Chapter 5: The Story of a Certain Girl
A few minutes before Takina's intervention…
"Hey Takina. Can I fight now?" Rider spoke as both him and his Master were currently hiding in the bushes within the park. The latter of which sensed the presence of two Mages who were most certainly Masters and ducked for cover as she waited for an opportunity to strike.
However, Takina couldn't predict the man who showed up at her house earlier today would end up in a confrontation with those two Mages that resulted in a fight between them breaking out. But that wasn't even the part that shocked her the most.
No. What Takina couldn't predict even in her wildest dreams was that same man who appeared to be nothing more than a novice at Magecraft would turn out to have an affinity for Reinforcement Magecraft. Combine that with the man being in peak shape and he was a force to be reckoned with!
It was all so surprising that Takina couldn't help but watch the fight occurring nearby her as if she were watching one of those fancy moving pictures in the theater! Who could blame her when the man was fighting in a way that went completely against how a Mage normally fights!
"Takina! I want to fight!" Rider whispered in the ear of his Master as the latter of which came back to her senses.
"Absolutely not. You will wait until the perfect opportunity to strike presents itself. Am I clear, Rider?" Takina spoke as she continued to focus her attention on the battle in the distance.
"You're no fun, Takina! Boo! Boo!" Rider replied as he stuck out his tongue like the child he is. Though this response incurred the wrath of his Master.
"Shut up! They will hear you, you idiot!" Takina spoke with a voice that was even louder than Rider's though thankfully they were not heard by the woman in white or the archaeologist in the distance.
"You're right." Rider replied much to Takina's surprise. The latter of which blinked a few times over the words that went through her eardrums. Rider has always been one to mess with her and do his own thing much to his Master's dissatisfaction. But now he is… agreeing with her? Where did that come from?
"I'm… right?" Takina spoke with a bewildered look on her face. Rider didn't even have to look at his Master to know that she was confused, her voice said everything that Rider needed to hear.
"Of course. This is a perfect opportunity just as you said. So, let's just… kill both of them while they are distracted." Rider replied with a serious look on his face, unlike anything his Master had seen before. It was all so surprising that Takina had no clue what to say in response to that.
'Whooosh.' Seconds passed by as the cold wind blew between the children hidden in the bushes. One with a face of pure astonishment, the other a face full of no malice to speak of in stark contrast to his words.
"Why are you hesitating? Give me the order and I'll snuff the both of them out before they know what hit them. They are both your enemies, right?" Rider continued as he turned his attention to Takina, the latter of which appeared to be in a daze. The words that Rider spoke to her had overloaded her thought process to the point that she could not think anymore. That was until-
"Takina! Snap out of it! Give me your order!" Rider commanded as he shook his Master's shoulders. This made Takina's mind work again as she returned to reality and blinked a few times. It was then that she-
"… No… I don't want that." Takina blurted out without even realizing what words had escaped her lips. Rider's eyes went wide in response to this. Seeing that, Takina realized what she had just said and froze like a block of ice.
'Huh? W-What did I just say?' Takina thought internally as she was just as surprised by the words that came out of her mouth as was Rider. Without even thinking, she had said something that went against her very principles regarding the Holy Grail War. Those being that the Masters must be killed.
This was only natural as even if their Servant dies, a Master can partner up with another Servant whose Master is no longer among the living. If such a thing were to occur, then the entire chessboard that all the Masters and Servants were on would change completely. Such an outcome would only prove to be disastrous and may even spell her demise.
The fight to obtain the Holy Grail was a War after all, and war guaranteed casualties. Takina understood this and thought that she would be able to decide the Fate of those she fought against. No matter who they were, as long as they were strangers, and she had no emotional connection to them whatsoever, then she wouldn't be sad if they died.
'She died during childbirth, so I never knew her. I don't even know what she looks like so it's not like I have any personal attachment to her. After all, a Mage must forgo any unnecessary attachments.' That's right. Mages must not feel anything for the deceased. Such a thing would only distract them from improving their Magecraft and obtaining the Root.
'So what? My entire family is dead and gone. It's not like I'm the only person in the world who can say that. I never even met any of them once so it's whatever.' That's right. If she never attempted to feel any sympathy for them then she could be a proper Mage. A Mage befitting someone who would inherit all of the Magic that the Tohsaka family had built up for centuries through the use of transplanting their Magic Crest onto their descendants…
… Maybe then… her father will come home… maybe then… maybe then… her father won't leave her side again… maybe then… her father will love her again…
… But that is impossible now. Everything that the girl named Takina Tohsaka had sought to achieve by cutting herself off from the outside world had been irreversibly destroyed before she even knew it-
A few days before the start Indiana Jones had arrived in Fuyuki…
'Blink. Blink.' Takina opened her eyelids and blinked twice before tossing the covers off of her body and stood up from her bed without saying a word. Takina walked over to the window by her bed and looked outside to see the darkness in the sky. This made it crystal clear to her that it was the middle of the night.
However, this was peculiar. Takina was not one to suddenly wake up before her scheduled training session at the crack of dawn. Usually, when someone wakes up in the middle of the night, it's due to a nightmare. But Takina had not had a nightmare this night, nor any dreams to speak of in a very long time. So why had she suddenly woken up for seemingly no reason?
Suddenly, alarm bells went off in her mind as she instinctively knew that something bad must have happened. After all, Takina was one to always think of the worst-case scenario. Without saying a word, Takina rushed out of her bedroom. She then entered the hallway which was only lit by the light of the moon.
Even though Takina could barely see what was in front of her, she could tell where everything was like it was on the back of her hand. Knowing everything that she needed to know, Takina hurried forward as fast as she could move her legs. The truth was that she was not currently home alone right now, due to the fact that the Third Holy Grail War was about to begin…
… Her father was here too.
'Step! Step! Step! Step! Step!' With loud steps, Takina hurried over to her father's study where he was most certainly preparing the summoning circle in order to summon a Servant that he would use to fight in the Holy Grail War. That's why she didn't even care to be quiet as she stomped on the floor. No. Even more than that she had to know that her father was alright!
'Takina… there's just something I must do. I can't tell you what because you wouldn't understand. I'm sorry… but one day… I promise to tell you everything. Please… just hang in there.' The voice of Takina's father went through her ears. In response she would say-
'No! Please! I-I-I just want you to stay here!' Takina yelled out with tears in her eyes. Her father would then pat her on her head in order to calm her down. He would then say-
'Takina… everything's going to be okay… just believe in your father.' Tatsuo spoke with a reassuring look on his face as he departed without saying another word as his daughter cried in the entryway.
'No! Please! I don't want that! Anything but that!' Takina shouted with tear-stained eyes as she hurried after her father but before she could reach him, the door to the house would always close behind her. Takina was left all by herself in the Tohsaka residence as she internally screamed a few certain words. Those being-
'I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE ANYMORE!' Takina couldn't even scream as she might as well have been locked in a jail cell. No. At least there would be people in the cells next to your own in prison. In this moment, the young girl named Takina Tohsaka was completely and utterly alone.
'Creak.' The door to her father's study creaked open without Takina even having to twist the doorknob. That was a bad sign. Even though Takina wanted to believe in her father, that he was okay, that one day he would love her again when she's a well-respected Mage among the Mage's Association of the Clock Tower…
… Takina couldn't believe in herself. But then…
"F-Father…" Takina blurted out as she saw her own father resting his head on his desk. He appeared to be resting as if he were a baby.
"Oh, thank goodness." Takina muttered to herself with a relieved look on her face. She then walked over to a nearby closet and grabbed out a pillow and a blanket while thinking that her father must have passed out due to exhaustion. That's definitely what happened-
'He's dead… isn't he?' A thought from the back of Takina's mind kept persisting through her mind until-
'Slap!' Takina slapped her cheeks in response and put a forced smile on her face, one that was most certainly fake, as she tried her best to lie to herself. All in an effort to deceive herself from the bitter taste of truth. All in an effort to deceive herself from her worst nightmare.
"Sleep tight… father." Takina whispered into her father's ear before kissing him on the cheek. With the pillow and blanket in hand, she lifted her father's head from the desk only to see that it was concealing a massive amount of-
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Takina screamed at the top of her lungs, so loud in fact, that it alerted something else within the house.
'Bam!' Something fell from the hallway, as Takina ran away from her father's corpse. It wasn't as if she was running to find who could possibly be the culprit behind this horrific crime. No. All Takina was doing at this moment was running away from her worst nightmare that had become a reality. But upon entering the hallway, she came into contact with something.
No. 'Something' was the only way to describe what she was looking at. The 'thing' that Takina was witnessing with her own eyes was something that appeared to be human but was utterly black. It was as if an artist had spilled black ink onto this person, that was the only way to describe the 'thing' Takina was looking at.
"Nighty-night." The thing whispered with a smile on his face before slamming something onto her head. Takina was instantly knocked onto the ground by the pressure that hit her head and passed out.
When Takina came to, she had noticed someone in her father's study. That person was wearing all-black clothing. It was almost as if the person from before had returned to the scene of the crime. Before she knew it, Takina had instinctively grabbed a gun that was conveniently left on the ground beside her.
'I wish this man would disappear.' Takina thought internally as she glared daggers at the man in black as she rested her finger on the trigger. She had never used a gun before but through her studies, Takina had learned how a gun worked and that you pull the trigger to release a bullet. At this moment, Takina had instinctively recalled this and was about to take the life of the man in black. However, before she could-
"Damn it! W-Why did this happen?! Why did Tatsuo have to die?!" The man in black yelled out as he slammed his fist against the floor. It was then that Takina realized that this man was not the perpetrator of the crime that occurred. This man was just as distraught as she was.
'Bam.' Without a second thought, Takina dropped the gun in her hand onto the ground. This alerted the man in black.
"Who goes there?!" The man in black shouted as he bit his tongue while his eyes went wide out of disbelief. Outside the study was his good friend Tatsuo's daughter with a gun beside her. After hearing the gunshot, he had hurried into Tatsuo's study without so much as a second thought. And with the lack of light in the hallway due to the lack of the sun, he didn't even notice that she was there!
However, she couldn't have possibly committed the crime! Even though there's a gun by her side, there's just no way! That's what the man in black named Risei Kotomine knew without a shadow of a doubt. Risei then approached Takina, the latter of which fell to her knees and upon reaching her he embraced her in his arms.
"From the bottom of my heart… I'm so sorry for your loss." Risei whispered into Takina's ear as he held her in his arms. But Takina didn't hug him back, after all, this man was nothing more than a stranger in her eyes. All Takina could do at that moment was wail at the top of her lungs as tears poured out of her eyes.
At this moment, even though she was being embraced by another, the young girl, who had just become an orphan, named Takina Tohsaka had never felt more alone in her entire life.
Not long after that, Risei had called for paramedics to retrieve the body of the deceased. The 'thing' that Takina had witnessed in the dead of night escaped as if it were never there to begin with. And without a lack of evidence or motive, the death of Tatsuo Tohsaka was ruled as a suicide.
'Drip. Drip. Drip.' The rain dripped onto her umbrella as Takina gave a blank stare at her father's grave as a private funeral was held. Though she was the only person in attendance as she had no family left to speak of nor did her father have any friends to speak of. The only other person who was there was Risei who had his hands together as he prayed for Tatsuo.
"We are here today to ensure that Tatsuo Tohsaka will make it across the stairway that leads to heaven. He did not deserve to die in such a ghastly way. May he be given peace alongside his wife. Amen." Risei spoke as he closed his eyes all while Takina stood motionless and stared at her father's grave as if she were in a trance. Not only did her worst fear become reality, but she was also forced to listen to everything that Risei was saying. Even though Takina wanted to believe that her father was in heaven with her mother…
… Takina couldn't believe in something that she didn't see with her own eyes.
Why? Why did father have to die? Was it because God had written this in stone as if it were Fate itself? No. My father did nothing to deserve such a cruel Fate. My father was not a bad person. Even still, he was killed. God would never allow such a thing to occur. That means there is no heaven. That means my father isn't anywhere to speak of. That means my father's demise was completely and utterly pointless…
… There is truly no heaven above this Earth… not one that would take the life of my father for no reason at all. That's the conclusion that Takina had come to. It's undoubtedly a pessimistic view of what happens after a person dies. But who could blame a girl who has lost the one person she had cherished throughout her life? After all, Takina Tohsaka was a child who had just wanted to spend more time with her father…
… A father that she will never see again for as long as she draws breath. What justice is there in taking the life of a man who did nothing wrong? None. There is no justice in a world that permits a good man such a cruel death. And if there's no justice, surely there is no God or even the Devil. There's just nothing at all to speak of.
It wasn't long after her father's funeral that Takina had met the man that Tatsuo would tell her about before she would fall asleep on nights, he was home. The adventures of a hero named Indiana Jones…
'Takina… while your father's away, he's been helped by the most wonderful person. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that he's my dearest friend and a hero.' That's what Takina's father told her on a certain night.
'A… hero? Do those really exist?' Takina blurted out with a curious look on her face. She had thought heroes only existed in fairy tales, that they were just make-believe in order to make children laugh and smile. Takina may have been a child, but she had long since given up on believing in fantasy.
'Yes, they do, my dear daughter. On the night before you were born, I had come across a hero named Indiana Jones. It was truly a night just like this one.' Tatsuo spoke with a gentle smile on his face.
'Hmm… then how did you two meet exactly?' Takina spoke as what her father had said piqued her interest. But in response, her father gave her a look of pain before becoming a reassuring smile once more.
'That's… a story for another time. One when you are a bit older to properly understand it.' Tatsuo replied as he patted his daughter on her head.
'Boo. I wanted to hear that one.' Takina blurted out her true thoughts with a pout which earned a hearty laugh from her father.
'Huh? Why am I remembering that memory? Why now when there's a perfect chance to crush the enemies before us?' Takina thought internally as she was brought back to the present moment where she had just refused to give the Rider the order to kill the Masters fighting each other. But no matter how much she tried to find the answer to why she had said such a nonsensical thing, for the life of her, Takina couldn't find an answer…
… Until one presented itself. No. It was there, right in front of her face from the beginning. It wasn't as if Takina couldn't see it. It was right there after all. She had just averted her eyes from it just as she had done every time, he paid her any attention. The truth of the matter was so simple…
… Takina Tohsaka did not want Indiana Jones to die.
'H-How can this be? I-I don't even know this man!? So, why on earth am I feeling like this?!' Takina thought internally as her emotions were all over the place. The man that she had felt such disdain for, the same one that had stolen her father away from her as if he was one of his trinkets in his pouch, was now unknowingly giving her the perfect opportunity for revenge!
So why!? Why can't she just give the order?! It's not as if she's killing him herself! She's not doing anything wrong! Rider would be the one with blood on his hands! Her hands would be perfectly clean as if she had just washed them in the sink! It would be so easy, and none would be the wiser!
"Rider… I want to…" Takina spoke but the next set of words would not come out of her throat no matter how much she tried to get them out. Why!? Why can't I just say a few words?! Why am I feeling anything other than malice for the man who took my father away from me?!
But that's… wrong. It wasn't that man who stole father's life. It was the man in black. Whoever that man was… that person… is my enemy. But then what of him? Shouldn't he also be my enemy?
'Takina… while your father's away, he's been helped by the most wonderful person. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that he's my dearest friend and a hero.' Once more what her father had said resonated with Takina. This man? Had he really helped my father? If so, then I'm just deluding myself.
'… And now… I'll never see him again… and it's all your fault! If he had never met you then I would have had been able to have some semblance of a childhood! If he had never met you, I'm sure that he would still be alive! He abandoned me because of you! That's why it's your fault he's gone!' Then that means… I've just been projecting my hate onto him. Blaming him for taking my father away from me… when he most certainly chose to leave me because he didn't love me anymore. That's not his fault…
… That's my fault… my fault for not being good enough. Is that why I don't want to see that man die? Because he had helped my father before, and he had deeply respected this man? That's… part of it… but there's one more piece missing… one that will complete the puzzle…
… But where is it? What is that final piece that's preventing me from cutting that man like a piece of thread as I've had done in the past to escape the pain that comes with losing people?! Just where is it-
'A… hero? Do those really exist?' No… it can't be.
'Yes, they do, my dear daughter. On the night before you were born, I had come across a hero named Indiana Jones. It was truly a night just like this one.' It's because I think of am as a-
"Farewell, you despicable man!" Before she knew it, Takina was brought back to reality as she heard the words of the Mage that the man was fighting. She looked from within the bushes to see a row of spikes protruding from the earth that wouldn't stop until they killed him. Which means…
… If I don't do something right now… then he will-
"Hey, Takina! What are you?!" Rider spoke but Takina didn't hear it. Before she knew it, she had jumped out of the bushes and was running straight for that man. Takina didn't want to admit it and most certainly would never admit it to that man. But at that moment, Takina couldn't deny her true feelings. Even if they were just childlike fantasies her father had left with her before his untimely demise. The truth was that the girl named Takina Tohsaka was still a child…
… who believed in heroes.
"Who in the hell are you?" Lumia spoke with malice in her voice and glared with daggers in her eyes at the unexpected third party a few meters away from her. Jones was equally dumbfounded at this turn of events. The person who just saved him from certain doom was-
"What the heck are you doing here, brat?!" Jones yelled out with a face that was equal parts confused and angry as he stared at the person who saved him being none other than-
"Saving your ass, geezer!" Takina snapped back as she focused her attention not on Jones but on the woman in white in front of her. She had just cast a makeshift Bounded Field out of nothing but a high-speed incantation!
"If you really think such a pathetic Bounded Field will be able to defend yourself against me then you're dead wrong, you annoying little brat!" Lumia shouted as she used a combination of her body's Od and the Mana in the air to cast her next spell!
'BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!' By manipulating the ground below her, Lumia took pieces of the earth and smashed them together! The result being a massive boulder made out of stone!
"You've got to be kidding me!" Jones blurted out as his jaw dropped to the ground as he recalled a certain incident with a boulder just like that one that happened almost three years ago! He wanted nothing more than to run for the hills as he had done in the past but what prevented him from doing so was the Bounded Field! That and the fact his feet were still encased within the earth!
"I really hope you know what you're doing!" Jones shouted as he could do nothing more than be a sitting duck as his Fate was in the hands of a child who couldn't be older than ten years old!
"Just shut up! Your yelling is making me lose my focus! I can't hear myself think!" Takina yelled out as she was quite literally the kettle calling the pot black. Even still, Takina focused on performing her next spell to meet the boulder head-on!
"Hahaha! You are stupid! You know that? Now die! Die! Die! Die! DIE!" Lumia yelled out as with a snap of her fingers the boulder moved at high speeds toward Takina and Jones! It would only be a matter of seconds until their lives would be snuffed out by the massive piece of rock! The only thing that could stop that grim future from occurring is magic!
Takina closed her eyes as she concentrated on releasing her magic. But would this attack be enough to stop the boulder from taking her life?! It was a gamble that she had to place all her bets on! An all-or-nothing gamble that would decide the Fates of the man beside her and her own!
Mages possess an affinity for one of the five great elements. For example, Luar Edelfelt possessed an affinity for water which she modified to become ice, this wasn't a huge change since ice is simply water but frozen. In stellar contrast to her sister, Lumia Edelfelt possesses the affinity of earth which allows her to manipulate the ground to her liking, it's an advancement over what most Mages their age can do.
This is to say that both Edelfelt Sisters are prodigies in their own right. They certainly have a huge advantage over Takina, since the latter of which is a child who's still learning how to utilize her Magecraft properly. But even with such a huge advantage over the child in red, Lumia Edelfelt made one error. Just a simple miscalculation that would change the outcome of this fight.
In a battle between Mages, there is always going to be someone at a disadvantage. Not just because of the difference in skill, but since there are counters between types of Magic. That's why there is no perfect element to have among the great five elements because they each have an advantage and disadvantage against each other. And it just so happens as luck would have it or perhaps Fate that…
… Takina's magic is a complete counter to Lumia's.
"Intensive… Einascherung!" Takina shouted with ferocity in her voice as her fingers caught on fire! No! They were igniting flames from her fingertips as the boulder was about to hit her and Jones but before that-
'Crack!' Takina unleashed her Magecraft and broke through her own makeshift Bounded Field as it shattered like glass! The flames produced by Takina then met the boulder head-on!
'Szzzz! Szzz! Szzzzz!' The flames then began melting through the boulder and this caught the attention of Lumia who couldn't have predicted this! The chance of her enemy having the affinity of fire was twenty percent! That's why she thought she had this fight in the bag!
"No! It can't be!" Lumia blurted out as all of her confidence disappeared in a flash and she began sweating uncontrollably as the fire was melting away her strongest attack! The onslaught of flames continued until they-
'BAAAAM!' They broke through the boulder and made it crumble to pieces! The flames then shot forward that were reminiscent of a flamethrower as Lumia was about to be engulfed in flames! But then…
"Neun, Acht, Sieben. Stil, schieBt, BeschieBen, ErschieBung!" Someone yelled out as suddenly three giant icicles shaped like spears met the flames head-on! Takina was speechless at what was happening and so was Lumia!
'BOOOOM!' And in a massive explosion they canceled each other out! This created a ton of smoke on the battlefield that lasted for a few seconds until the cloud of smoke dissipated to reveal that-
"You really need to be more careful, Lumia. If I wasn't here, what do you think would have happened?" Luar spoke as she was standing back up after regaining consciousness from Jones knocking her out! This sudden turn of events made everyone present speechless! That lasted for a few seconds until-
"Ha, haha, hahaha! You really are my guardian angel, Luar!" Lumia laughed as she regained her confidence after having it burnt to ashes by Takina's flames only a few seconds ago. The battle under the moonlit night had taken another unpredictable turn! With Luar's return to the fight, this put the Edelfelt sisters at an advantage once more and both of them knew it!
"Let's kill them together, sis." Luar spoke with an expression as cold as the icicles she made a few seconds ago, as she and her sister locked hands.
"I really couldn't say it better myself, Luar." Lumia replied with a smile on her face as it turned sadistic when both sisters focused their attention onto the enemies a few meters away from them! Not even a second later, they began focusing on the Od in their bodies, and combining that with the Mana in the air would bring out a devastating attack combo! That much was obvious to the two witnessing the sisters!
"Any chance you can leash another one of those fireballs?" Jones asked with a serious expression on his face as he braced himself for the worst.
"Unfortunately… I used all my Od on that attack. Sorry." Takina replied as sweat began dripping from her forehead profusely. She had bet everything on that attack only for it to go out in front of her eyes like someone blowing out a candle.
"Well… you tried your best." Jones spoke as he knew not even a perfect reinforcement could stand a chance against two highly skilled Mages. There wasn't even a chance of fleeing as they would be engulfed by the Magic that would certainly spell their doom. Not even a makeshift Bounded Field would be able to provide any defense against the onslaught that was about to come their way. It was quite literally-
"Game set!" Lumia and Luar spoke in unison as they were about to unleash their respective Magic at their enemies. However… before that could be done… there was one other person who was not accounted for who was also present on the battlefield-
'WHOOOOSH!' Without saying a word, Rider pulled out his sword from its sheath and leaped through the air! His body moved as fast as a comet as he intended to take the lives of the enemies who sought to take his own Master's life! However, he was noticed!
"You've got to be kidding me!" Lumia yelled out as if it weren't for the gust of wind that blew through her long blonde hair then she wouldn't have noticed Rider coming! Both she and her were prodigies but no matter how well they used their respective Magecrafts, there was little that could be done against a Servant. The only way to fight fire was with fire.
"By my Command Spell get us out of here, Avenger!" Luar shouted as she used a Command Spell that instantly vanished from her right hand! The result being-
"ENOUGH!" Avenger shouted at the top of her lungs as she startled everyone around with her shout, excluding Rider who bit his tongue at the awakening of the monster before his eyes. Without missing a beat, Avenger grabbed her two Masters and was about to leave the battlefield. But before doing so-
"Foolish mortals. Consider this a blessing. The next time we meet will be your end." Avenger declared as not even a second later-
'WHOOOOSH!' She leaped off the ground and went into the sky! It wasn't long after that, that all three women had left the battlefield. And with that, the battle on the moonlit night had come to an end…
… Or did it?
"Takina! Watch out!" Rider yelled out as he noticed something behind his Master as well as Jones. No. Not something, but someone. Someone who was holding a spear in his hands and giving off an aura of nothing but ill intent!
'WHOOOOOSH!' Rider leaped off the ground before his Master or Jones could even react and process what they had just heard! In the blink of an eye, the red-headed warrior sped through the air to meet the intruder head-on!
"Ah!" Jones and Takina let out a yelp as the resulting air currents produced by Rider gliding through the air made the two Masters lose their balance and collapse to the ground. Before they knew it-
'BAM!' Rider and the intruder clashed as their weapons, a sword, and a spear respectively, hit against each other! The striking of their metal blades created sparks that could cause a massive gas explosion! Rider realized this fact and leaped into the air!
'WHOOOOOSH!' The intruder who was undoubtedly the Lancer-Class Servant leaped off the ground like a rocket as he pursued his opponent into the air!
'BOOOOOOOM!' The result being a massive explosion that was created when Rider and Lancer's weapons struck each other in the air due to the sparks! Jones and Takina could only watch in silence as their jaws dropped! They couldn't even see Rider or the enemy! But then-
'BAAAAAM!' Before they knew it, something had crashed into the ground a few meters away from them! Both hoped that the enemy who had fallen was the enemy. However, to their surprise, it was-
"Haah… haah… haah…" Rider gasped for breath as he stood up from the ground. Both Takina and Jones' eyes went wide as they noticed several injuries on the red-headed warrior's body. Cuts and bruises that were most certainly created when Rider had collided with the ground.
"Is that really the best you've got? For my first battle against another Servant in this war, I'm quite disappointed… little king of conquerors." Lancer spoke with a smirk on his face as he floated to the ground like a feather.
"Hahaha! I'm more famous than I thought if I don't even have to give out my name!" Rider gave out a hearty laugh as his Master's eyes went wide.
'H-How is this possible?! In this form Rider's a child! There's no way this man could simply guess his True Name! It's impossible!' Takina thought internally as if she was at a loss for words. It was the same for Jones as he had no clue what was about to happen next-
"Takina. I want you to use a Command Spell on me so that I can unleash my Noble Phantasm." Rider asked with a serious look on his face. Takina's eyes went wide in disbelief.
"A-Are you crazy?! That will only leave me with one left! There's no way I could use another so soon!" Takina blurted out as she recalled the fact that she had already used a Command Spell to save Rider from Archer's Noble Phantasm!
'B-But then again… this enemy is giving Rider some trouble. He already used his Noble Phantasm just this afternoon. He was most likely still drained of his strength. Even still, he's putting up a fight he can't win… at this rate… he will…' Takina thought internally as she knew something bad would happen if she didn't use another Command Spell.
However, Command Spells were the only trump cards that Masters possessed. Each one can literally change the tide of the battle! No! The entire Grail War itself! Takina knew this! But if she were to use all three Command Spells then her link to Rider would be cut off and the latter would return from whence he came! Rider could notice his Master overthinking the situation.
"… Master." Rider spoke as Takina's thought process shattered to pieces while she was brought back to reality. Huh? Did she just hear him right? Did he actually call her… Master? That was the first time he ever addressed her by what she desired to be called.
"Please… I want to show him that I can live up to my name. So, believe in me. Believe that I can win." Rider asked with a smile on his face as his Master could only look at her own Servant with a dumbfounded look on her face. Believe in Rider? How could he say something so absurd?!
"Of course, I believe in you, you idiot! You are my Servant after all! That's why you have to live up to my expectations and give me the grail on a silver platter! I won't expect anything less from you! And if you don't, I'll kick your ass! You hear me, you idiot!?" Takina shouted with a pissed-off expression on her face.
"Hahaha! Don't worry. I'll live up to all of your expectations! After all, I'm Alexander the Great! The King of Conquerors! And I will undoubtedly conquer this War just as I had conquered this world in the past! Hahaha!" Rider laughed profusely with a massive grin on his face as he extended his arms outward as if he was ready to take the land of Fuyuki, no. The entire country of Japan for himself.
"My, you are one greedy little king. But do you really think someone as small as you can defeat a proud warrior of the Fianna?" Lancer asked with a smirk on his face as he casually revealed crucial information regarding his identity. Takina picked up on this and a name came to her mind that was most certainly the True Name of Lancer.
"A warrior? Fool. A King has possession of all warriors under his rule. You are quite strong. Any chance you would work under me?" Rider asked with a bashful look on his face.
"Sorry. But no. I intend to serve my Master and him alone for the duration of this War. And even if he were to perish… I would never serve a child who's trying to play King when he isn't even old enough to drink." Lancer replied with a serious look on his face.
"Well, that's a shame. Together, I'm pretty sure we could have conquered this entire land. Oh well. Guess I'll just do it alongside my Master." Rider declared as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Prideful and arrogant. I will enjoy wiping that grin off your face." Lancer replied as he began twirling his spear above him! The result unleashed a stream of water that enveloped him completely! It was undoubtedly the beginning of Lancer's Noble Phantasm! Rider noticed this along with Takina and Jones, the latter of which could only watch with bated breath.
"By my Command Spell, unleash your Noble Phantasm and claim victory for me, Rider!" Takina yelled out as her right hand let out a crimson light as the second of her Command Spells vanished without a trace!
"You're goddamn right I will!" Rider shouted with a massive grin on his face as he felt his Master's Mana course through his entire body! The result granted him the strength that he needed to pull out his Noble Phantasm once more!
'BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!' In quick succession, lightning struck against the earth! But Rider didn't even bat an eye! In fact, he enjoyed the applause from the heavens!
'He's… gone mad!' Lancer thought internally with a scowl on his face as he cringed at the little king smiling with an immense amount of glee.
'Step! Step! Step! Step! Step! Step! Step!' Suddenly a horse came down from the heavens as Rider instinctively jumped onto it! Rider then raced forward with his sword in hand!
"A single blow from this spear will slay you just as it annihilated divine spirits! Come and taste its wrath!" Lancer yelled out with a voice as ferocious as the look on his face as he held his spear and focused on the incoming enemy! The water that enveloped him rushed all the way to the tip of his spear and created a small ball of liquid!
"O cloud of darkness! O lightning! O father! Behold! Bucephalus!" Rider shouted with enough ferocity to match his foe! Lightning continued to strike the earth as he inched closer and closer! though it didn't take long for the small king on horseback to close the distance! However, before he could take the head of his enemy-
"Mac an Luin!" Lancer yelled out the name of his spear as the small ball of concentrated water was finally unleashed!
'WHOOOOOSH!' Not even the harsh cold winds courtesy of mother nature stood a chance against the onslaught of power that Lancer's spear contained as the water produced from it flew through the air in a straight line! Rider could see where it was going to hit him but even still, he-
'RRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Rider roared like a demon as he met the enemy's attack head-on! The result being-
'BAAAAAM!' That the attack landed precisely where Lancer was intending to land it, the center of Rider's chest.
"Blagh!" Rider coughed up blood as he fell off his horse. His stead vanishing off the face of the earth. Takina's eyes went wide as she noticed a small hole in the chest of her Servant, as the latter fell face first onto the ground. Without a shadow of a doubt, Rider was defeated. But even though that much was obvious-
"R-Rider… why aren't you getting up? Y-You promised me nothing short of an overwhelming victory. So why? Why are you on the ground sleeping… you… you idiot…" Takina spoke as tears fell from her eyes and hit the ground below her. Even though she knew that Rider had fallen in battle, Takina did not want to believe in that… after all… she wanted to believe in her Servant…
… Even though that same Servant had undoubtedly been defeated before her eyes.
"Do not fret. I was under strict orders from my Master to avoid any needless casualties. He'll live, barely. His spirit core is still intact after all." Lancer spoke as he indeed made sure that his attack stayed clear from Rider's Spirit Core which was the necessary component that all Servants needed to function and remain within this world. But even though Lancer had told nothing but the truth-
"You… you! I'll kill you!" Takina yelled out as she was about to use what little Od her body still had left for one final attack against the enemy in front of her. However, before she could-
'Bam!' Lancer had closed the distance and landed a karate chop onto the girl in red's neck. With only a single blow, Takina collapsed to the ground as her Servant had only moments ago. This left only one person excluding Lancer who was still awake. But where was he?
"Did that man flee in the resulting chaos? What a fool. How could such a coward garner the interest of my Master?" Lancer muttered to himself as he was about to pursue the fleeing man in order to fulfill his order. However, Lancer made a miscalculation. Indiana Jones did not flee the battlefield…
… In fact, he was right behind him!
'Ah!' Lancer gasped as he realized this too late! Jones had already used all of his willpower to enter the zone! And before long blond-haired man could dodge-
"TRACE… ON!" Jones shouted at the top of his lungs as he landed a devastating blow onto Lancer's back! The result being-
'Crack!' Lancer's armor shattered to pieces and fell to the ground like shards of glass! Lancer's eyes went wide as he turned his head to the side to notice the person who committed such an outrageous feat of strength!
'To think that this man… shattered my armor… with his bare hands?! Just who in the hell does he think he is?!' Lancer thought internally as he bit his lip so hard that he drew blood. Though Lancer didn't know it, Jones had landed a perfect reinforcement onto the former's body! Even though the archaeologist had only landed a single hit onto his enemy… that one hit…
… Might as well have been fifty blows all at once!
"Damn… that armor of yours was tough." Jones blurted out as he noticed that even though he had performed a perfect reinforcement, his hand had several small cuts on it due to the fact that Lancer's armor was made out of iron, easily one of the hardest metals on the earth! And Jones had broken through it was cardboard!
"You'll pay for that!" Lancer yelled out as not even a second later-
'BAM!' The Heroic Spirit punched the archaeologist in his gut! The latter of which couldn't react in time due to the former's insane level of speed. It wasn't a fair fight in the slightest. Even still, Indiana Jones had managed to land a single blow on a person who might as well be considered a God in comparison. The results speak for themselves.
'Bam!' Jones then joined his fallen comrades by collapsing to the ground and losing consciousness along with his fedora that landed beside him.
Sometime later…
Jones awoke on the floor of a room that he had never been in before. But even though it was an unfamiliar location, the archaeologist recognized it immediately as a prison cell. He didn't waste any time by standing back up.
"Gah!" Jones groaned in pain due to the injury he had sustained on his stomach by the enemy Servant. That was when he noticed that there was something hard on his mouth that would not let his words escape his mouth.
This meant that Jones could not utter a single order for his Servant to hear so that the latter could rescue him. But even still, Jones moved forward until he reached the steel bars of the prison cell and at the same time, another familiar man with a wound on his right hand committed the same action. And even though they couldn't speak a single word-
"YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!" Jones and Lao shouted from deep within their souls at the same time while gripping the steel bars of their respective prison cells almost as if the two were in sync.
'Ta! Ta! Ta! Ta! Ta! Ta! Ta! Ta! Ta! Ta!' The same girl from the beginning of this act could be seen once more playing the samisen as tears dripped from her face though they were hidden by her kitsune fox mask until they had revealed themselves once they fell onto the floor below her. The orange, green, and black curtain then fell as the first act of this grand adventure had come to an end!
Act 1: Dawn of the Third Holy Grail War – The End
To Be Continued…