Shirou and his shed disappeared from their eyes, instead they were blinded by ambulances and police cars dotting around the city.
["Miyama HQ to all Miyama paramedics. Miyama HQ to all Miyama paramedics. Call received from the center."
"Many people need rescue in the building across from New City Station. All available vehicles should promptly head on-site. Over."]
Ritsuka took a single step back as her vision returned and gasped in surprise when she found herself on top of a crane. Mash grabbed the girl's arm before she could fall, pulling her close.
"Thanks, Mash."
Mash smiled and answered, "Astolfo did proved that there's no danger in fall, but it is better not to risk yourself, senpai."
Actually, Mash just didn't trust that world anymore after what happened with Sasaki and Medea.
Looking around, Ritsuka found the other servants scattered around the place: some were on top of the crane like her and Mash, other were down there at the harbor waiting for something to happen.
"This place is certainly nostalgic." Iskandar jumped off from one of the containers. "What you think, Saber? Too bad Diarmuid is not here with us."
"You're right. This is where we fought for the first time until half of the war participants appeared to bother us." Artoria put her hands on her hips with a disapproving look.
Iskandar laughed. "Competitive as usual, Saber!"
"Half of the war participants?" Bedivere asked. "Did that happen at the end of the war?"
"No, Bedivere. It was during my first engagement in the war," Artoria replied.
"... first engagement?" Boudica asked in surprise. "Just to make sure, when you say "half", how many are we talking about?"
"Saber, Lancer, Archer, Rider and Berserker. And a few masters." El Melloi II lit another cigarette.
"Assassin too." Irisviel revealed. "We found out later. But he didn't get involved for obvious reasons."
"Archer... Gilgamesh!?" Robin frowned. "Man, what the heck. This world sure has some crazy wars."
"I remember how shocked I was to see servants fighting for the first time," Irisviel said.
Lancelot who had discovered the identity of that Berserker shortly after his king was summoned in Chaldea, just listened in a silence full of guilt.
"What's with that face, man?" Mordred slapped Lancelot on the back. "Greenie is correct. Makes me jealous that I didn't participate in one of these!"
"Yours had a greater magnitude than ours, Mordred, you have nothing to be jealous of!" Iskandar answered.
"You're absolutely right. I wouldn't trade my war for anything. My Master was the best!" Mordred then noticed what she said. "Shit, did Master hear that...?" she murmured.
"Yes!" Ritsuka screamed right up there. "But don't worry, he was really cool!"
"I bet you were terrified, brother," Reines said.
"Reines, you had to see how much Waver screamed and whimpered when we stormed into battle in my chariot! HAHAHA!" Iskandar patted the man on the back, making him spit out the cigarette. "Come to think of it, you kind of reminded me of Sakura's brother a little bit, minus the bastard part."
Reines started to laugh. "That's true. Come to think of it, they both whine in the same way."
"Don't worry, shishou. You have nothing to do with him!" Gray exclaimed with pure honesty. "T-They don't know what they're talking about!"
"Also, Assassin's been up here with us for a while!" Ritsuka warned.
"What!?"
[Near where Ritsuka and others were, Assassin was watching the city. His attention was caught by Lancer's sudden arrival.
"Hey. Was all that emotion your handiwork?" The tip of his spear skimmed across the ground, creating a path of sparks on the metal.]
Cu Chulainn almost threw his arms up in happiness.
"Finally! My moment to shine!" And patted Ritsuka on the shoulder. "Get ready to see one hell of a fight, Master!"
Ritsuka smiled in excitement and Mash gulped in nervousness.
The rest was paying full attention now, feeling the mood that preceded a battle. The next clash was before their eyes, announced: Lancer against Assassin.
["No, a filthy little sand bug wouldn't be able to pull of such a stunt."]
El-Melloi II lifted his eyebrow. So the extra presence causing trouble in the city is that shadow?
[Lancer approached his opponent, but instead of returning the gesture, Assassin leapt away, initiating an escape.]
"Hmph, coward." Artoria Alter snorted her disdain.
"Let's see your performance, Setanta!" Scáthach called from the containers, down there.
"Now that I stop to think about it, we never witnessed a fight moving through the city." Gareth commented to Jekyll. "How do you think this is going to work—"
Before Gareth could finish, they all found themselves in the middle of a city street.
[Assassin jumped onto a passing truck, resting on top. And Lancer appeared, soon after, running after his opponent.]
Instinctively, the servants knew that the scenario would not change anytime soon, if they wanted to follow that fight there would only be one way.
"Run!?" Jeanne Alter exclaimed. "Come on, serious? Why not let us just watch the crappy movie sitting in a comfortable chair?"
"That's what I've been talking about since the beginning!" Nero complained. "This is no movie at all! We shouldn't call it a movie, it's an insult to cinema!"
"We know, but we're already used to calling it that," Atalanta replied.
"I'm happy that such beautiful goddess agrees with me!"
Atalanta stepped away. I was sure she stopped obsessing over me!
"Guys!" Robin called. "We're going to lose sight of them!"
"As if anyone would subject to—" Jeanne Alter didn't manage to finish.
Cu and Scathach were already running. And others followed, not wanting to lose that fight — see the Child of Light fighting was one of the reasons they were there.
"Be careful not to get fat with all this laziness." Artoria Alter dashed too. "I'll tell you what happened later!"
"W-What did you say!? Damn you! You guys can go, I won't-" Jeanne looked around and saw everyone getting ready for it. "-run too..."
Ishtar invoked her bow and went towards Ritsuka. "Master! Mash! Come up and watch the fight with me!"
Ritsuka and Mash looked at each other, and jumped on top of the bow without thinking twice. And so the three flew up, following everything from a privileged view. "That's so cool! Much better than watching the movie in the cinema!" Ritsuka cackled like a little child.
"Well, beggars can't be choosers..." Jeanne Alter sighed and started running too.
"Vamonos, amigos!" Musashi exclaimed, racing.
"I ain't young anymore to be running around like a idiot." Muramasa snorted. "Good battle there, kiddo."
While most of the servants had to run after Lancer, some had other ways.
Illya and Miyu transformed and began to fly; Astolfo summoned his hippogriff and pulled Siegfried, jumping to follow the fight with Ritsuka in the skies; Iskandar summoned his chariot letting Reines, Gray and Irisviel jump inside.
"Let's go, shishou!" Gray called.
"No thanks, I'm not interested in seeing this fight." El-Melloi II shrugged and went to a nearby bench, sitting on it and lighting another cigarette.
With everyone leaving to follow the fight, some decided that the effort was too absurd and unnecessary.
"So... what's it like to have seen yourself die in the other fragment?" Muramasa asked Amakusa who walked with him to the bench where El Melloi II was.
"I can ask the same thing."
"Heh. Not exactly, but fair enough." Muramasa smiled.
[Lancer ran faster and faster, speeding towards the truck. In response, Assassin threw a car towards him, which Lancer destroyed with ease and continued advancing.]
With senses honed by the adrenaline of battle, everyone felt motivated to ran faster. Even those who weren't excited about that idea. The servants who stayed behind felt nothing.
"I don't know how this works, but this adrenaline I'm feeling right now is awesome!" Mordred chuckled as she ran alongside Lancer. "Almost make me wish I was in his shoes."
"This is too much fun!" Astolfo laughed. "Right, Siegfried?... Siegfried?" When she turned back, she was surprised to find the Gorgon sisters sitting behind the man.
"This is surprisingly fun, me," Stheno said.
"Yes, but this creature stinks," Euryale complained.
"My hippogriff doesn't stinks!" Astolfo cried.
"I don't want to bother either of you, but... and about Rider?" Siegfried pointed to the woman who was hanging from the hippogriff by her chains. "Is this really necessary?"
"Of course. If one of ours fall, she will catch us. Right, Medusa!?" Euryale spoke aloud so her sister could hear.
"Yes, sister!" Medusa looked like a plastic bag swaying in the wind, lifeless.
[Finally reaching the truck, Lancer climbed on top of it and faced Assassin.]
"Cú Chulainn," Emiya called. "What are your chances of winning?"
Artoria arched an eyebrow at that. Considering the ability of the man running with them, he should have been able to defeat at least two Hassan together and at all power without too much trouble. If she had to be honest in a serious fight between the two, she couldn't waver at any point, especially after she arrived in Chaldea and found out how many times Lancer could use his Noble Phantasm in a single battle.
With a sigh, the protagonist of the fight looked disheartened. "I'm just counting on my performance in this fight. And that's it. I think it's hard for me to get any results. Not if it depends on my dear master."
That's what I thought. Emiya was another that sighed despondently. The best thing to do in that war was focus on that Assassin, kill him as soon as possible and then focus on whatever was that shadow; and there was no one better to kill Hassan of the Cursed Arm than Lancer. Emiya could, but he would have to work for it, and Saber normally wouldn't have any problems, but under Shirou just one mistake could make things go wrong.
[Lancer and Assassin started fighting on top of the truck, exchanging several blows, but none really land; it showed Cu Chulainn's superiority in combat and how agile Assassin was.]
"Not bad, Lancer!" Artoria praised.
Ritsuka whistled from above, in awe of the scene. "It's funny that at first I could barely keep up with you guys fighting, but it seems my eyes now have adapted to the speed of combats. Not that it would be of any use to me in a fight anyway."
"Don't sell yourself short, Ritsuka. You've shown yourself to be a good warrior in many singularities. Your training with Scathach is paying off, right? Strategically and physically," Ishtar replied.
"Well, anything added to "0" works..." Ritsuka thought for a bit and looked around, finding Martha running along with the other servants. "Although of all the trainings, the self-defense ones I had with Martha were the ones I performed the best. ISN'T IT, MARTHA!?"
Martha pretended not to have heard. Please, Master, stop talking. It harms my saintly image more than it already is!
[After a series of blows, the destruction of the cars being carried caused the truck to explode, presumably killing the driver along with it.]
"I take back what I said..." Artoria sighed.
"You idiot!" Emiya said.
"What did you want me to do!?" Cú Chulainn complained. "The one who got on the truck was him!"
[After leaving the street, the two began a cat-and-mouse chase over buildings.]
"What's his goal?" Gawain commented to his companions. "If he wanted to, he could have escaped already."
"What do you mean, brother?" Gareth questioned. "Lancer seems to be standing pretty close to him to ensure this won't happen."
"Seems to me that he's luring Cú Chulainn somewhere. It feels less like an escape and more like a commute!" Gawain noted.
"I agree!" Lancelot spoke as he leapt between the buildings, following the rest of the servants. "We've been through too many ambushes as knights not to spot something so obvious!"
"Does it matter!?" Mordred growled. "Hassan ain't nothing special. As long as Lancer kills him in the end, it doesn't matter!"
"Explosive and impulsive as usual," Tristan spoke.
"How is that, dead weight!?"
"Not everything can be solved with brute force. An Assassin can very well defeat a Divine servant in a specific situation. And a small correction: Hassan is very strong." Tristan knew that man well enough to know this. "Let's just hope that the 'specific situation' isn't here. Or our king will have to face someone with enough power to destroy two servants in a few days."
[Assassin stopped running and waited for Lancer. He was in a very dark square lit by four weak streetlights. In front of the servant — where he expected Lancer to land — was a water fountain with four submerged lamps that turned on and off occasionally to create a light effect on the water.
And just as Lancer arrived, landing right at the water fountain, the submerged lamps go out. To close the deal, Assassin destroyed the four streetlights and, taking advantage of the darkness, launched four daggers at the opponent.]
"Damn, nice one!" Robin admired.
"Stupid move." Scáthach sighed.
[Most servants would think it was too late to Lancer have any chance of dodging the blades — so close to his neck — but the lights in the fountain came on in time to activate his skill. With them noticed, all the daggers flew away.
"Protection from Arrows, huh?" Assassin said.]
A real pain in the ass. That skill made things very difficult for Emiya and the other Archers. Few would want to face the Lancer one on one.
[Assassin ran away again.
"Hiding weapons painted black within the shadows. Such stupidity."]
"What the hell. How many times is he going to let this guy get away?!" Jeanne Alter screamed. "Cú Chulainn, you are good for nothing!"
Robin whistled, still impressed by the daggers trick. He had never participated in a battle in the same group as Hassan.
"Of course you of all people would like that..." Tamamo said with a frown. "Cheater."
"Like you would be any different."
"Hah! A beauty and powerful lady like me don't need such tricks to win a petty battle."
[hr]
"It's strange to say the least. But nothin' the boy has done so far has surprised me. It's to be expected of someone who would vessel me," Muramasa said.
"You mean you acted like Shirou during your youth, Lord Muramasa?" Jekyll asked.
"Not exactly. I never jumped in front of any sword to save someone's ass. But I can say that my value for my own life wasn't very great either. If I could come up with the ideal sword, I would sacrifice my own flesh and bones to make one. So, yes, not so different from the boy..." Muramasa sighed. When he was close to his death it was his family, that he never paid much attention, that made him realize his strange life.
"In a way you already did. I believe it was when you killed my evil self in Shimousa?" Amakusa questioned.
"Yes. And from what I've heard, you finished the work on one of Master's dreams?"
"Giving your flesh and bones to create a sword. Hmph. What a brute. It's so stupid I just love it," Kama snorted. She was standing next to them. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!?"
Muramasa got up, took the child by the waist and placed her on the bench to sit with them. "Chill out, kiddo. You didn't run with the rest, so I assume you're tired. No need to be shy. This old man understand a little about children."
"I-I-I...!" Kama gave up. She crossed her arms and pouted... sitting on the bench. He always do this!
El-Melloi II listened to the whole conversation with a frown. He just wanted some peace and solitude, and all these guys decided to sit with him.
[In the swamp of the forest behind Ryuudo Temple, the two enemies continued their "battle".]
There was no longer any need for them to run when they reached that place. Everything had returned to a rhythm that they could follow walking at the shore, watching the silhouette of the two servants creating sparks as they impacted on the water.
Ritsuka and Mash continued on Ishtar's bow, watching the fight from there.
"This is getting boring..." Astolfo said as he walked. Beside him, his hippogriff was still there, carrying the Gorgon sisters. He normally would have dismissed the animal, but seeing the girls' sinister smiles commenting on how cute the hippogriiff was, Astolfo decided to leave the goddesses enjoying the animal. "What you think of all this?"
"It's an ambush," Siegfried replied. "But the question is why. This spot is unlikely to be a big advantage against Lancer. And I doubt the master of Assassin would increase his chances of winning."
"It's true, I forgot about the master. Does he even have one?"
"I believe so. Probably the reason he appeared from within Sasaki Koujiro was because his master summoned him. Somehow." But Siegfried couldn't come up with an explanation for his conclusion.
["Is this the destination? What is a sand bug going to do in a watering hole, huh?"]
Cu Chulainn had to admit that until now he had been deluding himself into thinking he could shine in a war where he had Kirei Kotomine as his master. If his experience with the man hadn't been clear enough, their last interaction had made it obvious that for the accursed priest he was nothing more than a board piece that the only use was to be a stepping stone for those who interested Kirei.
That meant only one thing: no matter how much he wanted to fight seriously and how skilled he was, his only use was to create space for the other servants to show their skills... and that could be fatal in a war like that.
"Ah, man... this is not how a hero should be acting..." Cu didn't need to see the rest of that scene to know where was going. "Damn priest."
Emiya was almost feeling sorry for the man.
[An ominous aura emerged from within the lake, filling the place with a terrible and terrifying miasma.]
The servants' first instinct was to flee. Far away.
Whatever was inside the lake was a natural enemy for Heroic Spirits.
"Setanta!" Scathach exclaimed in urgency.
[Tentacles came up from the bottom of the lake, pulling Lancer under the water.]
"What is that...?" Ritsuka said, surprised and scared.
[After letting go of the tentacles, Lancer created a Bounded Field with his runes, but was easily destroyed by the tentacles.]
"How is this possible?" El-Melloi II spoke.
"Shishou?" Gray nearly jumped in fright at her teacher's sudden appearance. Behind him came the other servants who got behind as well.
"That one was powerful enough to take a heavy hit." Emiya pointed, surprised. "And this thing destroyed like was nothing."
["If you don't move, it will swallow you."
"Damn you! Do you know what the hell this is?"
The answer was quite clear with Assassin's calm demeanor.]
"His arm!" Mash exclaimed.
"He's preparing his Noble Phantasm!" Ritsuka echoed.
Artoria Alter shrugged. "You've played too much with your prey, Lancer, now is the time for you to collect the reward." The woman's coldness was noticeable, but her disappointment was greater, she expected more from the Child of Light.
["Noble Phantasm!" Assassin's right arm took on a red hue and flew towards the enemy. "Zabaniya!"
His fingertips lightly touched Lancer's chest before he knocked the enemy's arm away.]
"Shit." Cú Chulainn sighed. "I lost."
["Noble Phantasm! It's a bit far, but I'll settle it now!" The spear exploded with energy, demanding the blood of the enemy. "Gae...!"]
At least take that bastard with you, you idiot! The hope that his counterpart would at least make it a draw remained.
["... Bolg!"
But unfortunately the lake creature was an ally to Assassin. This was revealed before their eyes as the tentacles tried to block the trajectory of the spear.
"Checkmate. You lose!" And closing his hand, Lancer's heart was destroyed.]
Mash and Ishtar held Ritsuka tightly as the destruction caused by Gae Bolg's unbridled power spread across the place, sending debris and waves of water across the shore.
[The tentacles waved in the air around the two servants, without a target to attack since Lancer was practically dead. Assassin leapt at him, ripping his heart out.
With that, the tentacles pulled Lancer into the lake.
"Yeah, this is the worst turn of events."]
"Chaldea sometimes makes us forget how disgusting some of our allies are..." Artoria glared at the Assassin, almost hidden in the mist, swallowing Lancer's heart. "This is upsetting."
"Setanta!"
The servants had their attention stolen from the scene when they saw Scathach advancing towards her student, who was starting to disappear like the previous two servants.
"Man... after this whole embarrassment, I don't have much to complain about my leaving..." Cú Chulainn sighed.
"Seems like your worst enemy in this war was never one of us servants, but your own Master..." Emiya said.
Cú Chulainn shrugged. "I didn't like our war that much, but seeing this one, I prefer ours a thousand times."
"Cu!" Ritsuka ran to him, worried, with Mash sharing the same emotion.
The man gave a slight smile to the girls and his teacher. "Don't worry about me. Like Sasaki and Medea, I'll probably be sealed away somewhere. It's up to you when you can save me. At least I want someone to tell me if Archer embarrassed himself or not, afterwards."
"Whatever it is, it won't be worse than you." Emiya gave Lancer the middle finger.
And Cu returned.
Scathach gave him a long look. "You better not die, you hear me? You still have a lot to hear from me after all these embarrassments..."
Damn, on second thought, it would be good for me to ACTUALLY die... With a worried expression and no longer a smile, the Lancer disappeared.