Chapter 11: Their Fates Are Carved in Stone
'Ding! Ding! Ding!' The bell let out a jingle as it alerted everyone present within the classroom that school was over for the day. All of the students didn't miss a beat as they all had their bags packed and left the room swiftly. It all happened so fast that I found myself being surprised by it all. This left only me, Rider, and Professor Takano present inside of the classroom.
"Well, that was interesting! Let's go, Takina." Rider spoke with a smile on his face with his hands behind his shoulders. But I was still in a daze, so I didn't properly respond to Rider. He noticed this and was appropriately confused.
"Hey, are you alright?" Rider asked as he snapped his fingers in front of my face. This brought me back to reality. I then shook my head up and down to indicate a 'yes.'
"I'm fine. I just… didn't expect this to be so much… fun." I replied with a smile on my face. That's right. Prior to coming here, I didn't even want to go to school. I simply thought it would be a waste of time. But Indy forced me to go and while I did begrudgingly agree, I'm glad that I listened to him and went here.
For the first time, I was able to talk with another person who didn't think of me as a child but as an individual who can find answers with just a little push in the right direction. For that, I was grateful to Professor Takano and before I leave, I intend to express my gratitude, which is why I walked over to him while he was in the middle grading some papers.
"Professor Takano, thank you so much for allowing me to partake in those wonderful extracurriculars." I spoke while bowing forward to showcase my appreciation toward the professor. He then tilted his head upward with a smile before standing up.
"It was my pleasure, Ms. Tohsaka. I hope to see you here tomorrow morning." Professor Takano spoke with a gentle smile on his face as he extended his hand toward me. I did not waste a single second as I grasped it and shook his hand. However, upon doing so, I noticed that there were red marks on his hand. My eyes went wide as I recognized them immediately.
'W-What? I-Impossible! W-Why does he have those?! I didn't sense a single drop of Mana coming from Professor Takano! W-Was he hiding it this whole time?! E-Even if he was, why?! Just why did he of all people have to be a Master?!' I thought internally as my face became tense and I began sweating profusely. Professor Takano noticed this and let go of my hand.
"Ms. Tohsaka?! Are you alright!? Good heavens! You're burning up! I'll alert the school nurse at once!" Professor Takano spoke as he felt my forehead, but apparently, he summed it up as a fever because now he was about to escape the classroom. I don't even know if he genuinely thinks I'm in distress or that I figured out his true identity. I'm just… so confused. Just what the hell is going on? Even still, I instinctively grasped onto his hand before he could leave the room.
"W-What's the matter?! AH!" Professor Takano asked before gasping loudly as he noticed that my hand had what was unmistakably a Command Spell. The fact his eyes went wide proved that it wasn't just some blood on his hand. This left me with no choice but to fight. After all, aside from Indy, every other Master in this Grail War…
… Is my enemy.
"M-Ms. T-Tohsaka… your hand… its… blee- Professor Takano spoke but I cut him off before he could finish his sentence.
"Don't you dare lie to me! You know as well I do who I am now. I can say the same for you, which is why I can't let you walk out of this room. Rider. Block the entrance." I declared while I did not try to hide my hostile intent in the slightest since there was no point in doing so. Only a single Master and their Heroic Spirit can claim the Grail. A Servant can't remain in this world without their anchor to this world, that being their Master. This is why the most efficient way to stop Takano and his Servant in one fell swoop would be…
… To kill him right now. Professor Takano noticed that I was staring daggers at him, so he averted his gaze to the entrance. However, Rider was already blocking the only way to escape aside from the windows. But even if the professor thought breaking through the window and jumping off of the second floor was a good idea, he would have to kill me first. And Takano knew this, he was a smart man after all, and a Master to boot. He then focused his attention back onto me.
"Ms. Tohsaka… I have only told a single soul of what I'm about to tell you, but I have a dream. A dream that can only be accomplished with power that is known as a miracle. Remember what I told you earlier. In this world there exist parasites that have lay within a specific group of people in a remote village in this very country…" Professor Takano explained but paused for a few seconds as he must have remembered some very harsh memories-
"HELP ME! MY THROAT! IT SCRATCHES! I NEED TO SCRATCH IT!" A man screamed bloody murder as it took five soldiers within the room just to restrain him. I was also within the room and searched desperately to find the sedative that the man had knocked out of my hand just as I was about to inject him with it.
"Calm down! You need to relax! Everything's fine! You'll be back in your village before you know it!" One of the soldiers shouted as he tried to reason with the man. But this had no effect as the man had already lost all sense of reason and continued to lash out. I didn't have much time left before something bad would happen. Something that would have irreversible consequences. But before I could find the sedative-
"GET THE HELL OFF OF ME! RRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The man shouted at the top of his lungs as he roared like a demon. This made me collapse to the ground out of fright. The soldiers were shocked by such ferocity and loosened their grip on the man. This proved to be a catastrophic mistake as the man used immense strength to push them off of him.
"Eep! G-Get away from me! You demon!" One of the soldiers shouted as they had lost all calm and composure they had and thus became the demon's prey. The demon then grabbed the gun from the frightened soldier's holster and not even a second later-
'BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!' The demon fired the gun in his hand five times. Each shot met their mark and ended the lives of the poor soldiers. I could only watch in fear as my teeth chattered while the demon killed those people who were only trying to help him. At that moment, the demon had become a murderer. I was so scared that I-
'Please… do the world a favor… and kill yourself!' I begged internally to God to exact judgment on the demon. I wasn't thinking rationally at the time and had been overcome by fear. But then to my utmost surprise-
'BANG!' A gunshot rang out as I thought I had met my end. However, upon opening my eyes, I noticed that the demon had shot himself in the head and had collapsed to the ground like a puppet whose strings were cut. H-Had God answered my prayers?! H-He was dead… and I… I felt… relived!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I began crying my eyes out. I'm a doctor! My mission is to save people! And I… had just wished for another's death! What the hell is wrong with me?! I-I don't deserve to live!
"AH!" I gasped loudly as the gun that the poor soul had used to kill himself had landed right next to me. At that moment, I thought it would be best that I join him. After all, a doctor exists to save people, not wish death upon them. I then grabbed the gun and put my finger on the trigger. But just as I was about to commit suicide… I… I couldn't do it.
'W-Why?! Why am I so pathetic?! I-I can't save anyone! Not any of those poor souls! But now here I am trying to save myself?! Just who the hell do I think I am?!' I thought internally as I cried tears of shame. But it was then that I remembered that God had cast down his wrath because of my wish. This means God is the only one who can judge whether I deserve to live or not.
"God! I-If I don't deserve to live then kill me right now! B-But if you see any worth in me… then… destroy this foul weapon! Please! Answer me once more God!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. I did not know what was going to happen next. I left my Fate in God's hands. Even then I wasn't sure anything was going to happen. But then…
'BAM!' Lightning suddenly struck against the roof! In a panic, I had dropped the gun just as the lightning was coming down. The foul weapon was then incinerated before my eyes. I was utterly speechless. C-Could this have just been a coincidence? I-It had to be… right? D-Did God really listen to my prayers not once but twice? If so, was this a sign from above that I should live?
'That's right, Hifumi Takano. You must live and continue to work. Only you can rid the world of that parasite that had taken control of that unfortunate person. That's why you must develop a cure and exterminate that parasite and all of its brethren off the face of the earth. But whether you choose to act upon my words… that's entirely up to you. Your Fate is now in your hands.' A voice went through my ears as I looked all around me to see that I was the only one among the living present. It's only natural because all of those poor souls were in heaven now.
This can only mean that what I had just heard was a message from God. It was then at that moment; I had firmly decided to stand back up again and pursue the truth. The truth that would allow me to find the answer to a great riddle that had alluded me for quite some time. 'How to develop a cure for Hinamizawa Syndrome?' I did not know the answer to that question at the time, but I pushed on. I kept moving forward until I found myself being requested by the government to become a Master due to me being part of a Mage's family.
My mission was to spy on a Master who was a Major of Nazi Germany, Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia. I had gained his trust more easily than I thought I would by pretending to cooperate with him and promising him that he alone would use the Grail for whatever he chose to do with it. But that was all a lie. A lie that he may or may not even believe. Even still, I put on my best performance as a lowly Servant of the Major and even my own Servant, Caster.
I was but a puppet being held together by strings as all the people around me used my intellect for their purposes. However, I knew that was the reason why the government had requested me in the first place because I was easy to manipulate. Because I was someone who would bow their head to anyone who held a higher rank than me. But even if that was the case… I have a dream! A dream I will see through even if it means sacrificing my life to accomplish it!
"I don't care what your dream is. My reason for fighting is far more important than whatever wish you have. I won't stop until I claim the Grail. So just give up and die." Ms. Tohsaka spoke with a glare as cold as ice. I don't know what she is fighting for and if I did I would undoubtedly feel some sympathy for her. She's not a bad person. Even still… even still I-
'Slap!' Ms. Tohsaka was utterly dumbfounded as I slapped her across the face. She then fell to the ground with an audible 'thud.' That's right. Even if my opponent is a child… I refuse to back down! I have dedicated my life to achieving my dream of curing Hinamizawa Syndrome! And that's exactly what I'm going to do! And then those people will be able to venture out of their village without it ending in their demise! That's the only way that I, Hifumi Takano can atone for my sins!
"By my Command Spell, I order you to- I spoke as fast as I could as my hand flashed bright crimson. However, I was too late.
'Stab!' As I was stabbed in the back by the boy who I thought was simply a child who was without a shadow of a doubt, a Servant.
"It's no use. Just die already." The boy spoke as he thrust his sword deeper into my back. As a result, I collapsed to my knees.
"BLAGH!" I vomited up my blood as my consciousness was already fading. I knew that if I didn't get out of here fast and receive medical attention then it would mean my end. However, just as I had done before on the worst day of my life…
… I refused to die!
"… COME HERE AND SAVE ME CASTER!" I shouted at the top of my lungs as the boy behind me swiftly released his blade from my innards and undoubtedly intended to cut off my head before my Servant could get here! But before he could-
'BAM!' A bolt of lightning, not unlike the one that had decided my Fate, went through the classroom! From within the light, there was a man that I had become quite familiar with. But that was wrong. He was no man. But one of the Greek Gods. The God of Medicine, Asclepius had answered my order and appeared before me!
"Calm yourself. Your incessant screaming might as well be cancer to my ears. I can't stand it, Master." Caster spoke as he stood in front of me with what was surely an annoyed look on his face. However, I couldn't tell. Not just because he was in front of me but even if he wasn't, the plague doctor mask hid his expression completely so I wouldn't be able to tell if he was in a pleasant mood or not. But even with his face obscured, his voice made it quite clear how annoyed he was. Even still I was-
"Thank you, Caster! You saved me!" I yelled out with a relieved look on my face as I shed tears of joy. But this too irked the Greek God as he covered his ears in response to me showing him nothing but appreciation.
"That's enough! Just shut the hell up already! I can't even hear myself think, you bastard!" Caster snapped back at me with what was surely an even more annoyed expression than he had before. But I do wish that he didn't have such a sharp tongue… and was more respectful to human beings but I guess you can't have it all.
"There. Now you are saved. Your welcome, Master." Caster continued as he snapped his fingers. It was then that pain coming from my back where the boy had stabbed me completely stopped! Even with my knowledge of Greek mythology and the legend of Asclepius, I had not thought in a million years that he would be able to heal such a grave wound in an instant! He didn't have to touch the wound! It was as if the wound was never there, to begin with! But it turns out my Servant noticed the surprised look on my face.
"Don't act so surprised. It's a given that I'm far better than a mortal with limited knowledge regarding the art of medicine. I'm a Greek God after all." Caster spoke nonchalantly. He wasn't being prideful or anything. It was just as he said, a given that he was better than me. I'll be the first to admit that my skills will never be on the level of a God of Medicine, so I wasn't angered by this. However, he just admitted that he was a Greek God, and just gave away his identity to the enemy. Now that was something to be mad about.
"Why? It is a fact that I'm better than you." Caster spoke with what was surely a puzzled look on his face as he completely missed the point of why I was angry now. Rider was a few meters away as he watched his enemy like a hawk. Now knowing that his foe was a Greek God, he made sure to remain focused until Caster dropped his guard. On the flip side, I'm sure that his Master was watching us as well with the intention to take me out when the chance arises. Even though Caster was here, he was not a warrior by any means. The correct course of action would be to escape. But before I could utter another word-
"Well, if you don't believe me… guess I'll just have to show off a bit. You will suffice as a sparring partner." Caster continued as he focused his attention not on me but Ms. Tohsaka's Servant and pointed at the latter. This made my eyes shoot wide open as this was the exact opposite of what I wanted right now! Damn it Caster!
"Hahaha! My, my! I did not expect such a thing to come from your mouth, Asclepius! You really want to go at it, don't ya?" Rider asked with an excited look on his face as he already knew my Servant's identity and was all the more thrilled by it. This is because he was fascinated by Greece's Gods due to learning of them from the works of Homer. This included Asclepius.
"Looks like you already know who I am. That saves me the trouble of explaining it to you. Good. Now, let's get started shall we." Caster declared as sparks of Mana lit up all around him. He was literally using all of the Mana within the air and sucking it into his body. I doubt anyone but someone from the Age of Gods can do such a thing. But this only made his enemy even more excited as he drew his sword. But before the red-headed boy could swing his blade-
"Aesculapius." Caster spoke as not even a second later, a snake materialized out of thin air! But it wasn't just any snake! This one was completely mechanical! It was as if it were something from the far future! I had never seen something so advanced in my entire life! If I had to fight something like that, I'd accept my death on the spot. But the boy wasn't scared in the slightest! In fact, he was laughing!
"Hahaha! Oh boy! If Indy saw that he'd be running for the hills!" Rider laughed as he joked even though his enemy was dead serious.
"Foolish child. Do you know anything about war? This is not a game. Someone like you does not belong on the battlefield." Caster declared as he glared daggers at his enemy. Not even a moment later-
'WHOOOOSH!' Aesculapius shot through the air so fast that it vanished from Rider's line of sight! Except that was wrong! He had not vanished-
"AH!" Rider gasped loudly as he knew where his enemy's pawn was and leaped into the air! However, the mechanical snake had already returned and entangled him with its body! It might not have been clear to their respective Masters but the snake had not teleported. It had gone into the ground faster than the eye could see and came back out! All without making a dent onto the floor! The snake had somehow phased through the floors! Something so absurd could only be achieved from a time with far-advanced technology!
… And the Greek Gods had access to such astounding tech!
'BAAAAAM!' Aesculapius was strangling Rider with every intention of breaking all the bones within the latter's body. However, the redheaded boy had not batted an eye to the mechanical contraption that was attempting to crush him.
"Not bad…" Rider spoke with a confident smile on his face as the mechanical snake put literal tons of pressure onto his entire body. His Master was dumbfounded. Takina could not move an inch as she knew if she attempted to attack the snake then Caster would kill her. That much was clear. But her Servant even in this dire situation had a smile on his face. She could not fathom where such confidence came from. But as it seemed like the battle was over…
'Crack! Crack! Crack!' Cracking noises could be heard. Takina's eyes shot wide open though Caster wasn't surprised as he saw this result coming from the moment, he unleashed Aesculapius onto his foe. The boy had sealed his Fate and was going to return to the Throne of Heroes. However, a golden light signaling his departure from this world did not radiate from his body. No. That was because his bones were not cracking…
… It was the mechanical snake had begun to crack! But how can this be!? Surely the snake had cornered its prey and was going to kill the small child with ease! But that's not what was happening! It was the small boy, far shorter than any of his enemies, who had cornered his foe!
"What?!" Caster yelled out as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists out of rage. His snake, Aesculapius was his greatest invention! One that had taken countless days and nights to create even for someone as skilled as him! And this boy-no. This mere mortal… was flexing his muscles with enough force to break it?! It was inconceivable! But it could not be denied as Caster saw it happen with his own eyes! But before his precious invention could shatter to pieces-
"Aesculapius! Return!" Caster yelled out as he slammed his hands together and not even a second later, the mechanical snake had vanished without a trace!
'WHOOOOOSH!' But in its place, Mana which was in the shape of purple spikes appeared out of thin air and shot at Rider! But before he could be struck by the bolts of energy-
'SLICE! SLICE! SLICE! SLICE! SLICE!' He had used his sword to slice all of the spikes of Mana as they disintegrated out of thin air! And then, in an instant, he had closed the distance with his enemy and-
'SSSSSSSSSLICE!' Sliced off his enemy's arm! Caster's arm had flown into the air and painted the floor below red as it unceremoniously landed onto the floor! In an instant, the tables had turned! With such a grave wound, Caster would not be able to continue the fight! Which meant this battle's winner was Rider!
"Rider! Y-You won!" Takina spoke out of surprise even though the result was as clear as day. However, Rider did not have a smile on his face. In stellar contrast to his demeanor earlier, Rider had a serious look on his face. He had figured out upon landing a hit on his enemy that the battle was not over yet.
"CASTER! YOUR ARM! IT'S GONE!" Takano shouted at the top of his lungs as his conviction had all but vanished upon seeing his Servant had received such a horrific injury. But his Servant was not amused by this. In fact, his Master's screaming only made him bite his lip out of anger. And then…
"SHUT THE HELL UP! YOU'RE SO DAMN ANNOYING, YOU BASTARD!" Caster snapped back with enough force to make his Master collapse to the floor out of fright. Even with such a grave wound, Caster wasn't concerned about it in the slightest. Normally any man would be screaming in pain if they were to lose an arm. However, for a Greek God, especially one who specializes in erasing wounds, it was as if a bug had bitten him on the arm. To prove his point…
"Resurrection Fraught Hades: Emulated Medicine – The Obsolete Underworld's Grief." Caster spoke nonchalantly as blood shot out of his arm and enveloped him completely. This only lasted for about a second, as the result was made clear for everyone to see. Asclepius's arm which was on the floor had all but disintegrated. However, the Greek God of Medicine had regained his arm! His Master and Takina's jaws had dropped to the floor out of surprise, but Rider wasn't stunned by this in the slightest even though his enemy had just used his Noble Phantasm.
"Asclepius… I should have known you'd be capable of something like that. With such an overpowered move, it's gonna make killing you a pain in the ass." Rider admitted while maintaining a serious look on his face. In contrast, to the Noble Phantasms we've seen before, Caster's NP was not focused on offence but defense and had the ability to heal all wounds no matter how severe they were.
Asclepius's Noble Phantasm even had the ability to resurrect the dead but had specific conditions such as the state of the corpse and how long it had been since they had perished. This could result in a failed resurrection. It might have seemed trivial to Caster, but restoring his arm cost him a ton of his Od. Not to mention if Rider had gone for the head, then Caster would have no way to use his NP and would have returned to the Throne of Heroes on the spot. It was a powerful ability, but it certainly wasn't an instant win button. Caster knew that best. Even still he-
"Oh, please. A feeble mortal like you cannot leave a wound on me that will not heal. Such a thing is so preposterous I could cry. But let's set the record straight. You will not kill me, because I will be the one to claim the Grail. Such a thing may as well be written in stone already." Caster replied without any intention of gloating, but this only made the young boy even more pissed off. But before he could take his anger out on that cocky Servant with a plague doctor's mask on his face-
'CRAAAAAACK!' Something had materialized out of thin air and made the ground shatter into pieces like glass! Hifumi Takano nor Takina Tohsaka could not tell what had just destroyed the floor below them but Rider with his advanced vision was able to tell, at a glance of the eye. His enemy had just used his other weapon.
In modern times, the predominant symbol for medicine and health care was a snake-entwined rod. Many have forgotten the significance of this and have come to associate it with caduceus, but this is a misconception. This symbol is actually associated with the Greek God of Medicine, Asclepius. He had previously used the snake from the symbol and now he just used the rod. Or more commonly known as…
'BAAAAAAAAAM!' The entire classroom had caved in on itself due to the Rod of Asclepius. This along with the ground being destroyed had resulted in everyone present falling to the first floor. Or this would have happened if Rider had not processed the situation and grabbed his Master out of harm's way!
'SMASH!' And with one punch, Rider broke through the glass window and leaped out of the building while holding his Master in his arms. But while this was the only course of action for Rider, his Master disagreed.
"Rider! Why did you leave the building!? At this rate, they will both escape!" Takina yelled out with a pissed-off expression on her face. It wasn't as if she was mad that Rider had saved her, far from it. But in her eyes, all her Servant needed to do was slice the enemy's head off and they would surely be killed. While Takina's notion was correct, it did not mean she was right.
"Yeah. They will escape. But now's not the time to fight them. His weak point may be clear but so is mine." Rider replied as if his words made things crystal clear, but Takina had not understood them. Except, that was wrong. She did understand but chose not to admit it. This was because the weak point that her Servant was referring to was none other than her.
Takina had been entranced not once but now twice by the battle occurring before her eyes that she did not consider taking advantage of the situation until things were at their most dire. And even then, if Rider had not saved her then her body would be covered in juries from head to toe and that's the best-case scenario of what would have happened. In contrast, the worst-case scenario would have resulted in Caster taking her life. But the girl in red had not realized this yet…
… And it would soon result in a complete failure that would be her fault alone.
'BAM!' A mechanical snake broke through the rubble of the school and with it, Caster and his Master made their way out of it as well. Even though part of the building had completely collapsed around them, both Master and Servant were completely unscathed. Takano could see Ms. Tohsaka and her Servant in the distance albeit barely. But when he was about to ask his Servant to pursue the enemies, the latter beat him to the punch.
"That will not be necessary. At this rate, they shall both perish soon enough. Let's just hope that when they fall then that their sacrifice will not be for nothing. Someone must make that monster shed blood." Caster finished as he vanished without a trace and entered spirit form. There was no way to order his Servant to pursue the enemies unless Takano were to use a Command Spell. But he didn't want to get on his Servant's bad side. But more than that-
'Professor Takano, thank you so much for allowing me to partake in those wonderful extracurriculars.' The words of Ms. Tohsaka resonated throughout his mind. He had already done much to hurt her by betraying her expectations. Even it wasn't intentional, and it was a cruel twist of Fate, the man named Hifumi Takano did not wanted to hurt her again unless he had no choice but to. And since he did have a choice, Takano withdrew from the battlefield along with his Servant in tow.
Time passed by as the sun had set and was replaced with the moon. Takina and Rider had made their way through Fuyuki and were almost back at the Tohsaka Residence. In all that time, they had not spoken a word to each other as Takina could not understand why Rider had withdrawn from the battlefield. She had considered such an action only something a coward would do. But she didn't even need to say the words for Rider to understand what his Master was feeling.
Rider had not ever had a single regret over the course of his life up to this point and will undoubtedly never have a single one. However, even he could understand why Takina was in such a sour mood. His Master has a wish that she has been holding onto close to her chest that she had not revealed even to him. But he and Takina were more alike than the latter would probably ever admit. That's why he was convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt, that if his Master were to claim the Grail then she would use it to bring her father back to life.
It was for that reason she has done everything as fast as she could, like having Risei explain the rules of the Holy Grail War to Indy for example. It was because Takina had wanted to finish this war as fast as possible so that she could see her father again. It was this single goal that had made her not lose the will to live and what drove her to fight in the Grail War. Rider was one to fight at the drop of a hat if he were challenged, but his Master was one to fight when a fight was unnecessary even when it didn't benefit her in the slightest. This could be clearly seen when she fought against Lumia for Indy's sake.
Takina had no reason to fight other than the fact that she did not want to see the archaeologist die. This resulted in a battle when both she and Rider could have snuck up on the enemies and claimed their heads. This would have resulted in a complete victory as there would be far less competition in the Grail War as a result.
'Absolutely not. You will wait until the perfect opportunity to strike presents itself. Am I clear, Rider?' Her words made it clear that she realized this, but her actions said otherwise. It's not as if Rider didn't respect his Master's wishes. In fact, he wanted her to return to having a life where she did not have to fight in battles that could result in an early demise.
'Hmph. For someone who's trying to hurry and get things done as fast as possible, you never really take a minute to stop and think do you?' The words of Indy from a few nights before resonated in Rider's mind. He had overheard them while racing in a friendly competition with Jones's Servant and he couldn't help but agree with the words of the archaeologist.
The girl named Takina Tohsaka's flaw was rushing into things without thinking of a better solution first. This has been proven time and time again. And now it was about to rear its ugly head once more.
"Takina, stop right there." Rider commanded as he held out his arm in front of his Master's body to prevent her from moving another inch.
"Why? We're about to be home. It's cold so I'd much rather be there than out he-ah!" Takina spoke but before she could finish, she gasped as she knew why Rider had stopped her. It wasn't some joke. There were enemies in the distance. She could tell since the magical energy radiating from them told her everything she needed to know.
'Crap. They are strong. Way stronger than Professor Takano and his Servant… perfect.' Takina thought internally as she brushed off Rider's hand and moved forward. But before she could, Rider grabbed her shoulder.
"Master! This is a bad idea! The enemy approaching… I'm not sure that I can protect you if you- Rider spoke but Takina cut him off before he could finish.
"I didn't ask for you to protect me. Not once have I ever asked you to do such a thing. And I'm not going to let you make me run away again. Is that clear, Rider?" Takina replied with a serious look on her face and a tone of voice that matched it. Rider knew how stubborn his Master could be, but this is the worst time she could possibly use that trait of hers. Rider wanted to protest further but it was too late, the enemies had already reached them both.
"Oh, look who it is, Luar. It's the brat from that night. She looks real happy to see us, hahaha." Lumia laughed as she noticed Takina in the distance. Accompanying her was her sister Luar and their Servant Avenger. The girl in red and her Master recognized them instantly. It was the Edelfelt Sisters and their Servant.
"Huh? Dr. Jones isn't with them?" Luar blurted out in surprise as she didn't see any trace of the archaeologist in the slightest. Lumia heard her sister and was surprised for a moment before grinning in delight.
"Hey, brat! Want to go home and ask your daddy for help? We'll gladly let you if that's what you want." Lumia yelled out with a smile on her face as her words were anything but to console her. Takina knew this and brushed off her Servant's hand. She then moved forward to meet her enemies head-on.
"c" Takina declared with a serious expression on her face as she continued to move closer and closer to her enemies. Her attitude made it clear that she was being dead serious to Lumia and it pissed her off.
'That bitch.' Lumia thought internally as she was about to use her Od and the Mana within the air to kill the girl in red for saying such a thing to her. But before she could, her sister stopped her.
"What is it, Luar?" Lumia asked with a pissed-off expression on her face.
"It's just as I surmised. That girl really is Tatsuo Tohsaka's daughter." Luar replied as she was the one who insisted on going to the Tohsaka residence out of a hunch that the girl from a few nights ago was the daughter of the enemy who foiled their plans back in Italy two years ago. It was at that moment that Lumia realized that fact and concocted a devilish scheme befitting her.
"Hmm… I should have known that you were his daughter. You two are both really good at cowering behind men far stronger than you." Lumia spoke with a sadistic smile on her face as the eyes of the girl in red shot wide open.
"Just what the hell did you just say?" Takina replied as she glared daggers at Lumia but the latter was not angered by this. No. She was overjoyed by seeing the girl in red with nothing but hostile intent in her eyes solely directed at her.
"You heard me. You know better than I do that it's the truth. Perhaps if your daddy didn't have such weak Magic Circuits then you would have a shot at getting a few good hits in. But you don't. You both never had a chance in hell of laying a finger on me. He gave it his best shot. But you know what I did?" Lumia asked with a smug smile on her face. Takina did not respond and wouldn't but Lumia already knew that. That's why she-
"… I killed him for it." Lumia admitted with a wide grin on her face as Takina stopped dead in her tracks.
'Whooosh.' The wind blew through the surrounding area as everyone present on the scene stood in place for what was about to happen next. The girl in red gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. She knew what Lumia just told her was a lie. After all, she witnessed the culprit with her own eyes. It was really dark with it being night and all but Takina was sure that the person who murdered her dear father was a man. That's why she knew that the Edelfelt sister was just trying to bait her into losing her cool. But do you know what the funny thing was?
It was working.
"Lumia?!" Luar yelled out with a confused look on her face as she had no idea why her sister would mention such an obvious lie out of the blue. But it then became crystal clear not a moment later.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Takina declared with a shout at the top of her lungs as she ran straight for Lumia. The girl in red had long since lost her cool, but the girl in white was cool as a cucumber as she waited for her enemy to attack her. It's not that she wanted to get hit, no one has a right to touch her, let alone a filthy Tohsaka. So why was she just waiting for Takina to come to her? Simple. The lie that she had told her was a diversion. A trap that Lumia concocted the moment that she learned of the name belonging to the girl in red. But it was only at this moment that Rider knew what it was.
"TAKINA! WAIT!" Rider yelled out at the top of his lungs, but his Master did not listen to her Servant in the slightest. Takina might as well have tunnel vision as she was focused completely on Lumia Edelfelt, that she did not even consider the enemy that was only a few meters away from her…
… The Avenger-Class Servant belonging to the Edelfelt Sisters. With Avenger having snakes for hair combined with her stunning appearance, Rider had long since deduced the identity of the enemy Servant. That's why it was especially dangerous for them to be around such a monster who can make sure that you will never move again with just a glance.
'Step! Step! Step! Step! Step!' But even knowing this, Rider ran after his Master. He was confident that he would be able to reach her before anything bad were to happen to her. But what about him? Rider did not know as he had already thrown all the chips on the table when he ran after Takina. This was a gamble that could mean the end for him.
"Avenger. Use your Mystic Eyes now." Lumia commanded with a sadistic smile on her face. Avenger wanted to resist but she could no longer fight the order of the Command Spell placed onto her, that being 'to obey the wishes of her Masters.' This meant that she had no choice but to comply with her Masters orders.
"… Very well." Avenger replied as she closed her eyes just as Takina was only a meter away from her. It was then that she focused on the immense Od flowing through her body and opened her eyes once more!
'WHOOOOOOSH!' As Avenger opened her eyes the air around Takina became heavy. She could barely stand anymore as a purple light shined from the eyes belonging to the snake monster. Those eyes were known as Mystic Eyes, but even among them, they were special. Jewel-Class Mystic Eyes with the name of the Mystic Eyes of Petrification.
"Ah!" Takina let out an audible gasp as she felt her fingers become stiff. She looked down and noticed that they were beginning to turn to stone. H-How can this be?! Who the hell was this, Servant?! Just what the hell was going on?! Takina thought those things as her mind went into overdrive and now her hands were beginning to turn to stone in a matter of seconds. But it was then, that her Servant arrived.
'Bam!' Rider pushed his Master out of the way without worrying to hold back his strength. This resulted in Takina tumbling several meters away from him and the devious women as well. His Master had been saved, but this came at a cost. Because now Avenger was looking directly at him and not the girl in red. Upon looking at Avenger in the eyes, this inadvertently made the effects of her Mystic Eyes work much faster. Alexander could feel his blood turn to stone along with the rest of his body. It was then that time stopped for the young boy as he recalled a moment from earlier today.
'I know where you're coming from. But she needs this. She needs to be around kids her age. I want her to be able to be a kid for once. I'm sure that's what her father would have wanted for his daughter.' The words of the archaeologist resonated in his mind as time slowed down. Rider had long since decided that he would lay down his life if it meant that his Master had a chance to survive. That's why he had no regrets even when facing death's door. But if he had one regret…
… It was that he would never see her smile again.
'BAM!' In an instant, Rider had turned to stone just like all of the legends surrounding the snake monster from Homer's Odyssey. It was then that it was clear to Takina that the true identity of her enemies' Servant was the dreaded monster from Greek Mythology, Gorgon. It was only when her Servant had sacrificed everything for her that she realized her mistake. But it was too late. Rider was already gone. And that fact made all the confidence that she had shattered to pieces like glass.
"N-No… t-this can't be… R-Rider…" Takina stuttered uncontrollably as she collapsed to the ground and tears flowed from her eyes. And then…
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The girl in red let out an ear-piercing scream…
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" As the devious women laughed in the distance. And with that Rider's Fate had been written in stone as his Master could only scream and cry as a result. The tables have turned once more as Takina Tohsaka had been completely cornered by her enemies with no hope of survival.
To Be Continued…