliant gold, so brightly that his form was blotted out. Ivy had to cover her eyes to prevent being blinded. When the glow faded, Rider stood in his former glory, cloak hanging to his ankles, hair flowing over his shoulders, his skin once again smooth and flawless. He grinned and flexed his limbs.
"Our concern right now is Archer, I think," mused Ivy, picking up the television remote and turning it on for a bit of background noise. "Your theory that his Noble Phantasm can breach any defense is worrying. From what you said, it seemed as if Saber wasn't much of a threat to you."
Rider laughed. "The girl thinks she is a warrior, but she turned and ran when pierced with Archer's first bolt. And of course, she was unable to get close to me. I suspect Saber may very well be the weakest of all the Servants. It seemed to me that even her Master was more potent than Saber herself. It was his attack that destroyed my barque."
Ivy gasped. "Are you sure? It sounded like it was Archer that did that."
"I misspoke," admitted Rider. "Or perhaps just omitted that aspect of the battle. In any case, it is true that Saber's Master is responsible for the destruction of my barque. He conjured a massive spear made entirely of mana, which he threw and shattered my Noble Phantasm. I hadn't expected the workings of a mere mage to have such a devastating effect."
"I'll send a familiar to that part of the city to keep an eye on things, see if we can find anyone matching his description. He could be really dangerous if we leave him unchecked."
Rider nodded. "Do I have your permission to return to my duties? I tire of sitting around in this place. I wish to go forth and take to battle once again." He thumped his chest. "You have my word that this time, I shall not lose."
Ivy frowned. "It'd be better if you stayed here for a little while until your barque is repaired. As it is, you don't have any way to fight an enemy Servant right now."
He shook his head in disagreement. "I disagree, Miss Ivysviel." Both of his hands glowed brightly with the color of the sun, and his crook and flail materialized in his grasp. Ivy, who was used to such things from her bombastic, showy Servant, merely smiled.
"So you've got your weapons back." she said.
"Indeed," replied Rider. "My Spirit Slaves have taken the liberty of repairing them and strengthening them. They will suffice until my barque is repaired, Ivysviel. Do you change your answer?"
"Yes, I do," she said, grinning widely. Rider matched her grin. "Rider, feel free to continue the campaign. I expect you to easily defeat the next Servant you fight."
"With pleasure, Miss Ivysviel." Rider disappeared into a corona of yellow light.
Ivysviel turned to the television, many thoughts in her head. But at the forefront of them was a worries about Saber's Master. A Master who was potentially stronger than a Servant would be very difficult to face. If Rider had been unable to defeat him, she doubted another Servant would have much success.
Then again, maybe not, thought Ivy. From what I can tell, it seems as if Saber's Master is an upfront fighter like Rider is. But for someone like Archer, that kind of person would be their easiest target. Archer himself was a worrying thought, too. The only thing she could do now is pray that such a powerful Noble Phantasm as Streik Gessler, that had defeated both Saber and Rider with one shot, would have an easy drawback to exploit. Otherwise, she thought, it's very possible that Archer will win the Holy Grail War.
Location: Grand Hotel Fuyuki, Fuyuki City, Japan
Andrei sat on the small bed in his hotel room, sitting ramrod straight and not moving a muscle. Part of his training as an assassin had been to be able to sit without moving for hours on end. Andrei could currently remain motionless for a little over eight hours without needing food, drink, or movement.
Impressive, Assassin said. It has been a long time since I've seen someone with the same devotion to the art of assassination as me.
"You're distracting me," replied Andrei mentally. He still did not move.
Assassin materialized on the bed behind Andrei, sitting in the same pose, back-to-back. On the contrary. In this state of mental clarity, I believe we have the best chance of formulating an effective plan.
"Ibori remains our primary target," said Andrei. "And after the injuries he sustained, it seems that he would have either fled to the embassy or the hospital. I would assume the hospital since it is in closer proximity to the airport."
Would you suggest a frontal assault, then? asked Assassin. Likely, his security will be lessened at the hospital. There are only so many guards one can fit into a ward before the staff will get suspicious.
"I'm not worried about his security," scoffed Andrei. "They're mortal, and you easily dispatched the last batch. I'm worried about Ibori himself. He's still a potent competitor, and his healing process will no doubt be hurried with magic. We've only got a small window before he becomes strong enough to be a threat again. I think this night will have to be the one."
As you wish, Master, replied Assassin. He stood up, leaping gingerly off of the bed. Shall we go?
"In a moment." Andrei removed himself from his trance-like state and got up, heading towards the small hotel bathroom. "I'll be just a moment."
Assassin's expression was that of worry, as if sensing his master's trepidation. I shall be waiting.
Andrei went into the bathroom, feeling weak in his knees. While his trances were good for his mental state, coming out of them always seemed to worsen his physical condition. He lunged for the sink and thrust his head over it just before a thick stream of blood burst from his mouth, staining his teeth and the sink bowl bright red. Pain throbbed in his chest near his heart, and he swore, tears in his eyes. He wiped the blood away from his mouth, watching it glisten on the tips of his fingers. How he desired to taste it, to lose himself in its delectable flavor…
He slammed his fist into the countertop. It had been too long since he had last fed, but he couldn't allow himself. His target was in sight. If he allowed himself to become distracted by his hunger, then he would bring shame to his honor as an assassin. He would resist the urges as much as possible. The only interactions he would have with people would be immediately before he killed the other six Masters. Once they were deceased, he would drink his fill again.
Andrei lathered soap into his hands and face, washing himself off. He grabbed a fresh shirt from his suitcase on the way out of the bathroom, burning the old bloody one with a lighter in the sink. Pulling on his coat, he left the hotel room, Assassin stalking closely behind him. The instant he left his room, he gestured to Assassin to activate his ability, Hidden Dark, and the two became invisible to all eyes, magical or not. Now, when their target was weakest, would be the perfect time to strike.
Location: Lower Side Motel, Fuyuki City, Japan
When Archer tried to sneak back into the motel room in spirit form, Catherine sat waiting for him, catching him red-handed. There was a sigh from the air, and Archer materialized before her, looking much like the cat that ate the canary.
Catherine held her phone in her hand. "You remember I told you my familiars can manifest anywhere near a cell tower, right?" Her voice was rising in tone, rapidly reaching one of complete anger.
Archer hung his head. "Yes. I recall."
"So you know that I saw you try to fight Saber and Rider, then." Her voice shook. "We're supposed to be a team, Archer! You have to tell me before you go out and do stupid things like that! Fighting two Servants at once, what were you thinking! I know you've got a huge ego, but not even you are that strong!"
"I was clearly at an advantage, Catherine," spat back Archer. "I severely wounded Saber's sword arm and all but decimated Rider's body!"
"Yes, you did!" cried Catherine. "But in doing so, you showed off Streik Gessler to two enemy Servants and whoever the hell was watching! And to make matters worse, neither of them died! Both were able to escape!" She put her head in her hands. "Jesus, I screwed up in picking an Archer-class Servant, of all things. Archers never do what they're told. Memere told me that and I didn't listen!"
"It isn't as if I defied a direct order, Catherine," said Archer quietly. "We were inactive at the time of my attack. I merely found a situation that I believed to favorable and took the opportunity to attack. If you had explicitly ordered me not to do so, I wouldn't have."
"That's beside the point!" protested Catherine. "You made a decision by yourself without running it by me first! You're a Servant, Archer. You're not supposed to do that!"
Archer frowned. "Neither you nor I are harmed from my endeavor. I don't see why you react so negatively to it."
Catherine shook her head. "Oh really, no one's harmed?" Catherine leaned back in her chair, exhaling deeply. "You realize how much prana that Streik Gessler shot cost me, right? It isn't cheap, and it hurts like hell." She pointed at her chest, right under her sternum. "My Magic Circuits are all burnt out from that shot. I don't have much prana as the most of the other Masters, I think, so if you use it up willy-nilly like that I'm going to get hurt."
Archer knelt before her. "I apologize, Catherine. I shall remain in spirit form until your stores of mana are replenished." He stood up again.
"Like hell you will! We're not done talking!" cried Catherine, but Archer was already gone, fading into nothing. "Damn it," hissed Catherine, punching the arm of the chair.
Trying to distract herself from her worries, Catherine snagged one of the heavy books she had brought from the coffee table nearby, flipping it open and scanning the pages. Despite her reading, she couldn't banish the thoughts in her head. She had worried about this ever since she had summoned Archer, and now it seemed like her worst fears were coming true. If Archer was going to continue to do things his own way, then she'd have to put a stop to it before he ruined their chances of obtaining the Grail.
She extended her hand, her Command Seals glowing. "I, Catherine L'Montaine, hereby order Archer to waive all tactical decisions for this Holy Grail War to me. Archer cannot engage in actions relating to the Grail War unless he has my explicit permission." The Command Seals flashed bright, and one of them faded away, leaving two behind. She could feel an angry feeling ripple through the air, no doubt Archer expressing his aggravation over this new development.
"Suck it up, Archer," she said quietly. "I'm the Master here. I'm in charge. From now on, you'd better remember that."
Location: Edelfelt Household, Fuyuki City, Japan
After several hours of healing, the blood had been full stemmed and the muscle fully repaired. Saber would pull through, but she would take a day or two to recover the full use of her sword arm. Aside from his concern for his Servant, Kanima wanted to get stronger, if anything. The fight he got involved in showed him how weak he was, but Saber's training was rather hellish. So when he found out that she couldn't spar with him, he was relieved to say the least. However, while she was healing, she had other things in mind and in a way it was just as bad.
Saber was teaching him how to dance, of which many would doubt the practicality. Saber was just as strict with dance lessons as she was with sparring. If he misstepped they started again. Not only that but for the first time Kanima felt uncomfortable in such close quarters with a girl. Mainly because- even injured- she could wipe the floor with him which was an uncomfortable thought to say the least. Now as for why he was learning to dance, that was the interesting part. Saber had gone into a ten-minute spiel about how it could help him. From what he gathered, it went something like this.
"Battle and dancing are not so mutually separate," she had said, grabbing his hand in hers and putting her injured one around his waist. "Both- when done right- require movement and absolute control over one's body. The most important part, though, is learning to count and move to beats. By learning rhythm, it will allow you to see the rhythm that others move to in real life. In battle, there is no such thing as an infinite combo of hits. Many combatants learn a style or set of combos that they splice together, but all would have a countable number of strikes and attacks. Learn the rhythm of their fighting style and you could find the best moment to counterattack or potentially even copy their style."
This brought up one question in Kanima's mind, namely- where had Saber learned all of this? Kamina, being as blunt as per the usual, decided to blurt out this question mere moments later.
"Hey Saber, where did you learn all of this stuff anyway?" he asked. She seemed to be reminiscing, her expression vacant and sad. After a few awkward moments of silence, she replied to the question.
"For many years, I trained to be a knight. Female knights weren't exactly typical in my era, as you can imagine. In fact, apart from me, there was only one other who I knew of. She was a powerful queen and an even more powerful knight. I admit that she was my idol. Then, she died rather suddenly on the field of battle, but if anything that made me want to be a knight even more to honor and one day surpass that woman. In pursuing that goal, I searched far and wide till I met a rather strange man, who unlike all others cared not that I was a girl. He was rather old and wise and he hailed from Camelot, the kingdom that my idol had once ruled, and thus my training began."
Kanima was rather at a loss for words. He felt as if he was coming a bit closer to understanding his mysterious Servant, but only time would tell what fate held in store for them.
Location: Mercy Fuyuki Hospital, Fuyuki City, Japan
Andrei got out of the car in the parking lot, making his way towards the looming hospital building, its many windows glowing like yellow eyes in the night. Above, Assassin darted from lamppost from lamppost until he arrived at the hospital, climbing on the outside with superhuman skill and speed. Andrei would be taking a more mundane route to Ibori's seventh floor room- namely, the elevator. He had also had Assassin remove his Hidden Dark from his person, so he wouldn't frighten anyone in the hospital like a ghost.
Andrei entered the building, the automatic doors sliding open for him and inviting him. Up above, Assassin coasted up the side of the building from balcony to balcony, his agile, strong legs launching him up higher and higher. He could see the balcony to Ibori's room, his heightened assassin's eyesight allowing him to see Ibori's close-cropped head in the window. Assassin alighted on the balcony and waited for Andrei to arrive. He sent a mental message, informing Andrei that Ibori was alone save for a single burly guard. Lancer was nowhere to be seen.
All of a sudden, as he watched, a blast of purple light originating from a complex-looking glyph struck the balcony where he stood, blowing it to pieces. He launched into the air just in time, deftly flipping onto the next-door ledge. Whirling around, he faced his enemy. She was a woman, pale, of exquisite beauty, her velvet-green dress flowing around her slender limbs. She was barefoot, silver bangles hanging from her ankles. Her hair flickered back and forth in the wind like a flame, and her eyes glowed a brilliant scarlet, magical runes burning at their perimeter.
So, that's how she is able to see me, Assassin thought, drawing his sword. The woman merely laughed.
"Draw your sword, you sneaking little rat," she sneered, her voice filled with disdain. She pursed her full lips before grinning widely. "You won't stop me from having my prey."
Is she here for Ibori as well? thought Assassin. It only makes sense. Other Masters are no doubt anxious to kill Ibori when he's weakened as well. it seems others are finally making their move. He slashed his blade through the air in a vicious arc, creating a sword-like burst of wind that launched towards the woman. She fired a volley of glowing purple energy in response, curving towards him but the wind cut through them and the glyph that was their source in one strike, cutting a thin line on her face which began to drip with her bright red blood. Her lip curled into a snarl, before smirking as the glyph he cut became two glyphs rather like a hydra. From these glyphs descended another wave of purple energy bolts, but this time Assassin was ready. He ran up the building at full speed, dashing past the bolts and missing them by a whisker. However, Caster did not seem to perturbed by the situation.
"You can run all you like, you little rat," she hissed, "but I'll end your life just the same." In her hands, she gathered a massive ball of blue light- fire, Assassin realized, which she hurled at him. Assassin grinned, landing atop the roof of the building the hospital just as the blue fire smashed into his body. But rather than burning him, the flames trickled along the length of his sword, power rushing through his body and burning away at the residual poison left in his veins from Lancer's attack.
"Ah much better now," muttered Assassin, speaking for the first time, chuckling at Caster's flabbergasted facial expression. "It will be a breeze to kill you now," he sneered. This exuberance was short-lived when a dome of glyphs surrounded him, glowing brighter as they spun, faster and faster.
"You little rat, there's one thing you forgot to take into account. We are on top of a major Fuyuki ley line that I, as a Caster, can draw power from." She smiled softly. Many would call it a beautiful smile one that would enchant many, but assassin saw the truth. It was a revolting smile filled with deceit and ambition.
"One thing is sure to catch a rat, you know," she continued. The glyphs flashed brilliantly, pouring all of their magic energy into the space where Assasin resided. "A trap." When the light faded and the glyphs broke, Assassin was on his knees, smoke rising from his clothing, but still very much alive.
I was hoping not to have to use it, but it seems I have no choice, Assassin thought to himself. Forgive me, Master, but I must take a large amount of mana for a while. He stood up, gripping his katana in both hands. The wind began to surge forth from the air around his body, whipping back and gathering around the sword, much like a violent maelstrom, tearing tiles from the roof and launching them into the night sky. He swung the sword in a quick draw, once more, but the wind from this strike was considerably more powerful, causing the very air to ripple with power before he disappeared. Caster heard him mutter something before he was in front of her. His lips formed one word- Kusanagi.
She barely dodged his strike, but Assassin was so quick it had no effect. Before she could react, she was caught in a tremendous maelstrom of wind, her form tossed back and forth like a ragdoll in the fingers. Her ears popped and all she could hear was the tremendous roar of the storm, a terrifically powerful wall of sound that shattered the windows of the hospital below. When the wind dissipated, a stunned Caster could be seen tumbling from the sky, before she faded into spirit form. An instant later, and she would have splattered on the parking lot.
Meanwhile, Assassin had fallen flat on his face on the roof of the hospital, his back rising and falling heavily with each shaky breath. As an Assassin-class Servant, pulling off such a powerful evocation was incredibly difficult.
"Well, well, well how the mighty have fallen. How are you doing there, Assassin? Not feeling so good?" A shower of silver mist descended in front of Assassin, Lancer materializing within it. Lancer towered over the downed Assassin, his spear pointing at the nape of Assassin's neck.
"I could pierce your spine right now, like how your Master did to me," muttered Lancer softly, lowering down and spitting on the back of Assassin's head. Assassin could not move. "But I am in a good mood to see you in such distress. It would be a pity to end it so soon. Next time I see you, I want to beat you at your best and show you how much of a difference there truly is between us. So off you go now. You have till the count of ten, lest I get impatient," he threatened.
Assassin was not back on his feet, the situation was not in his favor. It was time to retreat. With that, he dragged himself over the edge of the building, fading into a shower of black mist.
"I've repulsed Assassin for now, Master," said Lancer telepathically to his Master. When he got the nature of his Master's response, his eyes widened and he swore under his breath. "I'm coming," he said before vanishing into a cloud of silver.
A few moments earlier, Andrei had arrived at the seventh floor, cloaking himself with an invisibility spell of his own. It was not so much an invisibility spell than it was one which shrouded the user from an observer's interest, making them completely blend into the scenery. Andrei had already done the same thing to his chosen weapons, a long-bladed hunting knife, two grenades, and a Glock 9mm handgun.
He pushed open the door to Ibori's room, startling the prince. Ibori wore a hospital gown and several bandages wrapped around his chest and neck to contain the wound that Assassin had dealt him. His movements were steady and strong, however, indicating to Andrei that he might have already healed a majority of the wound. Such was the power of magic. Andrei shook off his musings and pulled the gun from his coat, flicking the hammer and pulling the trigger. The deafening crash brought Ibori to his senses, and before the bullet even had time to reach him, Lancer had arrived, blocking the bullet with his spear. The shock of his point-blank attack failing so badly caused Andrei to drop his cloaking spell by accident.
In such close quarters, Andrei had little hope of fighting both Ibori and Lancer with much success, causing him to reach for one of the grenades on his belt. He pulled the pin with his teeth and it bounced along the ground before exploding into a thick cloud of smoke, obscuring Andrei's exit from the room. Lancer's spear grazed his right arm in a lucky blow through the smoke, followed by a crackling charge of lightning-infused crystals from Ibori. Bursting forth from several gems scattered around the hall- traps that Ibori had previously set- came several spear like bolts of silver energy, several of which pierced Andrei's body at his shoulders and legs. He grunted from the pain but managed to pull himself free, running down the hall towards the elevator.
Ibori's security on the seventh floor reacted to his running by shooting him with their automatic weapons, but Andrei swiped his hand through the air and an invisible wall of force separated him and the bullets, causing them to ricochet back and leave him unharmed. With his other arm, he shot the elevator control panel and forced the door open, darting up the elevator shaft using his magnetic red prana. The security guards fired their guns up at him, but seeing the tremendous drop below and the heights above caused them to lose their nerve.
Location: Grand Hotel Fuyuki, Fuyuki City, Japan
Andrei was not pleased. In fact, many would say furious. Yet again, that annoying prince and his Servant had evaded death. To add to this frustration, his prana reserves were practically non-existent. He didn't know what Assassin had done, but it was far too costly for his liking and far too flashy. They would be having serious words when Assassin got back to their hiding place in the hotel.
True enough, Assassin materialized on the bed, looking somewhat dejected. Andrei rounded on him, shouting louder than the quiet-mannered assassin had ever done.
"What happened out there?" he demanded. "I was just about ready to take out Ibori when Lancer shows up and you are nowhere to be found. If you had been there to hold off Lancer, we might have had a chance of achieving our goals."
Assassin shook his head. "That may have been true, but I was occupied in battling Caster."
"Caster was there? Where?"
"Outside," replied Assassin. "She ambushed me as I was making my way up the side of the building. She possessed many powerful ranged attacks, and after she worked me into a corner I was forced to use my Noble Phantasm to escape." Assassin flexed his limbs. "However, Caster did attempt to attack me with flame, which I was able to use in conjunction with my Wind Shroud ability to heal Lancer's poison from earlier."
"So that's what happened," said Andrei. "It seems as if the use of your Noble Phantasm is what drained all my prana. I was barely able to escape that hospital with my life."
"I apologize, Master, and I understand why this was so important to you. However, it might be prudent to turn our attentions elsewhere, to deal with Caster's Master or the Masters of the other two Servants that fall under the Knight Classes. They would pose the most threat to us."
Andrei responded curtly. "We can't give up on our work with Ibori. This is all part of a greater strategy, Assassin, even these failures. The longer we wear him down, the more likely he is to make a mistake. And when he does, we'll be ready to take advantage of it and kill him. Plus, it seems as if revealing Lancer's Noble Phantasm in our first battle has earned us some aid, even if Caster wanted to kill you in the process." He frowned. "Leave me, Assassin. I have a lot to think about." With that, the said Servant faded into a dark murky mist, leaving Andrei with his thoughts. Attacking someone else would be futile. It had to be Ibori, and it had to be soon.
Andrei put his head in his hands. The feelings that bubbled up inside him, particularly when he looked upon Assassin, were not good. Having spent so much time with another human-esque being was causing his cravings to begin. His fears could very well be realized. The urge to drink from Assassin had been especially strong, and since Assassin was so obedient to Andrei, there was a very real chance that when the time came, Assassin would not stop him.
Location: Fuyuki Town House, Fuyuki City, Japan
As Waver looked over the reports from his familiars that had scattered throughout the city, he felt less and less confident. From what he had gathered via Volumen Hydrargium, there had already been several skirmishes around Fuyuki. One had even involved three Servants, a Saber-class, a Rider-class and the Archer-class. Assassin and his Master had been fairly active, with some sort of vendetta against Lancer and his Master. Things seemed to be accelerating quickly, which was bad news. Not only that, his Servant seemed utterly incapable of making a simple cup of tea. She came over with another cup of what appeared to be grass clippings in hot water. He put it aside, and she stood next to his chair stoically, guarding it like a dog. It was rather embarrassing.
He looked over his shoulder at his Servant. Physically, Berserker was the most powerful of all the Servants. A description in one of his class textbooks had described the Berserker class as "capable of fighting all six other classes in combat and winning". Berserker's strength far outstripped any existing spirit or human, but she was essentially uncontrollable. Berserker couldn't really be used without causing vast amounts of destruction, which is why he had apprehension about engaging in combat.
After all, he thought, I've seen the destructive potential of the Berserker class before. Plus, I have no idea what Berserker's abilities may be, since I summoned her by accident. There's no way for me to tell what they are without having her fight, but if I do so there's the potential for loss of life on a scale that I would rather avoid.
Then his mind drifted to his old friend. What would have wanted Waver to do? Waver smirked. He'd probably have said something along the lines of, What's the point of a weapon you can't use? He frowned and looked at Berserker once again. She was a weapon, a weapon for him to use. Her purpose was destruction. If he didn't capitalize on that, then he would spend this whole war sitting around doing nothing.
I'll do it, he thought. Today, I'm going on the attack. Even if I have to use all my strength to hold Berserker back, I'll do it. He considered his options, poring through the information Volumen Hydrargium had collected on his enemies. Assassin and his Master, now that they had retreated, were essentially untraceable. Lancer and Prince Ishmael would no doubt have gone to the protection of the embassy.
"I won't be able to go to them," he mused aloud, "So I'm going to have to get them to come to me. Once I lure them into a confined area with Berserker, they're as good as dead."
Location: Abandoned Reservoir, Fuyuki City, Japan
The reservoir was a perfect location. A deep concrete bowl, surrounded by high electrified fences, it seemed the best venue for Waver's trap. Berserker had cleared the fence with one jump while Waver relied on Volumen Hydrargium's strength to propel him across. Now, he stood in the bowl, Berserker at his side. This was a daring move, and his heart was racing, but he had the feeling that he would find success tonight. There was no point to hiding, not anymore. He had to be bold, make the first move in his conquest. That was what Iskander had taught him.
Thrusting his hands into the air, he sent up a burst of bright green light that exploded above his head- a powerful flare of prana, noticeable to anyone of the magical inclination in this part of the city. It was bait, so the chances were that any Master who would send his Servant to the reservoir was either really confident or really stupid. He grinned. Better to get those types out of the way first, and then move on to the easy targets.
Before long, a shimmer of golden light began to form in the bowl with them. Within it appeared an incredibly well-built man with skin the color of caramel, with long black hair and a dominating mantle over his shoulders. Gripped in one hand was a golden crook, in the other, a silver-spiked flail.
"You should know that a challenge to a king's authority will be met in kind, Master of Berserker." The man appeared calm, even though Berserker was trembling with anger, ready to strike at any moment. He faced his opponent. "Hail, Berserker. I think we shall fight now, agreed?"
Waver stepped out of the way as Berserker lunged with all of her strength, a speeding bullet of silver. She drew back her fist and it shot forward with such strength and speed that the air burst in a sonic boom around it, sending Rider shooting backward. But Rider wasn't phased, coming to a halt and pointing the crook at Berserker. A storm of golden shards of light launched forth from the weapon, smashing into Berserker's armor with blinding radiance. Though they didn't pierce through, they were clearly slowing, if not halting, Berserker's approach.
Rider let up his relentless fire and returned with a swing of his flail. A thick band of force emanated from the tips of the flails, smashing into Berserker's body and crashing her into the concrete side of the reservoir. She was prepared for this however and landed on her feet and instantly, leaping into the air before coming down with a thundering crash that spewed stone and dust in the air. She continued this tack, spinning herself into the air and landing ever closer to Rider while Rider countered with force attacks and light bursts from his crook.
Waver retreated a distance from the fight that occurred in the center of the bowl when he felt a prickle on the back of his neck. A sheet of silver liquid rose behind him, neatly deflecting the incoming bullet from a sniper rifle. Waver whirled around to see a man lying on his stomach at the perimeter of the reservoir, with white hair and red eyes. An Einzbern, he thought. Is that Rider's Master? One way to find out.
He extended his hand, and a couple of thick tendrils of the same silver liquid- Volumen Hydrargium- shot towards the white-haired man, destroying the ground where he had stood just a moment before. The Einzbern whipped the rifle around, firing two more shots in quick succession. Both were blocked by Volumen Hydrargium's autonomous defense. Waver sent a few more tendrils flying towards the Einzbern. He swiped his hand across his body, creating a net made out of glowing white thread that ensnared and severed the liquid, causing it to dissolve. Waver huffed and chased after the Einzbern as he began to make his escape.
Meanwhile, Rider managed to solidly strike Berserker with his crook, catching her strongly in the midriff. The raging armored Servant howled with inhuman rage and recoiled from the blow, dripping blood from her full lips. Rider smirked and loosed another volley of energy bolts to keep her at bay, all the while boasting.
"So this is the strongest Servant of the Grail War? I don't believe it," he laughed out loud. "Perhaps the reputation of the Berserker class is merely exaggerated. It sure seems that way."
Berserker howled with all her might. The single golden ring on her finger flashed bright purple. Rider instinctively recoiled from the sight of it. A Noble Phantasm? he thought to himself. His thoughts were cut short by a tremendous blow to his abdomen that knocked all the wind out of his lungs. Looking down, he saw that Berserker had smashed into his chest with an oblong silver shield, in the middle of which a gold crystal punctured his abdomen. Blood trickled from the wound. Rider tore himself away with a grunt and swiped with his flail. Berserker deflected the force blast with her shield.
So the ring conjures a shield, thought Rider. That must be her Noble Phantasm. And yet, it doesn't help me discover her identity. If she were just to name it… He brought down both the crook and the flail upon the shield. The shield caught the force of both weapons, shaking with the pure force, but held steady. Eventually, the recoil blasted back at Rider, sending him flying. He crashed into the bowl, gasping for breath.
Berserker leapt into the air and was coming down for a final blow, when a streak of gunmetal grey tore through the night sky, slicing clear across the madwoman's breastplate in a shower of sparks. She spun away from the attack as the blurry metal object whirled back around to its owner. Landing gracefully with both feet, she retreated to the edge of the bowl, watching the newcomer with angry eyes. Lancer stood atop the fence that separated the reservoir from the outside world, his spear returning to his hand in an instant.
Rider laughed. "Gods above. Can I not go one battle without interruptions? I would assume you are Lancer. You have my thanks for putting off that woman for a moment."
"That is no woman," said Lancer calmly. "All I see is a feral, slavering bitch, to be put down like any other rabid dog. My Master is being rash in sending me here, but there is nothing I can do. I would think my chance of victory would be considerably higher if the two of us were to align for the moment, Rider. What say you?"
Rider stood up and pointed his crook at Berserker. "I would think that more than fair. Berserker is the biggest threat here to me. I've seen you in combat before, Lancer, and I was not impressed. However, any aid against an opponent as strong as this is welcome in my eyes." He loosed a volley of light bolts at Berserker, who once again deflected them with her shield.
Lancer snarled. "You will pay for your words, Rider," he hissed, then launched forward. Berserker was more than capable of blocking Rider's barrage, but now she had to contend with Lancer as well. The spearman pressed towards her in a wide arc, then shot forward, the tip of his spear striking out like a bullet. The blade caught a chink in Berserker's armor and bit into her flesh. She howled with rage and whirled around, her armored fist catching ahold of Lancer's forearm before he could react. She roared defiantly and closed her fingers, crushing Lancer's arm in her hand. Lancer screamed and fell away from her as blood dripped from his crushed arm.
Rider launched forward now, throwing his crook like a boomerang. The weapon exploded in a burst of golden light, blinding Berserker. With his other hand, he connected a firm blow with his crook, sending the madwoman shooting into the sky. Berserker whirled through the night air like a deadly ballerina before slamming back down into the ground mere inches from where Rider stood. He grunted as the pointed crystal on her shield punctured his back, leaving a wetly gleaming red hole when she pulled away. He looked around for Lancer, to see the other Servant leap over the fence to safety.
The wind was knocked out of him in short order by a thundering punch from Berserker, forcing him onto his knees. Berserker had no mercy for the downed Servant, smashing him in the head with her shield. Rider saw stars behind his vision and a flare of pain erupted in his skull as he shot away from Berserker with the force of a cannonball. He crashed into the reservoir bowl, feeling something crack beneath him. It was not the stone.
Waver looked over to the battle in the reservoir. From the continually tugging sensation on his prana reserves, it was clear that his control over Berserker was in dire straits. She could no longer be held back with a simple thought. The angrier she got, the stronger she became, but that also applied to her magical strength as well. When she was in a rage, as she was now, it would take a lot more than a simple though to bring her back under control. After all, Waver had commanded her to let loose, as it were. That was a stupid idea.
Not a fraction of a second later, Rider felt an immense wave of power originating from Berserker's position before she disappeared in an intense burst of speed, a crater left in her wake by the intense force. Rider attempted to raise his fail, feeling like the pain was splitting open his torso, but this was all for naught. Berserker appeared above him, her hand grabbing his face brutally before slamming it into the ground in one deft and powerful motion. Several of his teeth shattered with the impact, and his nose crunched under the force of the attack. She was not finished, though, and lifting him by his literal face she flung Rider a good 20 meters away from her. The woman then turned to Lancer and grinned menacingly.
Lancer could tell this was going to hurt a lot, and he had just recovered too. Berserker punched the earth, raising a huge slab of rock. She then lifted it over her head before launching it at staggering speed towards Lancer. He was done. There was no way he could block that. Luckily for him, fate smiled on him. There was a blinding flash of golden light before the rock was launched back at Berserker, courtesy of Rider on his restored solar barge.
Berserker howled at the failure of her attack and easily shattered the rock with a punishing kick. She was about to re-engage with the man atop the shining golden boat before she turned off towards the distance, scenting the air. It seemed her master was in need of help. Once again the woman disappeared in an astounding cloud of concrete dust.
Waver was having a real problem. The Einzbern boy was not to much to deal with. From what he could tell, the sniper had vanished into thin air, leaving in his place a smaller yet far deadlier opponent- an Einzbern girl. He had encountered one like her before. The one he had met was kind and had wanted nothing more than to help him and his Servant against a great evil. This Einzbern seemed determined to kill him at any cost.
"Zelle!" she cried. From her fingertips came a glowing white thread, which wove itself into the shape of a gigantic bird that flew for him, talons outstretched. His Volumen Hydrargium smashed through its chest, but the bird merely unraveled and reformed at a safe distance, cutting into his forearms with its claws. He gasped as blood trickled from the wounds and his autonomous barrier kicked in, shearing the bird in half. He sent a stream of Volumen Hydrargium to her, which she deftly dodged.
She smirked. "Nice try," she taunted.
Waver grinned in return. "I wasn't trying to hit you." The Einzbern girl whirled around to find herself in the grasp of a fluid, female figure made out of mercury. Waver had shaped Volumen Hydrargium into a human construct to hold the Einzbern. Something Kayneth never could do, he thought to himself proudly.
The Einzbern created another thin white cord and waved it through the air. Waver thought she was perhaps surrendering when the mercury golem detached into four distinct pieces that sloughed to the ground. The Einzbern had cut through Volumen Hydrargium with that wire. No, not a wire, thought Waver with building dread, a hair!
Three new white cords shot from her fingertips and wrapped themselves around his neck and legs in the blink of an eye, cutting off his breathing. He spluttered for breath as the hair tightened. A homunculus that can perform magic, he thought. So the Einzberns really can do it. His vision began to go black. Berserker… help…
There was a tremendous explosion of dust and dirt as Berserker slammed into the earth between Waver and the Einzbern. She snapped two of the hairs with her fists and tore the last one with her sharp teeth. Before Waver could react, the Servant had scooped him up and launched into the air. He noticed that the shield she was now wearing on her arm shrunk back into a ring when she took to the sky. The Einzbern protested with a cry and sent another three cords into the air after them, but Berserker swiped them away with a forceful blow. She landed and launched herself again, carrying them away.
Waver frowned and pounded on her arm. "We have to go back, Berserker! We can win!"
She scowled but did not turn back.
"Did you defeat the other Servants?"
She nodded, and Waver felt something like hope rising in his chest. Perhaps summoning a Servant like this would work to his favor if she could single-handedly fight off two Servants. This Holy Grail War may have been going his way after all.
Fuyuki city, Fuyuki City airport, private runway 3
"man it has been a long time since we have been here so many years wonder how much has changed," a tall man with mostly red hair and the occasional white streak said turning to his companions.
"yes quite however don't get lots reminding we came here to finally put an end to this madness" replied the man's brown haired companion.
while at the back of their small party a blonde-haired woman looked on in determination.
He could only smirk so it seems they had work to do, there had already been some battles going on in the city from what he could tell from his contacts. this war was only going to end one way no matter what they would be the victors. a new faction had joined the battle.
A/N: thanks for reading don't forget to leave an review and ill see you next time.