"You've got two legs and a heartbeat. What's stopping you?" – Inuyasha from Inuyasha
Berserker ejected prana violently behind her as she closed the gap between herself and Archer. She was not so much running as hovering, her feet barely touching the ground as she kicked off trees and branches, accelerating further.
The main cause of her increase in speed was her Noble Phantasm - the
Bridal Chest
Maiden's Chastity
.
It is not simply a weapon for bludgeoning the enemy; if anything, that is a secondary use. The true ability of her Noble Phantasm is to absorb prana. In any Holy Grail War - ruthless struggles between Servants and magi - converted prana will end up dispersed all over the place, eventually dissipating into the atmosphere.
Her Noble Phantasm, the 'heart' of Frankenstein's monster, holds the ability to absorb excess prana. This amassed energy can then flow through Berserker's heart and into her Magic Circuits, even allowing her to emulate a Prana Burst. Of course, it is not an all-powerful weapon - but having taken form as the Servant Berserker, one would have been hard-pressed to find a more convenient weapon. For a class known for sapping prana reserves dry in short order when fully active, this Noble Phantasm allows her to fight on like a perpetual motion engine.
She might appear prone to senseless charges, but Berserker was actually given a solid reason why she ought to aim at the Archer of the Red. Just now, before Rider was hit in the shoulder by that arrow, Berserker was telepathically contacted.
'Listen carefully. I shall deal with the enemy's arrows as well as Rider. Make all due haste towards the opposing Archer.'
Berserker moaned in disagreement. That wouldn't work - nothing worked against Rider.
'My arrows will prove to be the exception. Confronting him directly may be somewhat beyond me - but please, place your trust in me.'
Berserker did not protest further. She had no choices left to begin with; for now, she might as well do as Archer said.
The instant Archer's arrow pierced Rider's shoulder, Berserker ran forth without hesitation.
"Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!"
Berserker roared as she raged and bound forward.
Her goal - the sly marksman hiding and taking aim in the dark. She will drag them out under the moon's light, and cave their head in...!
The Archer of the Black, standing atop the thick walls of the Fortress of Millennia, felt relieved when his arrows pierced Rider as expected.
"Master, please have Saber retreat. There is nothing he can do against Rider."
"Very well... I'll let Grandfather know."
Soon after Fiore contacted Darnic, Saber turned into Spirit Form and disappeared.
They have prevented the worst; his Noble Phantasm did not fully activate. There is a chance that his identity has not been exposed. However, the cost has been too great.
The Command Spells - the right to absolute commands - is not simply for the use of enforcing orders. With the enormous prana contained by the Spells, it is possible to utilize a number of miraculous powers. And yet, they have just forfeited two. Most likely, there is only one Command Spell remaining on Gordes.
"I fear further ambushes, Master... you should retreat as well. Summon me with a Command Spell if you have urgent need."
Fiore tilted her head gracefully and replied.
"I understand, Archer... good luck."
She looked pale and very lost. Archer put on a gentle smile to reassure her.
"It is going to be all right, Fiore. I am your Servant, after all."
Fiore left, and Archer turned his eyes to the depths of the great forest - towards the enemy Rider and Archer. He drew his bow and took aim at Rider, letting all thoughts become oblivion and devoting himself entirely to the bow. The form the bowman took was utter perfection, as exquisite as the stars in the sky.
After all... this man, gentle like a calm sea, is the most famous archer in the world. Every arrow he lets fly is as swift as a shooting star.
Atalanta the famous huntress known as the Chaste Huntress she was born as the daughter of King Iasus of Arcadia however, although she was born in and as the princess of the natural paradise, Atalanta ended up being abandoned in the forests and on the mountains immediately she was born as she was shunned by her father - who desired a son but she survived thanks to the divine protection from Artemis, a virgin goddess
as such she has the same egotism and view on life and death as a wild animal, (such as funding it natural to her to steal food to live.) however, she will help any child left behind as much as she can, as gratitude for the care she received herself.
That very thing was now working against her her hesitation to use her bow against them at the correct time left her cornered by the two
Atalanta lept upwards dodging assassin's knifes and grabbed a branch of a nearby tree
Zap
another bolt of lightning destryed the branch she was holding on to causing her to land down
"Tch" Atalanta growled as she felt her burnt fingers as of now she was not drawing her bow to the level of strength she had before. Instead, she prioritized speed. The issue was how quickly she could nock, draw and release with out getting hit by her enemy's attacks
In the ten minutes that they were fighting for Atalanta had received about four shallow cuts from assassin and burnt fingers from Assassin's master
Assassin of black while being slightly slower than her had the advantage of presence concealment making if diffecult for Atalanta to avoid her and also her Master who kept throwing around too many lighting bolts at her (lighting bolts tend to be very hard to dodge) that she was half convinced that she might be one of Zeus's child
,
" Oooooooooo !!!! " Berseker crashed into the clearing swinging her mace at Atalanta's skull
Reacting quickly Atalante jumped up well over the berseker
!!! right above her was assassin who stabbed at her
Atalanta felt the knife score through her shoulder just as she grabbed assassin's arm mid air
both of them landed down hard rolling away Atlanta half stood
"checkmate "
a railgun headed straight towards Atalanta's skill
time slowed down Atalanta's instinct screamed at her to move but her body was slow to respond and a hand swatted it away
" looks like I'm in time huh missy ? "
instead of responding the Archer of the Red decided to abandon the fight a prouder Heroic Spirit would consider standing their ground and fighting for supremacy, and Archer was still confident that she could defeat Berserker but she is a beast, and to her, pride is as worthless as the carrion fed to the wolves she decided to retreat without hesitation. The objective of this skirmish was only to support Berserker.
Said task having ended, there was no reason for her to stay.
She did not worry about Rider; he certainly had his own avenues of retreat
" huh who knew Missy could be pretty shy if she wants to " of course Rider chose to interpret her actions like that
" Uuuuuu !!" Berseker rushed madly at Achilles who merely stepsided and knocked her on the back with the blunt end of his spear sending her sprawling
Assassin slashed his neck but her knife didn't even starch his skin
" !! " Jack backfliped bearly dodged his spear
" Not bad you're quite fast "
An arc of electricity blasted him with no effect
" Is that all caster ? " Achillies mocked " well I guess I stating to get bored so " he spun his spear
Misa flicked two railgun at him only to be defected by his hand as if they were nothing more than flies
"I'll just finish you here "
A arrow rammed at his shoulder causing the Rider of the Red to shake - not from shame, but from joy. He was truly thankful that in this Great Holy Grail War, he found someone capable of harming him. The Archer of the Black possessed such immense skill with the bow; it was embarrassing to have thought that no one could surpass the Archer on his side.
The enemy Archer fired again. Judging from the ripples in the air and slight whisper of wind, it was five arrows released in quick succession. It would be simple enough to avoid it by leaping backwards - but the last two times he tried that, his actions had been seen through and he had been pierced by more arrows.
Could the Archer of the Red read his mind? Did he or his Noble Phantasm possess some form of prediction skill? Either way, Rider could not even move a single step except retreat
The vivid pain that it brought him - something he had not felt in a very long time - made it impossible for Rider to contain his swelling passion.
"Haha... hahahahaha! Yes, this! This is splendid, Archer! So you can harm me! You can kill me! Then it must be fated that we face one another! O Gods of Olympus, may you bring glory and honor to this battle!"
However, it would be too regrettable for them to vie for supremacy here when Rider was not even properly mounted. It would be such a shame to settle their duel in this lonely forest, with no allies to witness their splendor.
With their team's Berserker having already been defeated, and Archer in retreat, there was little reason for him to remain and carry on by himself. Rider put his fingers in his mouth and whistled; a chariot drawn by three splendid horses promptly appeared from the sky and came to a rest besides him.
Leaping onto the driver's position, Rider exclaimed.
"We will settle this at another time, Archer of the Black! Next time - I will see who you really are!"
With a crack of the whip, the horses raised their head and neighed, dashing off majestically into the sky with great force. It was clear that Rider was not escaping; he was postponing the war for another time.
The homunculus was practising his walking when an out-of-breath Rider, appearing slightly injured, suddenly flung open the door. He smiled and held out his hand to the homunculus.
"Now's a good time. Let's make a break for it!"
The homunculus immediately grasped the situation; he took Rider's hand and they ran out together. It felt far easier than moving normally - probably because Rider was pulling him on. Sadly, as he was still rather frail, their escape was slow.
They crossed paths with a number of homunculi as they ran down the halls, but none of them challenged Rider or the escapee. Instead, the homunculi watched them leave with cold eyes embued with some hints of emotions - pity, and faint hope.
" what are you looking at ? get back to work " a voice commanded
the homunculi immediately turned away going back to their duties
" Rider ? what are you doing?" Misa asked him
" shhhh do you want us to get caught !? "
Rider whispered and ran "What are you waiting for come on !!"
"You dimwit. Have you not even the presence of mind to realize the most opportune time to release Saber's Noble Phantasm?"
Gordes could only hang his head, unable to argue against Darnic's cold words. Shame, despair, anger - all these emotions and more mixed together into a cocktail that permeated his heart and mind.
As soon as Darnic received Archer's urgent message, he immediately went to Gordes and forced him to use another Command Spell. Without Archer's warning - that "Saber's Noble Phantasm will not work against Rider" - Saber would have disclosed his true name for the sake of a meaningless attack.
"Two Command Spells... all that you have managed to accomplish is waste two Command Spells. And that was still a far better choice than revealing Saber's true name."
Their strategy revolves around maintaining Saber's secrecy until it becomes a necessity to release his Noble Phantasm. It was Darnic's decision that they must keep hidden Siegfried's one and only, yet highly public, weak point until Assassin and its Presence Concealment ability is removed from play.
They almost lost everything due to Gordes' uncontrolled actions. The Rider of the Red might have obtained Saber's true name. Even if he had not, whatever Rider had observed could give clues to the opposing camp as to who Saber was. The possibility that Saber had been compromised was high.
"Have Saber take form here."
"..."
Wordlessly, Gordes let Saber materialize next to him. Saber knelt respectfully before Gordes and Darnic.
"Be at ease, Saber. I only wish to ask you this: did the enemy Rider perceive your true name?"
"Answer him, Saber..."
Taking Gordes' words as approval, Saber spoke.
"I did not completely release my Noble Phantasm. It is not impossible for him to make a conjecture based on my appearance and my Armor, but..."
"...you believe the possibility to be low."
Saber nodded. Darnic sighed loudly.
"However, the possibility still exists... at the very least, we should have someone guarding your back at all times from here on."
After some thought, Darnic decided on Rider. Archer is acting commander and must give orders and directions. Their king, Lancer; Berserker; Caster; all are poor choices. Assassin has yet to appear. As such, the unfettered Rider is the best choice for standing next to Saber on the front line.
'Lord Darnic, if I may...'
A voice called out while Darnic was in deep in thought. Caster had spoke him via telepathy.
'What is it?'
'The homunculus I have been searching for... it seems Rider is leading it out in an attempt to escape. That homunculus is a highly valuable resource. I would like to have it back if possible...'
'What...?'
Darnic was bewildered by Rider's unprecedented act. Running away with a homunculus? Even outright betrayal would be easier to comprehend.
'I do not know why, but the homunculus...'
'Why is it so valuable?'
'He is a possible candidate for the core.'
'Oh? In that case... I will send a Servant after them.'
Greatly appreciated, came Caster's parting words. Darnic immediately ordered the idle Gordes to pursue Rider with Saber and bring back the homunculus. If they are fortunate, and it can be used as the 'core' as Caster suggested, then they should secure it. While obviously displeased by the triviality of the task, Gordes dared not go against the orders of the family head and began to track down the pair.
Certainly, the homunculus' escape was a shocking development. Who would have imagined that a weak prana provider - not even a combat model - could manage to destroy the containment glass with thaumaturgy? But it is only a homunculus. It can accomplish nothing by itself. Besides, it is physically defective. The homunculi hold no illusions regarding that letting it run off makes little difference.
In this case, however... they must retrieve it even if they have to use a Servant.
Yet why was Rider helping this homunculus escape to begin with? He certainly could not be planning to escape himself. He is a Servant; cut his prana lines and he will be reduced to the floundering familiar that he is, unable to survive on his own.
Darnic could not understand what Rider was doing at all. Was he trying to save the homunculus? How? Did he truly believe such a piece of rubbish could ever blend into the normal world...?
To the magus who had lived for over a century, this was utterly incomprehensible.
getting past the homonculi guards was easy (especially when their commander in chief was helping you escape)
The golems, however, did not treat them the same way. Roche's surveillance golems, improved under the guidance of Caster, dashed along the flagstones in careful pursuit naturally, they did not dare to impede Rider. Caster also did not seem inclined to follow them himself; after all, this was not his part of his duties.
Gasping for breath, the three finally managed to escape the castle. As they passed through the back gate at the eastern walls, they saw a swift-flowing river. The pouring of muddy water, like a relentless flood, was clearly set by thaumaturgical means. On the other side was a precipitous mountain that looked to be a very arduous climb. However, that was where his freedom laid. A freedom of faint joy and cruel truths - but that was enough to be worth living for.
"Hm... make sure you don't let go of my hand, okay?"
The homunculus shook his head. The surrounding area was obviously criss-crossed with thaumaturgical traps and boundaries they would be little trouble for a Servant, but that was not the case with the homunculus; it would take less than ten minutes for them to do away with this defective product, for whom any use of thaumaturgy would bring it to death's door.
"Yes you are a very good planner how do we get through that !?" Misa asked normally she would leave and enter the fortress through the safe path (the ones that are filled with only surveillance spells) since no mage is stupid enough to not keep a safe passage and risk getting killed by his own trap spell
right now unfortunately it was not a good idea to try those paths
Astolfo was filled with confidence as he chuckled.
"That's why I have this. Tadaaaaa!"
He took out a thick, leather-bound book. The words and shapes on its cover were subdued and rather unremarkable, but even the homunculus could tell that it was related to thaumaturgy.
"A long time ago, I was saved by the lady Logistilla. She gave me this then. Just possessing it lets me break through any sort of thaumaturgy!"
" That's amazing, " said the homunculus in wonder. It would seem this was another one of his Noble Phantasms. The paladin Astolfo had gone on adventures whenever the mood struck him, with many exploits to his name, and even reached the moon in the end. Naturally, he possessed rare Noble Phantasms.
"so can it break down those ? "
"There's just... one slight problem... I, hehe, don't remember what this Noble Phantasm is called..."Rider grinned shyly as he quietly revealed the ridiculous truth.
"..."
"But it's all right! Mostly, I only need to hold the book for it to take effect. At the very least, no modern magus should be able to harm me... though it might be different for one not from the modern era, like Caster."
...or perhaps something that is infinitely close to magic such as a Reality Marble. However, bounded fields of that type cannot be laid about like this. Besides, why would they use such a great thaumaturgy in the pursuit of a single homunculus?
"Umm... what was it again...?
Luna
Universal
...
Break
Magic
...
Manual
G-Guide
... was it? That sounds a bit like it, but..."
" You... should probably try to remember it before the fighting starts," Misa advised him. It would be beyond ridiculous if he were to lose the war without ever remembering his one of his own Noble Phantasms' names,
"I suppose... anyway, let's go."
Rider gripped the homunculus' hand firmly and leapt forward. The water in the river tried to intercept them by wrapping around them, but was repulsed by the book with little fanfare.
"How do you feel? Can you walk?"
A little, the homunculus replied, refusing Rider's motion to carry him. The homunculus wanted to walk on his own two feet, at least until he could walk no longer.
"Hmph... Archer taught you that, didn't he?"Rider muttered, sounding somewhat disgruntled. He seemed rather displeased that the mere minutes Archer had spent with the homunculus was enough to convince him to follow his teachings.
"All right, I'll stay by your side until you let me know otherwise."
The homunculus began to walk. Although his feet did not strain much, his stamina was a different issue. Naturally, the more tired he became, the slower his pace. His heels and thighs began to creak and screech. "Are you okay?" Rider asked again and again, and though the homunculus persisted, there was only so much he could do with one night's practice. After an hour, the homunculus could no longer take another step without leaning on Rider's shoulder.
"I think you did well."
Rider comforted him as he steadily navigated the mountain trail through the dark. When the homunculus looked up, he could not see a single star in the sky. Perhaps there was some sort of thaumaturgical glamor in place that caused those affected to lose their sense of direction. Most likely, compasses and maps would not work here either. However, Rider continued to walk in a straight line, as though sure of his way.
"Aren't you glad that I'm here with you?"
Rider wore a proud smile. I won't be able to see this smile again by tomorrow, the homunculus thought with some regret. Rider will return to the Great War - and he will have to think about how to live his life. It was highly likely that he would die; it was also quite possible that this Holy Grail War would end him. In all likelihood, this would be the last time they saw one another in life.
Rider is a hero, an adventurer and most importantly - a Servant, summoned to this era to fight. He is an entirely different existence from the homunculus who was made to be spent.
"Something on your mind?"
The homunculus was evasive in his response. Nobody needed to hear about his feelings of worthlessness and inferiority.
There was not a sound in the dark forest. He could barely hear anything, not even the cry of a bird, except for the rustle of swaying branches and grass. Was it some form of counter-measure against familiars? The forest was utterly covered with boundary fields.
"Ahh... this sure brings me back! Did you know I was once turned into a tree?"
Rider looked up and laughed as he talked about his past failures.
Although many are the glorious tales of Astolfo, it is said that he has made just as many mistakes. He was continually defeated in riding tournaments, fell victim to many thaumaturgical traps and even lost - in a matter of hours - the reason that he had picked up at the moon. However, Astolfo never faltered; he did not seem to consider failure or defeat as blunders in the first place.
"It's not bad being a tree, you know. Everything is calm and peaceful. Birds will sit on my arms without a care in the world. And the deer and wolves and such don't mind coming close to me."
" really? "
" yep except for the fact that you can't move and have to stay in one place all the time "
How many in the world would be able to think like him? A normal person would feel only despair at such a fate. However - perhaps due to the light-hearted disposition he had been born with - Rider always lived positively.
"So how do you want to live from now on?"
Unexpectedly, Rider aimed a difficult question at him. Archer had asked the homunculus the same thing. However, at the moment, life itself was his goal; he did not yet have the luxury of considering how to live it. That was the only answer he could give.
The forest they were in was much like his own life - sunken in darkness and shadows. He wandered without aims or purposes, simply struggling to stay upright on the path.
"I see... well, I hope you find a way out soon."
Rider's voice was filled with sympathy from the bottom of his heart his words shook the homunculus' small soul.
Yes, I truly hope so... I hope that afterwards, we can talk to our hearts' content.
" Everyone stop " Misa shouted catching their attention
Rider stopped. His grip on the homunculus' hand tightened, causing him some pain.
Saber was blocking their path together with his Master, Gordes. They must have gone ahead to wait for them. Saber was expressionless as always, while Gordes glared at the two of them with clear displeasure.
"you know Misa when you see that you be saying uh oh ? " Rider drily adviced"like how I did in the battle of Roncevaux Pass
" what does that mean though ? "
" that we are all going to die ! "