Not-yet-summer resort: XI
The mood of the command room had changed in a moment.
"Get the Director on the line now!" He didn't care how he sounded in that one moment, his eyes desperately scanned over the vitals of Mash, the readings told him that she was alive but at the rate things were going.
His teeth grit and his jaw clenched, the urge to break the keyboard in his hands or curse aloud had never struck him more than it had at this one moment. The readings refused to complete themselves because of the authority of the Goddess making them too lazy to actively finish giving him anything.
She was hurt.
He knew she was hurt.
But nothing else.
"Saint graph output of enemy Servant is rising!" Someone called out from somewhere, he wasn't paying enough attention to them at the time to actually figure out who it was.
Then they spoke again.
"Readings from Ash are flatlining! He's received a lethal blow!"
Damn!
His hands clenched into fists, he took in a sharp intake of breath before he exhaled. He could afford to panic because he was up here, but Fujimaru was in an entirely different situation. They couldn't afford to panic and what they really needed was to get someone down there. In the span of a few seconds they had lost nearly their entire ground team.
"Mother…then that means…So I was right."
He whipped his head in the direction of Da Vinci and opened his mouth, ready to chide her that this wasn't the time for her to be boasting about being right. The words caught in his throat when he spotted her expression. It was far from pleased, instead it looked like a mixture between frustration and concern.
The Casters hands pressed into the desk and curled into fists.
"Get Berserker on the line, now! Nevermind the Director!" They all but demanded with a single powerful shout, he briefly froze at the commanding tone of her voice before her eyes fell upon him, her arm flew upwards and pointed at his face. "And you, keep Mash's vitals stable! For the time being just assume it's bad and keep monitoring her! Between Ash and her, we're not in the best position and we need to trust Fujimaru with this."
His head bobbed up and down.
"Da Vinci, we have a link with Berserker!"
"Vinci? What is the matter, you look-"
"No time for pleasantries." She stated, staring down at the screen before looking away. He heard the tap of fingers on keyboards as the Caster continued to string together her orders to the Servant. "Fujimaru is under attack and most of his team are down. You're the only one who should be able to get there in time and we need Fujimaru's attention on healing."
Romani spared a glance at the screen, then froze for a second time.
The expression on the face of Berserker was absolutely thunderous, teeth bared and eyes narrowed into slits. For a second, it even looked as though their bumblebee-like hair was shifting and standing up, swaying in a breeze that wasn't there.
"Where are they?"
Apparently Berserker didn't need to be told anything else except that.
"I'm feeding you a direct line to them. You'll need to move quickly-"
The communication shut down before she could even finish the sentence, his eyes darted towards the tracker on the device and he watched as it practically blitzed across the screen. Moving so fast that it went from being a dot to being a line.
All he could hope was that they were fast enough to get there in time.
His eyes returned to the screen, his mouth opened and he called through it.
"Fujimaru-kun! Mash's vitals are dropping and Ash is-Fujimaru-kun?! Are you there!? Fuji-"
"I'm here!" He snapped back at the doctor, while he didn't like raising his voice that didn't mean he was fine with being shouted at without saying anything. Though he also blamed his current situation before being as stressful as it was. Sparing a glance down at the severed arm of Gareth for all of a second before shaking his head and rushing towards the downed body of Ash.
Still clasping at their throat as the blood spilled forth without end, their eyes flicked to him the second he was close. Their arm reached out towards him, mouth flapping open and shut as they tried to form words, instead they gaped like a fish on land. A sight that he was certain was going to haunt him.
But it could haunt him later, when Ash was still around to comfort him with the knowledge they hadn't perished.
"First aid!" The mystic code thrummed to life, pulsing over the Saber and starting to take effect. Their gasps turned less frantic and the flow of blood started to slow-
A crash knocked him down, a rush of wind had him ragdolling across the floor for a few moments before he went still. By the time his head snapped up, he was lying on his front, propped up by his forearms and blearily staring across the length of the chasm, the only thing he could make out was the rushing lights of the two Servants engaged in combat.
The grinding of metal and the sparks flying from their clashes were all that filled the room, he dropped down as debris rocketed over his head, striking the ground behind him along with his back. A gasp hissed past his throat as something particularly heavy struck him, feeling more like a strong punch and weighing a good amount.
With a grunt, he pushed whatever was on him off, looking up once again and seeing the frozen image of Medusa's spike hovering mere inches from the face of Chris, their own sword arm clasped between the fingers of the Rider, the edge of the blade just short of disembowelling them.
Then the image shattered, a mushroom cloud tore its way up from the spot where they were standing but moments ago and the light danced across the room once more.
Trenches were carved through solid rock, impact marks in the shape of people and the still images of the Servants locked in combat were the only evidence of what was going on and nothing else.
His eyes fell back onto Ash, narrowing at the sight of them before a dusty cough ripped its way from the mouth of the Saber, they rolled onto their side and continued to sputter, turning their head up to reveal that while there was still a rather large smear of blood on their neck, they no longer bore the wounds of battle.
It meant their life was in no immediate danger.
"Get Gareth out of there!" Wasting no time, he pointed in the vague direction of the wounded Lancer before he scrambled up to his feet, not even seeing if Ash was getting up or not before he darted his way towards the direction of Mash, still embedded in the mouth of the tunnel without moving.
Boudica's body hung over the edge, eyes rolled into the back of her head and matted wet hair slick with blood. The waterfall from the sewer dyed red with the blood of the wounded pair. His heart leapt into his throat as he closed in-
A shape blurred past him, smashing into the ground with a dust cloud right in front of him.
He slipped over his feet, falling backwards and landing roughly on the ground.
His eyes widened as he found himself staring at Medusa on the ground, the Rider groaned softly before her head snapped back up. He barely caught the movement but she looked to be in the middle of a turn before a second shape landed atop her. The cloud of dust cleared in the wave of a powerful shockwave, sparks flew as the Rider parried away the sword of Chris and swept her legs out.
The Saber kicked up into the ceiling, Medusa rolled backwards onto her feet and gave chase into the air. Throwing her spikes into the sediment above them and yanking up, catapulting herself into the woman and punching both of them into the ceiling.
Ritsuka threw his arms above his head as he rushed forwards, zig-zagging to avoid the falling debris as best he could as he moved in on Mash. Speeding up and then kicking off the ground, throwing his body into the wall with a wheezing grunt and latching his fingers onto the ledge of the tunnel. With a groan, he pulled himself upwards.
Ignoring the stream of hot water now flowing right into his face and down his front.
What did wet clothes matter right now?
This was what she wanted.
This was exactly it.
Sparks flew between them as their weapons clashed once more, the eyes of her mother glared right into her own pupils, she felt the shudder of the mystic gaze trying to take hold of her in the same way she was no doubt affecting them.
A grunt escaped her lips as she pushed back, skipping off the ground and throwing herself to the rockface, sword embedded in the stone to keep her anchored there, it was just enough to give her some distance and then she launched herself back into the frey.
Her head jerked to the side at the last second before she made contact, twisting her body along with it, the spike rocketed right past her face and behind her.
Mother waited for only a split second before their grip jerked backwards, the chain went taut and started to turn. The sensation of the weapon moving through the air reached her. A twist in the air and she reversed her sword, flipping and parrying the returning chain above her head-
The split second was all the time they needed to strike, pain flooded her system as a pair of heeled boots slammed into her gut while still in the air. A gasp escaped her lips as she flew, weightlessness lasting for only a brief moment before she struck something solid, it gave way behind her and the crunch of rock filled her ears.
But she was not out yet.
Her free hand clamped down hard at the edge of her crater and pulled, yanking her body free just in time.
A blur slammed into the spot where she had been moments ago, she thrust herself back to the spot and attacked. The tip of her sword struck the curve of the spike held in the grip of Mother, she caught sight of the faintest evidence of strain on their face before the force of her attack knocked them from the wall and down to the ground.
She followed them, throwing herself right into them and locking weapons once more, she could feel her lips pull upwards as she stared into their face.
"Was this how you thought our first meeting would go? Did you ever think we would meet each other?"
Her arms flexed, she pushed with all her might and sent one of the spikes spinning from the grasp of her opponent, her body twisted and she brought up her leg, sweeping it through the air for a roundhouse kick.
It slammed into something hard, her eyes widened ever so slightly as she found her leg matched against its opposite, her mother having gone for the exact same attack.
Then her mothers leg twisted around her own - like a serpent - and then stomped down, crunching stone upon contact, and forced her down into a crouch. A brief flash in the corner of her eye in the shape of a fist was the only movement she caught before her vision whited and her head snapped down, a sensation of striking something solid filled her ears.
A tight grip found its way onto the back of her clothes and she was yanked backwards, briefly seeing the crater in the shape of her face formed in the ground before she was being hurled through the air. Flying for a few seconds, then tackled by her mother with incredible force.
Crashing into the wall once more, she stumbled forwards.
Then ducked, the remaining spike in Mothers hand stabbed into the stone where her head had been mere moments later.
She moved, shooting underneath her mothers arm and then rising up behind them, an elbow strike to their back at them grunt and stumble, then her own hand came up and formed a fist. Swinging forwards and striking them in the back of their head, this time they were the ones whose face met rock with a crunch which had the chamber tremble around them.
Their arm pulled free, throwing debris right into her line of sight and breaking contact.
A boot struck her chest, she fell back into a roll and righted herself, bringing up her sword and swinging up.
Sure enough, she predicted it well, her mother had gone for the follow through.
Exactly as she would have done.
They fought as she did.
Ah.
They really were alike.
"Well? Did you ever think about it?"
It wasn't as much a request as it was a demand, with a grunt she shoved them back and broke the lock between them, readying herself once more as they brandished their remaining weapon. Neither of them looked as though they were going to move, that was fine with her.
Mother kept silent for a few moments.
Then she replied.
"...I had hoped we would not."
…That was…
…She hoped they wouldn't meet?
It seems they did have some differences after all then, but it confirmed that they had at least thought about her once or twice in their life and even after it. Even if it was only to wish they would never encounter one another.
"I can't say the same. I've thought of nothing else my entire life except meeting you."
She was surprised she was saying even this much, but once she started speaking she found that the words just wouldn't stop coming forth. She just needed them to understand how important this really was for her, even if they didn't understand why.
"Holding myself back when I first saw you was difficult…did you suspect back then? I noticed you were really on edge. It was gratifying to see, actually."
Mother kept their face still, betraying absolutely nothing about themselves.
It was a beautiful thing.
"...Why do you look like that?"
Like her.
It went unsaid but she knew what they meant, it was a fair enough question but even still, it wasn't an answer to her own.
Her balance dropped, she fell forwards and then pushed off the ground in the last moment. Flying into the face of mother and swinging with all their might, their skin cracked and flaked as porcelain skin peeled away to reveal golden scales, the sight gave her pause for all of an instant but it was dismissed.
As long as she didn't go further than this.
The clang echoed out as steel kissed steel, sparks dropped to the ground between them as mother brought her own spike up to block, their eyes widened briefly before a second hand flew up to support their guard, all the while she pushed down with her strength, proving the more dominant of the two.
But it couldn't last.
There was no way it was going to last.
This was mother, after all. She would doubtlessly prove the stronger of them given enough time. Yet that was fine, that was perfect.
She locked eyes with them as she pushed, giving only a faint twitch as their battle continued before she spoke.
"Because this is your face. That's why I chose it."
Resistance vanished, her weight fell forwards for all of a second, then her eyes bulged as a knee was driven into her gut once more. Mother sidestepped at the last moment, her sword was now buried in the rock-
A flash of silver in the corner of her eye, the rounded handle of the spike slammed into the side of her head, snapping it to the side, a kick to the back of her knee jerked her downwards and then a shin flew around and into the front of her face, driving her backwards and slamming into the ground.
She bounced twice in a sea of dust and rubble before she came to a halt, stabbing a hand into the ground to slow her momentum, clawing back to her feet and shooting forwards. More of her skin peeled away, her fingers sharpened into claws as a fist was thrown right for the face of mother.
It was caught with a trembling arm.
Then her eyes caught something else, forming upon the arm which caught her punch.
Scales.
So much like her own, identical to her own, and her eyes lingered on those for a second too long.
Mother punished her for it, a palm struck up into her nose, eyes watered and snapped shut, then another several blows landed against her body. Her vision cleared long enough to see Mother sweep a leg upwards, her arm came up to protect the side of her head, the shin slammed into her guard a moment later. It felt like being struck by a hammer.
As it should have done.
Her guard shifted, she looped her arm around the leg and pulled, Mother let out a faint gasp as she was ripped off her feet and into the air. She twisted with them still in her grasp and dragged them along the ground, moving with such speed that she carved a trench through the stone floor before she loosened her grip at the apex of her turn.
Their body was launched away from her, only a split second of airtime before it struck the ceiling. She watched the body drop down to the ground, then she pressed the attack sprinting across the chamber and throwing a shoulder forwards, ramming it into their chest the moment they were close enough and driving them further into the wall.
She stepped backwards, pulling a hand back.
She didn't bother with a fist, she could just use her claws.
But she wasn't the first to attack.
Mother burst from the rockface and flew right into her line of sight, teeth peeled back and eyes slitted with a fury. She froze at the sight for all of a second, being the focus of all that fury and rage but above all. This was what they were, this was who they came from.
This was who their mother was.
Ah.
This was what she wanted.
They were looking at her.
A hiss burst from her lips along with spittles of blood as she was driven backwards, feet scraping along the ground as she tried and failed to find ground to stop. Her eyes flickered down to see that a hand had been driven into her chest, right below her ribs. Yet it was like no ordinary arm, it was an arm so much like her own.
Blood already pooling around the claw like fingers embedded in her.
But that was fine.
Her hand clasped the wrist, her feet shot back and anchored herself into the earth, managing to stop herself, throwing her other hand forwards and shoving back against mother. They met her strength with every ounce of their own, soon enough the two of them were shoving all their might against the other.
"Keep going, show me more!"
She all but begged them, straining against their might as she watched more and more of them bleed through into the battle. The ferocity, the savagery, the sheer might behind their attacks. That they could take everything she was throwing at them and still keep coming was incredible, but she wanted more than that.
She needed more than that.
She wanted to see who her mother really was.
What she really needed was-
Something tickled her senses.
Something strong and something fast approaching, right from above her as well.
Any suspicion it was a trick of the mind vanished in the split second that she caught Mothers body tense and her eyes shot upwards. Her own gaze rose up as she watched the ceiling glow, light pooled down as the rock right above them melted away, pierced with fire of yellow and black before it burst like a balloon.
She kicked away from mother as a spray of molten rock was catapulted about the room, through the rush of mixed fire a shape burst through like a comet, streaking right down towards her. The only thing she managed to catch sight of was a vaguely humanoid shape before it slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Raising a hand to cover her face, the heat that washed over her was discomforting but it was nothing compared to the feeling which now flooded the room. It was like an inferno of magical energy, unleashed without care for whomever was nearby, she would have called it reckless if she didn't see it for what it was.
A threat display, or perhaps a show of force.
"What do you think you're doing to my family?!"
Her senses screamed at her to move and she obeyed.
A large fist shot out of the dust cloud, passing scant millimetres in front of her face as it moved. The rush of wind came next, a thumping sound and a thunderous boom, then the explosion from behind her had her stumble forwards, the shockwave cleared the field of dust within an instant and allowed her a look at her new attacker.
Messy short yellow and black hair, thick bronze plates of armour shaped like scales and a pair of mismatched slitted eyes glared at her. One of the arrivals from Chaldea, a Berserker but she knew not what they were until now. There was no mistaking this sensation now that she was right next to them.
They were a monster as well, just as she was.
A roar ripped free of her lips as she responded in kind, claws slashing across and catching the Servant in the face, tearing long streaks through their cheek, blood leaked down from the attack. Then they twisted and launched another fist at them.
She pressed back, avoiding the follow up by mere inches once again.
Then something in the air shifted, their jewelled eye screeched at her as it glowed bright and a feeling of weakness gripped her body, at the same time she stopped moving for precious instants.
She wasn't even granted enough time to comprehend the attack before the clawed hands of the Servant surged towards her, a tight grip found itself around her hair and yanked forwards, dragging her along with it and right into an uppercut.
It was difficult to process what happened after that, she had a vague numb sensation shoot through her body and then there was the impact.
A feeling of falling and then coming to a half as something fell atop her as well, then came the heavy footfalls in rapid succession. She could understand that it was something charging at her and getting closer with each step, but forming more complicated conclusions than that proved troublesome.
So she didn't bother thinking.
It acted instead.
It surged to its feat, snarling with teeth bared and claws at the ready. The enemy threw another clumsy attack, it dodged the punch and responded with a slash of their own, dragging their claws across the armoured plates beneath their arm and throwing themselves into a roll.
It landed on the ground and twisted about.
The enemy turned around and swung out, it ducked beneath the backhand and unleashed a frenzy of blows against them, swinging their claws with all their might and without consideration for form or appearance, merely letting their instincts guide their hand.
Each swing of the claws scraped away more of the armour, plates of strong scale peeled away with each blow, their own skin started to shed as their body was revealed.
Muscles bulged as their height shifted, outgrowing their original form and losing something in the process. It was something important that they were shedding for this fight, but they couldn't remember what it was.
It didn't matter.
They were going to see off this challenger-
Another slash across the chest of the Servant drew blood, a spray across the wall, they snarled in victory and swiped up for their neck this time-
The enemy swung down and clamped a large hand around their head, they felt a push and then found their skull buried deep into the wall of the room. Forced through solid rock with a single powerful shove, it didn't last long before they were ripped free of the position and pulled upwards, dragged off their feet and held aloft in the air for a split second.
All they saw was the Servant pulling their arm back and forming a fist in their own hand, then watching as it was coated in yellow and black flames.
Then the fist surged forwards and they felt only pain, the grip vanished from their head and their body turned weightless, for a split second they could see everything in the room, their eyes roamed around and they landed on something else.
A figure of purple with a feeling like them-
Ah.
Right.
They weren't an 'it'.
That wasn't just any 'thing' that felt like them.
That was mother.
Chrysaor twisted herself in the air, flipping around and locking eyes with the Servant - the Berserker - and narrowing them into slits. Her magical energy pulsed into her own eyes as she locked gazes with the Servant, yet she felt nothing wash over them and the Servant gave no indication they were even so much as troubled by her gaze as they sprinted after her.
It seemed they had the stronger mystic eye of the two of them, but they had only used it once.
Were they holding back?
Foolishness, she would teach them the error of their ways.
Her legs struck the ground, she surged forwards in the next instant.
Berserker swung a mighty blow for her face, she waited until it was the last possible instant.
Then she ducked right beneath the blow and surged up from the ground, looping an arm around the Servant and trapping their punch above her shoulder, her leg swept outwards as she pulled them backwards, without a way to stop her she sent them crashing into the ground with the tackle, then twisted.
Her legs wrapped around their arm and her body followed suit, her hold tightened to a point where it should have crushed a normal Servant's arms, but it seemed that Berserker was tougher than most, their magical energy displays were not just for show.
But they lacked skill.
She pulled with all her might, hearing the grunt of effort as Berserker struggled against her grasp.
Then something shifted, her eyes shot down as she watched the hand of Berserker start to glow, trickles of yellow and black surged between their fingers aimed right towards her face. She didn't need her instincts to tell her what would happen next would be bad.
Her foot slammed into the jaw of the Servant, snapping their head to the side and using it to push herself away from them, breaking the hold as she did so and rolling to the side. Not a moment too soon, the second she was away flames shot out of the hand with the force of a jet, blasting a scorched gash right through solid rock and leaving only a molten puddle where they had impacted.
Berserker was on their feet quickly, swinging up towards her.
She parried the blow above her head and punched down into their side, aiming for the gaps in the armour and finding purchase, she was sure she struck skin and the faint grunt of the Servant was proof of that, but it didn't afford her much in the end.
They swung at her again, this time with the other arm, her hands flew up in a guard to cover her face. The blow landed and she held her ground, yet the shock reverberated right through her body from the attack, their strength was indeed something fearsome. She suspected they were even stronger than her if they truly put their mind to it.
Another punch came from the other side, slamming into her guard once more, then another and another.
They came quickly now, barely a second between them and with increasing levels of ferocity.
It hurt, it was painful.
She could feel her scales being torn away from the unending assault but the attacks of the Berserker were proving just as valuable to her. She could heal from this and better yet, the Servant was getting sloppy, their frustration was bleeding into their attacks as the fight went on.
A chance.
She broke her guard and stepped to the side as the next blow was thrown her way, her arm shot out and grabbed the wrist as it passed her by. Her other hand flew up, her knuckles drove their way into the jaw of the Servant before they could reach, feeling a weighty crunch behind her attack.
The Servant swung up with the other hand, she dodged that blow and ducked low, sweeping a leg out and slamming the back of her heel into the side of their knee, jostling their body ever so slightly but it was enough to get them off balance for even a split second.
She rose up and lashed out with another fast jab to their face, this time raking their claws across the front of it.
She saw the marks across the eye, then she had indeed dealt with-
Both eyes snapped open and glared at her.
She missed-!?
A hand with a grip like jaws clamped down around her wrist and stopped her before she could escape. A fist struck her gut and lifted her off her feet, yet she was not launched into the air, the grip on her wrist stopped her from escaping her attacker that easily.
They pulled their fist back again, readying for another punch.
She drove her forehead right into their nose, the grip on her loosened enough to pull her arm free.
Her hand came up, clenched into a fist and then swung back down to the Servant as they rose up, recovering from the headbutt swiftly.
They met her punch with their own.
The sounds of battle were still fresh in his ears as he dropped Mash down on the ground and went to work using his healing code on her again and again without pausing. Glancing to where Boudica was leaning against the wall as well, the worst of the damage was already gone with her, but that meant nothing when he considered how badly Gareth had been affected.
His eyes moved to the limp body of the Lancer, a clean cut right from the shoulder had removed the entire arm from her left side. A grizzly sight to be sure and that was without the obvious kick to the head as well. Blood had streamed down from under the helm and he wasn't sure they could even get it off.
She still hadn't regained consciousness.
He jerked forwards, a crash echoed out from behind him, turning his head and looking over his shoulder, his brows shot up instantly at the sight.
Chris chokeslammed Berserker into the ground and then started to run, still with the Servant caught in their grasp, smearing his face into the ground as she sprinted and carving a trench through the floor.
A jerked movement and then the Saber was thrown free of the Berserker, an explosion sending her sprawling until a weighty kick to the gut knocked them directly into the ceiling. Berserker kicked off into the ground and smashed into them, obscuring both in dust and shadow for a single instant.
They came flying out of the cloud and directly into the ground once more, brawling without restraint.
With a frown, his eyes turned away from the battle and towards where Medusa was still lying, she remained unmoved from her position but he couldn't see any signs of injury on her, at least none that would have prevented her from moving.
It looked more like she was catching her breath.
Much as he might have empathised with her plight, this wasn't the time to be frozen up. Especially not if that fight between Berserker and Chris ended up bringing the entire cave right down on top of their heads.
Fire rolled past his face, the curtain of flames lashed across and stopped him from rising to his feet. Staring with wide eyes and stepping backwards, throwing his arms around Mash to cover her as best he could, grimacing at the heat which washed over him. The burning lasted for a few seconds before it faded away.
He pulled away from Mash, snapping his eyes onto the fight once more and seeing Chris aim the still burning arm of Berserker to the ceiling before twisting around the limb, landing a roundhouse kick onto his chin and flipping over the arm, pulling as they did so and then hurling the Servant over their shoulder.
They vanished in a blur, reappearing onto to slam a drop kick into the airborne Servant and then punting them across the chamber in an instant. Following them the moment their feet touched the ground.
"Gawyn, try-" His words caught in his throat as he took notice of the Saber.
They sat on the ground, staring dumbly at the fires that were all around them, eyes wide and panicked.
Great.
Of course they wouldn't be able to do anything-
"Sen…pai?"
The voice was like a blessing for him, lips pulled into a smile as he turned down to the Shielder and took stock of her, they were sending a hazy look towards him, like they couldn't quite see him all that well or weren't all there yet. But that was fine, as long as she was awake then that was all he could ask.
The eye screamed once more, her body locked up and then the punch slammed directly into face.
She did not fly backwards, instead the fist pressed against her features and drove her down into the ground like a hammer would do a nail. Her skull buried itself in solid rock as the pain didn't have time to pass through her system.
Or she had gone numb to the sensation of it.
She was not so numb to avoid feeling the pull of her leg as she was wrenched from the ground, dragged along for only a split second before she was airborne. Managing to turn herself to land on her feet and stumble for only a few steps, twisting herself just in time to see the charging Servant.
Her eyes narrowed.
She jumped, they moved right beneath her.
Her legs pressed against their back and pushed her forwards, driving them into the wall as she hit the ground and rolled, turning around and shooting forwards, shoulder barging them further into their own blunder.
Berserker twisted, freeing themselves and buckshotting debris all around them as they did so.
They swung a burning arm right towards her face, a quick dodge and she felt only the heat of the fist passing above her head as she darted forwards, claws at the ready. Swinging them within moments, slashing away at the exposed chest of the Servant until her fingers were slick with blood.
There was something about the blood that was different, however.
As though it was tainted with something else.
Another punch rocketed for her face, arms flew up in a guard and protected her well, enough that she was not struck with the attack. Instead it slammed her guard into her own features and sent her stumbling, she pulled the arms down and snarled.
Berserker opened their mouth.
She saw the glow in the back of their throat, the brilliant yellow so much like their fire.
She pressed off the ground and twisted backwards, flipping and slamming her feet into their chin, their jaw snapped shut and the back of their head bounced off the wall. In the instant that she landed, she attacked once again, sweeping a kick into the side of their knee and jerking them downwards, her other knee flew up and struck home against their head.
Berserker caught her gut with an elbow, she folded over the limb as they dragged it across and rose up. She had barely the time to counter as they clasped her head and slammed her face into the wall, then rained punches into the back of her head with each strike forcing her further and further into the rock.
A roar pulled itself free of her throat, frustration and anger seeped into it.
Her arms pierced the rock face and pulled, tearing free a chunk of it and then pulling downwards. She had enough time to catch Berserker raise their arms in a block before their body was covered with rubble, the section of wall pulled right onto them.
She did not think that would keep them trapped for long.
With a snarl, she threw herself into the mound of stone and started to pull away the largest parts to get to her enemy. Seconds they would recover and she would need to-
A hand burst from the debris and slammed into her face, a grip like a vice caught her as she brought her arms up, punching away at the grip. Through her one uncovered eye she watched Berserker rise up from the debris, bloodied and dusty a snarl on their own face as they pulled her forwards and then threw her back.
Her body twisted through the air for only a moment before it hit the ground, rolling for some time until she was right again.
Her breathing came out in pants, her form twisted into a mockery of what she had attempted.
Musculature replaced lithe.
With shaky steps, she pushed back up to her feet and glared at the Servant as they pulled themselves free of the rubble, marching towards her with only one goal clear in their eyes. It was one that she could understand all too well. She had the exact same goal.
They were going to kill one another.
Her hands clenched into fists, pulling her arms back and preparing herself.
The steps of Berserker quickened, moving faster and faster.
She broke into a run at the same time they transitioned into a sprint.
Roars escaped the both of them, hands pulled back and bodies twisted.
She swung forwards with all her weight behind the next blow.
Her fist met the burning knuckles of the Berserker with a clap.
The air split and a shockwave tore apart the ground beneath their feet, yet neither one of them broke away from the other. Their other hands came up and slammed into their opponents own, clasping against the other and pushing back with all their strength.
She narrowed her eyes.
Blood started to pool around the ground near her feet, her own and her enemies, but it would serve as a fitting tribute for what she needed to do. This was not a fight she could win without using her Noble Phantasm, of that she was certain.
Her vision whited as something struck the side of her head, in the same instant a metallic thud echoed out in front of her, coupled with a grunt of surprise from the Berserker, or at least it sounded like surprise. There could have been some pain mixed into the situation as well.
She staggered for a moment, blinking focus back into her vision before she frowned at the sight that was before her.
Standing between herself and Berserker, almost casually, with a long scythe draped across their shoulders and tattered rags fluttering in the wind was the tattooed form of Lancer, turning their head between the two of them and raising an eyebrow. The flash of amusement and approval was plain to her, but that didn't explain their presence here.
Pulling herself up, she took a deep breath and growled out her next words. "Step. Aside."
"Or what?" Lancer drawled at her, leaning forwards a little bit before smirking. "You're not in much of a position to put up a fight, you've exhausted yourself against this one. That's why you were about to use your Noble Phantasm, isn't it?"
She didn't dignify that with an answer.
"But that's not why I'm here, as wonderful as it is to see you and this dragon tear one another to bloody ribbons."
Dragon?
Her eyes flickered to the Servant who had gone still, stepping forwards and then catching themselves, their own gaze moved between her and Lancer, sizing them up with clear preparation in case there was a fight. So they weren't just instinct after all, that was something at least.
A dragon though.
It made much more sense now why they had been so strong.
"You keep fighting and you'd tear this entire chamber down on your heads." Lancer continued on, cutting through her thoughts before they paused, turning their head around and sweeping their eyes across the entire ruin before snorting. "Small miracle that it has not already buried you. You don't do things by half measure, do you Chris?"
She was already gathering her strength.
Lancer raised a brow at her lack of an answer, but showed no offence.
Instead, they directed their attention elsewhere and their smile widened. "And the little ant is still scurrying around! Oh dear, looks like you got a couple of scratches in this little duel."
A sigh escaped them, they pulled the scythe from their shoulders and slammed it into the ground, punching a hole and keeping the scythe mounted, they then leaned into it. Folding their arms over their chest as though they were not in any danger at all.
"Sorry to cut it short but honestly, I'd rather not have to run through the trouble of having to explain why you all ended up dead to Hanleth…"
They paused, then their eyes turned to her and narrowed. The smile vanished from their lips and was replaced with cold focus, she narrowed her own gaze, refusing to be intimidated by the glare now being levelled towards her. No matter how much killing intent they flooded into it.
"I told you that I wanted Ash alive. Next thing I know his throat has been slashed open and he's dying on the ground. Care to explain?"
"He was in the way."
A raised eyebrow was shot at her, they clearly expected more but that was all that she was going to give them because that was all there was. Unless they wanted her to make up another reason for why she attacked them. Their face was a little irritating for her and their talk had put her in a slightly bad mood. Did they want her to spill those as reasons as well?
They shrugged, then turned their head. "Fair enough then. Can't argue with that."
She didn't need to, Lancer understood.
It was nothing personal, they were just in the way.
"They were trying to get through the door then, were they?"
She clenched her jaw. "...Yes."
Lancer snorted. "For someone who is so against chaining one's life to duty, you take yours quite seriously, don't you?"
"...If you're done here-"
"I'm not." They sharply cut her off, flashing another glare before exhaling and shaking their head. Then directing their focus towards the dragon Servant. "Oh…You're magnificent, you know that? Absolutely wonderful, watching how desperately you fought to protect your pack…I was truly inspired."
The Servant frowned at the words, looked the Lancer up and down and then replied slowly. "Your words sound mocking, lightkin."
Lancer waved a hand. "I'm being genuine. Though you can relax yourself a little, there's not going to be any more fighting."
Chris blinked at the Servant, her brows furrowed.
What exactly did they mean by-
"You sound pretty confident about that!" Her attention shifted across the length of the room, to the human who currently held a contract with Mother, now standing tall as though they had not been cowering before her mere minutes ago. The strength in their gaze returned but she had seen how weak it had been.
"Is that saying we're going to be heading back or that you're going to put an end to this?"
"Ah, the ant speaks!" Lancer excitedly cheered, waving a hand towards the boy and stepping away from their weapon. Their hands placed on their hips, taking in a short breath before continuing. "But you're right, I am going to put an end to this. Because I am going to let you walk right on through those doors and take a gander at whatever secret Hanleth is hiding."
Her head whipped around to the Lancer, her brows shot up. "What is the meaning of th-!"
Lancer sent her a bored look and waved a hand. "They're here already and they're not going to stop until they have a look." raising a brow, they continued onwards. "And how do you think Hanleth is going to react when you come back to her and let her know that you killed the Chaldeans when they investigated a little. They aren't enemies yet."
Her jaw snapped shut, she righted herself and stared at the Servant for half a second before responding. "She ordered none to cross that door."
"I'm not invested one way or another…but I don't want you to die over something like this, perishing in this dreary place…" A scoff escaped Lancer, shaking their head from side to side and pacing around, running their hand up the length of the scythe and across the blade of the weapon. "And you're outgunned here, aren't you? Even if you beat the Dragon, you'd be too weak to stop your mother from killing you."
…She would be content with that ending-
"And then Hanleth would be upset."
Her face tightened for a brief instant before it loosened.
"...You know what the consequences will be if this happens."
Lancer sighed, pulling their hand away from the weapon and walking towards her, leaning down and then whispering in a quiet voice. "Do you really want your first - and possibly only - interaction with her to be one where you try and kill one another? I'm not against it but really…this is a once in a life-time chance that you might never get again. Would you be satisfied with that."
"Hanleth ordered-"
"Nevermind what Hanleth wants." Lancer frowned, then tilted his head and raised a brow. "What do you want?"
…She wanted to spend more time around mother, to know who they were.
Her eyes flickered to the side, her tense posture melted away.
"There, you see?"
Lancer called across to the Chaldeans. "Now then…you've come this far, want to have a little peak at the skeletons in Hanleth's basement closet?"
Ritsuka didn't trust this guy in the least, they were smiling too much and getting way too much enjoyment out of this situation.
To say nothing of what had happened moments ago, his eyes darted away from the Lancer and onto Chris, looking conflicted over something. Despite apparently standing down, she looked more as though what she wanted to do was continue fighting until either she was dead or they were.
And then there was Medusa, the relationship between them becoming more clear than ever before.
That was without the fact that Chris had just tried to kill all of them when not even an hour ago she was helping them. All because it was her job and yet her job demanded she kill them for investigating or so she claimed at least. From what he had been able to hear, the Servant seemed to be one contradiction after another.
That being said, he wasn't going to be going anywhere until he was sure that everyone was going to be alright.
"Gawyn." He whispered to the Saber, they'd recovered a little bit but not all that much, enough to nod their head up and down towards him. "Keep an eye on him for me."
He really didn't want to have to do this, but it seemed as though he was left with no choice and to his knowledge, they were the best healer they had in Chaldea at the moment. It was time they actually started to earn their keep in that role.
'Gwynevere, are you doing anything important right now?'
The message was sent through the link, yet his eyes remained fixed on the still smiling face of the Lancer.
A reply came back rather quickly.
'That would depend upon your definition, but I sense a great turmoil in your words. You have need of my skills as a Goddess then, I assume? In which case…you may call upon me. I shall offer aid as I can.'
That was generous of her.
His hand came out, a glow of light around the air and then he uttered the name. "Caster."
A flash of light and they stood above him, gentle smile on their face faltered ever so slightly when they gazed down upon him, then glanced around at the others who were in a similar state of disrepair before a sigh escaped from her. "I should have expected some manner of trouble, but did you summon me truly to clean up after such a deplorable mess?"
He frowned at her. "Can you help or not?"
She raised a hand and gave a disinterested sigh. "I did not say that I would be unwilling, merely that I will never be unsurprised that humans can go to a land of peace and then somehow find a way to make war upon one another…and in such a brutal fashion as well."
Brushing past him, she crouched down over the top of Mash and gently took the girl into her arms, handling her as though she was like fragile glass. The concern in her seemed genuine, but he found himself more disturbed by it than anything else, especially as he had seen her on the opposite end of the spectrum.
"Take this poor dear, don't worry about it, Sir Kyrielight, you'll be standing proud once more."
A glow circled beneath them, light washed over the Shielder as the wounds on her reversed entirely. He would give Gwynevere the praise she was due for healing, it put his Mystic Code to shame. Like he had been handing out little plasters for grievous bodily harm instead of being an actual help.
"Gwynevere-san?" Mash shakily replied, staring up with a shocked expression before turning her gaze onto him. "Senpai? What happened? I-"
"Hush now, child." Gwynevere silenced them, lowering them back to the ground as they moved along. "Take a moment to recover your bearings and think of the most important question, the rest can follow."
"Playing nursemaid now, are you?"
Gwynevere froze up at the voice only briefly, Ritsuka watched a complicated expression flicker across their face as she turned around. Clasping her hands over her front and taking in a deep breath before exhaling. "I had thought I sensed you earlier, but I assumed I was mistaken…now though, I am unsurprised. What manner of havoc have you been wreaking upon these poor souls now, Alma?"
Ritsuka turned to the Lancer, their expression had changed from an amused smile to indifference.
Their voice sounded just as cold.
"All these years and you ask what sort of trouble I'm causing? Don't you think you trust me too little?"
Gwynevere made an unimpressed noise. "I believe what you refer to is my trust in your capacity for being troublesome, that is, after all, what you most enjoy, is it not?"
Lancer rolled his eyes. "You find it troublesome because I don't conform to your petty little ideals."
"You do not conform to any ideals. Mine are not the exception."
A hum, Lancer shrugged their shoulders. "I conform to my own, that is fine enough for me."
"...Keep your distance from them, Nahr. I know what it is that brings you mirth and I would rather you not spread your chaos here, no matter how indulgent your sister might be."
Lancer raised a brow, their lip twitched into a faint smirk. "I'm pleased to see your words have not dulled over the years. I would be rather saddened if you have turned senile in your old age."
"...Disrespectful as ever."
"Like you ever respected my choices-"
"An attraction to savagery is not something to be respected." Gwynevere shot back, a sharp note in her words, her hands visibly tightened. "Nor was your indulgence in blatant displays of brutality, you and that cult of monsters you formed after your blood-letting ways."
Lancer smiled cordially. "I did as you taught me, I found like minded people and spread my influence across the land. Really, you should blame them for being so quick to accept my words. I barely even had to utter anything beyond an introduction and they were more than happy to shed blood."
Gwynevere said nothing, just turned back around and crouched by the side of Boudica and started to heal her. Not even giving any indication that she was going to resume speaking to the Lancer Servant.
Ritsuka frowned at the display, then raised a brow in the direction of Lancer.
They just met his gaze and offered a carefree smile, then turned to Chris and rolled his eyes while waving a hand in their direction.
"Mothers, am I right?"
…Seriously?
Another one!?
Nahr Alma
Servant: Lancer
Size: 183cm
Strength: C
Endurance: C
Agility: A+
Mana: B
Luck: C
Noble Phantasm: C
True Pain - The Pain That Stings the Very Soul: C (Anti-Unit) Max Target:-, Max Range:-
It is the mere presence of the God of Blood and pain, this Noble Phantasm is continuously active so that any wound he lands if felt.
Real pain inflicted on the very spirit origin itself, even where there is no cut there will be pain felt as though they were cut. For those with immortality or even a great resistance to pain, it would matter very little. The pain is felt regardless of their protection, as the God of Blood brought his misery to all.
The effect can be delayed until the true name is invoked, allowing for the damage to be compounded in a single instant of pure agony.
Memory of Blood - History of Agony upon flesh: B (Bounded Field) Max Target: Everything in Range, Max Range: 1-20
A Bounded Field that takes time to establish, though somewhat similar to his first Noble Phantasm, this one is markedly different. Rather, it calls upon the memories of those who step into its domain, bringing to life every injury that the victim has ever suffered in their life. Allowing Alma to pick and choose which one he can revive the memory of. Quite simply, they recall the pain they felt during that time.
Though it only works within the confines of the Bounded Field, it can be resisted through high enough mental fortitude as it is the memory of pain. If those memories are rejected or resisted, then the effects of the Noble Phantasm are lessened considerably. Those with High Magic Resistance can similarly overcome the effect.
Though for those without, Alma can force them to experience their old wounds at will. Choosing which of them he can activate at any given time.
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance: B
Divine Core of a Blood God: B
In dabbling with the Dark, his divinity is slightly lowered, but there is no denying his godhood.
Personal Skills:
Blessing of the Blood God: B
Nahr Alma believed the act of killing strengthened oneself, therefore his followers achieved this gift. The more one slays an enemy, the stronger they become. The increase in strength is rather limited however and would take many, many lives to achieve max rank.
Aptitude for Slaughter (All): A
The God of Blood, he is the one who perfects the art of killing to such a degree that he is the foremost expert. Whether it comes to techniques, tools or even skills. He knows the best way to kill whatever living animal crosses his line of sight. Be they intelligent or dumb. Killing is just the natural progression of life, and he excels at it.
Rivers of Scarlet: A+
The more of his own blood is spilled, the more frantic he becomes. For him, the only failure is in death and as long as you have the strength you must fight. To that end, when he is wounded he will experience a massive increase in his speed. It allows him to truly become a blur on the battlefield and slaughter indiscriminately.
Summoning
"Hmmmm? To think that you would have summoned me…Actually, I'm rather pleased with this. You look to be a boring little ant, but let's see just how strong your venom is, yes?"
Dialogue 1
"Resting comfortably, are we? Well, as is your right…but don't get too carless. You don't want someone to catch you unawares, do you?"
Dialogue 2
"Master and Servant? Pfffthahahahaha! Don't worry about that sort of thing. I'm just here as part of your little colony. Think of me as a humble little worker bee! Though…try not to be too boring, right? You don't want me to get…No, I'll leave that for now. You can probably figure it out for yourself."
Dialogue 3 (If you have Gwynevere)
"Is that mother I can sense? Heh, quite a disappointing one…But I can approve of her raising. It's like birds, you bring them up and then toss them out. Let the strong flourish and the weak die. Though I'm rather curious…Hmph. Not that I care for such things."
Dialogue 4 (If you have Twin Princes)
"My little brothers? Ah, I see…although…Why do you carry around that dead weight on your shoulders? Really, he's your weakness, you know? If you just got rid of him, then you would be much stronger. Well…I'll keep it in mind for the future. You never know."
Dialogue 5 (If you have Caffrey)
"Well, well, well. If it isn't little Caffrey, still being a nuisance? Tch. I never cared much for her authority. Survival should be based on skill, not luck. The strongest predator, not something as happenstance as the worst place and the worst time."
Dialogue 6 (If you have Flann)
"Father, is it? I wonder how you managed to get him…Eh, he always had a weak heart. Mother was the strong one for being able to move on with her life after having children. Though really, perhaps they were made for one another? Mother was just like a little bug doing what was natural for her…I just don't get why she never understood that? Father…meh. Weakling."
Dialogue 7 (If you have Barghest)
"So close and yet so far, is it? Still, she's a ferocious monster and really…There isn't a single flaw in your love. They exist within you, it's their love for you that keeps you going. So really, taking them into you is proof of your love for them. After all, the best predators have only the finest meals, as they say. Keep on going, Black Dog."
Dialogue 8 (If you have Hanleth)
"Hanleth, is it? Eh…She's a bit slow to do anything, really. Like a snail, but without any of the protection. Actually, she's a super easy target. I sometimes see her and just get a little tempted. Joking, I'm just joking! But seriously, she could learn to be a little defensive of herself, couldn't she?"
Dialogue 9 (If you have Chrysaor)
"Chrysaor, huh. Yeah, I suppose we get along. She just acts as I want her to and I act as she wants me to. It's only natural, isn't it? We're both just acting however we want to act. There isn't anything complicated about it."
Dialogue 10 (If you have Jack the Ripper)
"Jack the Ripper? Isn't that an amazing name for them? Where are they? Ah! Is it the little child? Pfffthahahaha! That's amazing. So you really start them out young, eh, Master? But seriously. Hmmm. She's definitely got the talent for that sort of thing, I'm sure I could hone it a bit further if you want."
Dialogue 11 (If you have Minamoto-no-Raikou)
"...Oi. Why are you tensing your face like that? No, I mean where is the one underneath you? Come on, what is with this fake act of yours? Show me the real Raikou, the monster underneath that mask. Doesn't it get exhausting walking around and pretending to be something you're not?"
Dialogue 12 (If you have Shuten-Douji)
"Eeeeeh? Oni, you call them? I like them. Very simple people who live according to their desires. They're great. That Shuten one, she is definitely something special, isn't she? How many people do you think she's gutted with those talons of hers?"
Dialogue 13 (If you have Jekyll and Hyde)
"Trying to split your good from your evil? What a stupid notion, in the first place, that the whole good and evil thing is nothing more than a set of thoughts concocted by your head. They're so flimsy that they switch depending on the situation. How can you separate something you don't even understand in the first place? Well, the result is pretty interesting though, so I guess it isn't a total loss."
Likes
"What do I like? What a funny thing to ask, I just enjoy living free, you know? Doing whatever I want to do at the time and letting everyone else do the exact same thing. Really, that's all you need to know when it comes to living life."
Hates
"Stuff I hate, huh? Hmmm. People pretending to be special, I guess. At the end of the day, God, human, Demon…We're really all just a bunch of funny looking animals on the food chain. There's nothing inherently special beyond what we claim. We're all born, we live and then we can die. So it's just a matter of the last man standing. People who can't accept that are just stupid."
Wish for the Holy Grail
"Wishing for something? Sounds like a crutch for the weak who aren't satisfied with their strength. Meh. Best to either get stronger or just run away from dying and hope you're faster."
Bond Level 1
"Eh? Bringing me out to slaughter, little ant? You're a bit more ruthless than people might imagine. But that is fine, you're the Master after all. Only natural that you want to flex your power a little."
Bond Level 2
"Do you ever just get a passing thought when you see someone being really careless and have it just piss you off? They're just so open and you look at them and think of how easy it would be to kill them? Man…humans today are so lethargic to their own survival."
Bond Level 3
"So you send me out and just watch me, huh? Well, to each their own. Though you're getting a bit too comfortable, don't you think? I'd suggest to get a little bit of wariness in your bones. What if I'm not around to save you, little ant?"
Bond Level 4
"Calling you little ant? Yeah, it's because humans are ants to me. Well, in the same way that an ant is an ant to you. But people don't really think about how dangerous they are. One ant? Nothing. A billion ants? Yeah, now you see the problem. So really, little ant is quite the compliment. After all, there is strength in numbers and humans have a lot of those."
Bond Level 5
"...You know, I guess I'm a little disappointed in you? Not overly so, I admit. I can see you're willing to do anything to survive but man, you being unable to take that ultimate step in the fight for dominance. Talk about slipping at the finish line…Well, I'll wait until you cross it."
Bond Level 5 (Cleared Lostbelt Anastasia)
"Don't you feel a bit lighter, Master? Doesn't it feel good to show off just how much better you are compared to the losers? Eh, don't worry about feeling guilty. It's just the way of life. The strong live and the weak die. Don't worry about a thing, Master. I'll be there to help you cull all those weaklings."
Birthday
"Birthday, huh? I think you should celebrate every day you're not dead, rather than just the passage of a single year. But I suppose young do die before they reach adulthood, so maybe it is a little bit of an achievement."
During an Event
"Sounds like a ruckus…wanna go out and dominate them?"
1st Ascension
"I think my shoulder feels a little lighter. Should make moving around easier, huh?"
2nd Ascension
"I've gotten a bit stronger, it seems. That's more like it, right? I can't wait to finally show off some of my latest moves."
3rd Ascension
"Determined to make me a good weapon, huh? But then, what ant Queen doesn't want her soldiers to be the best, right?"
4th Ascension
"So this is the limit, is it? I guess time will tell whether this is going to be the make or break for me. Peaking like this…I'm either going to slaughter or I'm going to be slaughtered. I'm curious to see which."