11th Day of the Second Moon
?
"Yo, what's up sis? Wasn't expecting you to call tonight."
"Yes, well, things have certainly not been going as expected over here…"
It had been a long time since I'd hear my sister sigh like that. Could only mean she was running into real trouble.
"Frankly, neither Saber nor I see ourselves taking control of the North Sea anytime soon" Sonja continued. "Bergen and the rest of the west coast of Norway faces near constant bombardment, and we can't even move more ships to the area to try and ward them off; at our limit just keeping them away from Copenhagen."
"There's really a naval power that- wait, did you say bombardment?!"
"I don't know how but yeah, they have cannons, which feels incredibly unfair, considering we can't seem to get any! I'm not an expert of the history of ships, but whatever ships those are, they're at least from the renaissance era, if not the industrial age."
"Do we know where they're coming from at least?"
"No. Originally, we were thinking the British Isles, but having been watching them the past couple of weeks, it looks more like they're fighting to take the Isles for themselves. Their formation looks like a blockade more than anything, with the bombardments against us being retaliatory acts for our initial attempts to cross the sea. Sigurd wants to try pushing into Hamburg and try to claim the southern coast of the English Channel by land to see where the ships are coming from."
"Wouldn't that stretch us seriously thin?"
"Not to mention leave us open to naval assaults should whoever's in charge of this armada change their minds? Yes, it would, seeing as I'd absolutely have to go to claim the territory, and seeing as we're knowingly approaching another master, I wouldn't want to go without Saber with me, leaving no one here to really take command of the naval defence."
"…Do you have any good news?"
"According to the map, Hamburg is currently unoccupied. Considering the apparent extreme focus on ships by this master, I'd wager at least Germany, if not also the Netherlands are still void land."
"So, while you can't confirm it, you're basically saying this master is based in France, and at most has maybe taken control of the Netherlands as well?"
"Yes, which brings me to why I'm calling you now. I want to go with Sigurd and take control of Hamburg, but to do so I'd need you back here to assume control of the naval forces we still have. So, how goes the eastern front?"
"Ah, well…" I muttered, a shaky laugh escaping me. "We claimed St. Petersburg!"
"…But?"
"…We're under siege in St. Petersburg. Unfortunately for us, there's a master in Russia, and they appear to have a Russian servant. Perhaps needless to say, but the fact we hold St. Petersburg is not sitting well with them."
"Can you confirm who the enemy servant is, or the master?"
"Well, from what little I've seen of the servant, I would guess she's a Rider or Assassin. Likely one of the empresses of Russia."
"There's a Tsarina in Russia?! Oh, what the fuck…"
"Yeah, what you said… it would appear we're stuck between a rock and a hard place, taking into account your end" I couldn't help but laugh at the apparent reality of our situation. "As for who the master is though, I have no idea; never seen them. I would assume it would be a fellow magus of the Association, so I'll try and see if we can come to an agreement of peace, if not temporary cooperation."
"Probably for the best. Can you at least hold St. Petersburg in the meantime?"
"Um… maybe? So far, we're holding ok, due to the enemy servant not being a warrior like Saber and Lancer are, and therefor not really directly fighting. Nor does the other master seem to be combat oriented in their magecraft. The only issue is we're looking to be supremely outnumbered."
"Well, that's not surprising, considering it's Russia they're drawing their manpower from."
"Exactly" I nodded. "Perhaps you've noticed this on your end as well, but servants don't seem to be as powerful here against the… humans of this world, at least compared to what I understood servants were supposed to be capable of."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It's not like Lancer can't take on ten guys at once and win, but come twenty or thirty and it starts looking far closer than I'd have thought it was supposed to be, based on everything we were told about the power of servants."
"Could the Rider servant be augmenting her army in some way?"
"Possibly, which is why I wanted to ask if you noticed anything… odd, or out of place, with Saber's fighting capabilities compared to your expectations? Not that I'm saying Lancer isn't performing, because by the gods is she ever, but I can't tell if this is the work of the Rider servant, or-"
"Or if it's something to do with the people of this world?"
"Yeah, that."
"I see… Can't say I've really had the opportunity to see Saber in action like you have for Lancer, but I'll keep my eyes open."
"Oh, but uh, no cannons here though, for either side" I added. "So, if the ships you're having trouble with have cannons, I can't help but wonder if it's due to the servant behind the fleet. Like, if they were an admiral or captain in a navy or something?"
"You know, I hadn't thought of that, but… I suppose that is a possibility, if they're also a Rider… Like, the world has rules that the masters can't break, such as the technological limits, but if it were to come from a servant-"
"The limits are circumvented, to allow the servant to be at full possible strength. Yeah, something along those lines is what I was thinking."
"Guess that's two things I'll keep an eye on then… I suppose this also means you're in no position to come and take care of defenses here, so I'll have to hold off on Hamburg. Alright, well, I'll let you get back to dealing with your end of things then."
"Wait, before you go!"
"Yeah, what?"
"I've been trying out some of the other spells, and I can confirm they do work, day or night. Part of the reason we've been holding as well as we have been here. Think it's safe to confirm that the stars of this world can indeed be used for all our magecraft needs."
"That's good to know; gives us a massive advantage over other masters, at least in theory."
"It still feels weird being on the front lines of a large-scale battle, but with practically unlimited mana to draw from the stars, technically it makes sense to be in the thick of it."
"Now imagine if Lord Wodime were here…"
"Yeah, I still can't for the life of me guess as to why he changed his mind about participating in this. He seemed eager initially."
"Well, he is a Lord. Certainly, sending one to deal with this is overkill, much as he may have wanted to participate. Besides, one of the lords disappearing for an unknown amount of time while the Clock Tower already faces a crisis-"
"I get it, I do" I sighed. "It makes sense for the lords to remain focused on the crisis at hand, but…"
"But what?"
"Just that, all his theories, all his magecraft that everyone points out as being genius on paper but ultimately impossible in practice… if there was ever a place it would be possible, it'd be here, you know? I would have liked to see it, is all; the very peak of astromancy."
11th Day of the Second Moon
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"And just where do you think you're going?!"
They stood there, the man and woman, both with a grin. She spoke with the same confidence as those who'd came before her, yet it was not her who truly radiated power. That honor would belong to the man beside her, holding the spear. In that sense, she was different than the others.
She was human, not one of those… Heroic Spirits, they were called?
In that regard, she gained my respect; none since the man who had assisted in my crossing had been a genuine creation of Father.
Yet all the same…
"You are not who I seek" I informed her.
"Yeah, well you're definitely the one we're seeking" her counterpart spoke with equal confidence. "No question about it: you're a servant. Been getting reports of patrols and garrisons being cut down from all over. That was your work, wasn't it?!"
The man's grin turned feral, to that of a wild beast set on its prey, as he leveled his spear.
"I have no desire to fight the people of this world. They were told then as I tell you now: stand aside, and there shall be no conflict."
"Say we refuse. Then what" the woman asked.
"Neither Fairy Queen, nor Dragon King, nor Lord Admiral could defeat me. If such is your desire, I pray you heed this warning and stand aside."
"Then it sounds like you may be capable of putting up a fight" the spearman spoke cheerfully.
"You do not want this fight, spearman."
"If anything, I've been waiting for a moment like this! Master!?"
"His master was foolish enough to send him into our territory alone; teach them a lesson! Take him down, Lancer!"
Naïvely charging headlong to one's death… Father's creations never cease to confuse me.
To the credit of the spearman, both his speed and reflexes were impressive. He had managed to close the distance between us in the time it took to draw my blade. His strikes, while unable to ring true, took more effort than I'd have expected to need to deflect.
Clang! Clang! Clang Clang Clang!
However, this was still my dominion. No magics like the Queen. No tricks like the King. No machines of war like the Admiral.
Clang Clang! Clang! Clang Clang!
A pure contest of martial prowess.
Clang Clang Clang! Clang Clang Clang!
Try as he might, I would not be stopped here.
Not while brother rampaged freely.
11th Day of the Second Moon
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At this point even I was starting to feel uneasy about the situation. The fight continued to rage before me, spear and sword clashing at such speed I could scarcely make it out under the night sky. But… how could that be?!
Who could possibly match Lancer, while we were in Ireland in less?!
Granted, the thing certainly hadn't looked like anything I'd ever seen before, and certainly not human. Humanoid in shape, but it was nothing more than crackling red magical energy bound within a humanoid shaped cage. Despite that fact, Lancer and I were both certain by the sense of the magical energy alone: it was a servant.
The servant that was cutting its way across Ireland.
It had to be stopped, but at this point the smallest part of me couldn't help but wonder…
Could Lancer even stop this… monster?
Neither of them had managed to land a blow yet, which really spoke to the power of this enemy servant. The sword it wielded was massive, easily as long as I was tall, and wider than any sword I'd ever seen before! The weight of the thing must have been insane, yet the servant swung it around at a pace that could match Lancer's spear thrusts and sweeps!
To make matters worse, I could tell Lancer was on the back foot. The grin he'd bore charging into the fight was gone, replaced with a serious expression which conveyed the true intensity of the clash.
Clang Clang! Clang!
With a final deflected thrust of the spear, Lancer leaped back away from the enemy servant, and a lull formed in the midst of the battle, neither servant making a move.
"Man, he's faster than he looks" Lancer spoke through our mental connection, sounding oddly happy about the fact.
"Sounds like you're enjoying yourself."
"Haven't had a fight this good in a while. Might as well make the most of it."
"What do you think? Can you take him down?"
"Good question… Yeah, I can take him, but it's going to require the use of my Noble Phantasm."
"Permission granted. Just take that thing-"
"I commend you, spearman" the enemy servant suddenly spoke up, lowering his blade. "I have not been tested so by your kind. Nevertheless, you must realize by now that, were this to continue, your end would come far before my own. Out of respect for your display, I will grant you this final chance to stand aside."
"You can hold onto that chance of yours" Lancer fired back, the grin he usually bore returning to his face. "Now that I'm all fired up, no way I could back down!"
In the blink of an eye the two servants resumed their duel with an intensity suggesting they had never even stopped to begin with. Clash after clash rang out into the night sky, sparks emanating from each blow of the weapons against one another. But now… the sheer number of clashes between the weapons drove the noise into a seemingly singular sound, the number of sparks in the air growing to such a number they could illuminate the duel, nothing more than an incoherent blur now, occurring before me.
With each thrust Lancer was accelerating the follow-up strike, demanding through force that the monstrous servant keep pace in order to survive. Only till, finally, Lancer found his opening.
"Your heart is mine! Gáe Bolg!"
A red flash. A roar as the monster fell to its knees. The giant sword it once held dissipating as it fell to the ground. The red, magical energy within its cage-like body dimming and falling still.
…Silence returning to take hold over the night as time began to pass, the enemy servant unmoving, lifeless.
"…Great work Lancer" I caught myself grinning as I began to walk over. "That's one-"
"Stay back master" Lancer barked, catching me off guard and causing me to jump a little. "Something's not right! He should have-"
Before Lancer could even finish, the magical energy within the cage body returned to its prior color and began swirling violently within it's confines. Lancer leapt back as the enemy servant pulled itself back to its feet, stretched out its right arm, and materialized its sword once again.
It had just performed the impossible…
The enemy servant had survived a direct hit from… Gáe Bolg…
"What the-" was all I could manage to utter to myself before the enemy servant began to speak.
"Impressive, spearman" it spoke with neither malice nor contempt in its voice, but rather curiosity. "I thought I had your blow perfectly guarded, just as the others, and yet… I wonder…"
"Lancer, again" I shouted out.
"Your heart is mine! Gáe Bolg!"
Another red flash, though this time there was no noise from the other servant as it once again fell to its knees, the sword dissipating before it could even touch the ground. The magical energy of the enemy servant dimming and falling dormant as it had before.
Nothing had changed, even with the second direct hit from Lancer's Noble Phantasm…
"Lancer, what's going on here?!"
"I don't get it either master! He should have-"
Again, the enemy servant roused back to life, pulling itself back to its feet as the magical energy within its body swirled around, violent as a powerful vortex. This time, though, instead of materializing its blade, it simply stood there, laughing…
"Ah, I understand now…" it mused, seemingly staring not at Lancer, but rather Gáe Bolg itself. "It's not that you managed to pierce my defenses with your thrusts, but rather my defenses were already pierced, and thus you must thrust. A reversal in cause and effect. What an… interesting weapon.
Before even Lancer could respond or react, the enemy servant stretched out his hand.
"By my right as the crowned arms master!"
Lancer nearly stumbled forward as Gáe Bolg was torn violently from his grip. Around the enemy servant a golden barrier of magical energy burst forth, walling us out. At the same time, a ring of white magical energy spun itself around the enemy servant.
…No… not just magical energy… outlines.
Hundreds of outlines of which I couldn't properly discern. Not until I saw the same white magical energy engulf Lancer's red spear, and join in the collection with the others.
Those were all… weapons…
Holding onto Lancer's spear with his left hand, the enemy servant reached out his right and grabbed the outline of the spear that was just added into the collection. Within a second all the outlines disappeared, and within his right hand was another, exact replica of Lancer's spear.
An exact replica of Gáe Bolg…
"Can't say I care much for it's lack of weight" the servant commented without a hint of emotion as the gold barrier fell, and he threw Lancer's spear back to him, keeping hold of the copy. "Far from an inhibiting factor, however."
I couldn't make out the movements, only the sounds. They were lighter than the previous clashes, but they came faster. Much, much faster. That couldn't have been the work of only Lancer; this other servant was moving at a far greater speed than he had been previously.
With a roar, the enemy servant let out a powerful thrust that caused a wave of force to sweep over the area, knocking me to the ground and forcing Lancer to leap back, now only a few feet in front of me, looking worse for wear than the enemy servant."
"I don't get it" I shouted between the coughing as I got back to my feet. "We fired off your Noble Phantasm twice! How the hell does anyone get struck in the heart twice and still live?!"
"Ah, so that's why it hit the same spot both times." the other servant simply spoke as he mirrored Lancer's stance. "It always strikes at the heart..."
"Heart, spiritron core, same thing" Lancer spat. "So how the hell are you not dead yet?! Nobody should be able to survive a single strike from this spear, yet alone twice!"
"Spiritron core? Same as the heart? …Out of respect for your capabilities, spearman, allow me to relieve you of your confusion. Your spear and its curse cannot kill me because I lack one of these… spiritron cores."
"Impossible" I protested. "All servants have a spiritron core!"
"I am a faithful servant of Father, yes, but mistake that not for me being equal to your champion here" the enemy servant turned his attention towards me. "I serve no one but Father, and I am not one of these… servants… as you children seem to call your champions. Now, for the final test."
Turning his attention back to Lancer, the enemy servant continued.
"How did the command go again? Ah, yes: You heart is mine! Gáe-"
"Master!"
Before my mind could even begin to process everything, I felt myself moving at impossible speed, the blades of grass rushing past me in a green blur as Lancer carried me.
Lancer… was retreating… We were… retreating…
Here we were, where we should have been unbeatable, retreating…
We had lost a fight in Ireland…
…What the hell did we just cross paths with?
11th Day of the Second Moon
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"So, the spearman knows when it's time to retreat and live to fight another day…"
I merely stood and watched as the spearman and the woman disappeared from sight. That I could have pursued them and cut them down was without question. That under other circumstances I would have done such was a certainty. But that spearman…
"My respects to both your capabilities as a warrior, and a protector" I nodded. "I pray for the opportunity to face you again, come the end of this world."
Turning my attention from the spearman to the spear…
"…It truly is too light for comfort. Nor will it serve against brother" I sheathed the weapon and drew my blade. "However, should more of these… Heroic Spirits… choose to stand in the way… perhaps it will be of some use."
A/N
Been a good 3 weeks (roughly), but man trying to make sure this came out right was time intensive. Here's to hoping it did, but at this point, this is likely the best I can do with it, so regardless... xD
The first section I thought about keeping as a separate chapter, but it's fairly small on it's own, and it happens on the same day (night) as the rest of this chapter, so I just lumped it in there. I hope that doesn't prove too confusing (I don't think it should, but you never know with some people).
Anyways, thank you to all who are reading this, and I'll see you in the next post o7
