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The hallways were empty and silent, except for the soft hum of the glowing barrier to the elevator doors. This same elevator would deliver Hakuno to the Arena and the first death match. Two slots opened themselves in silent demand for offering. The click of Hakuno inserting her trigger keys into the doors echoed through the school. Without further ceremony, the doors opened and Hakuno stepped into the darkness.
Doors shut behind them as Lancer manifested beside her, leaning against the back wall. A clear barrier separated the duo from their opponents on the opposite side of the elevator. Sakagami and Saber stared back at them. It was Sakagami that spoke first. "Took you long enough. I was beginning to think you'd had a flash of intelligence and decided to surrender. It isn't too late, you know. You know you can't beat me."
"I won't know unless I try." Hakuno could not manage wit with her emotions in turmoil. So, she settled for direct.
"Bold for a scared little rabbit. Hey Servant, you wanna try talking some sense into your Master?"
Instead of bothering with the asshole on the other side of the elevator, Lancer's eyes went to Hakuno. "Master, I'll let you in on a little secret. When a guy has this much attitude going on, he's compensating for a certain something." He gestured loosely towards Sakagami's lower half. "I hesitate to even use the word lest the little runt continue trying to talk to us."
"Don't you dare talk down to Kuzu-kun like that!" Saber growled, her ears and tail puffing up in insult.
"Don't worry about it, Saber. I think I'll enjoy breaking their confidence." The rest of the elevator ride continued in hostile silence.
The elevator came to a halt and the doors slid open. All four stepped out into the Arena. As Lancer had predicted, it was the main courtyard of the sunken shrine. Large enough to fight. Small enough that there wasn't room to run.
Saber drew her sword, as Lancer spun his spear in his grip.
SWORD OR DEATH the system notification sounded. The beat after the last word, the Servants were in instant motion.
The first impact of spear against swords let loose a shower of spark, like fireworks going off in the middle of the arena, the sound reverberating throughout the area. Suzuka's eyes widened at the distinct jump in Lancer's speed and strength, especially with the stat loss from her and her Master's first arena infraction.
"Surprise, surprise Suzie!" Lancer grinned, shoving back hard as the demon princess had to roll with the action.
"So, you did figure out her identity." Sakagami narrowed his eyes with distaste.
"Yep," Lancer spun his spear around, showing a deft mastery of the polearm that noticeably exceeded Suzuka's own shown skill with her blade "You aren't sneaky bitch."
"Tch," Sakagami clenched his fist before roaring out "Suzuka, show these fools just who they're messing with!"
"Alright, now this is turning into a party!" Lancer laughed, never pausing for an instant as he moved between striking and dodging, thrusting and parrying. It was an intricate dance of death, one where Hakuno's Servant not only had the same distinct skill advantage he'd had before but was stronger and faster than their opponent now as well. All of that time in the Arena was paying off.
"Saber, stop holding back!" Sakagami held aloft his hand with command seals, "Unleash your Noble Phantasm!" There was a red flash as his first command seal disappeared.
"You got it Kazu-Kun!" Suzuka disengaged with an eager grin, leaping back atop a Torii gate that decorated the arena, "O stories, begin weaving thy tale. This is the famous Daitouren. Blanket the sky in tiles of color," as she spoke, her Katana rose into the air, flashing before it became four rings of glowing swords "Skewer the swarm of evil in heavenly rain! Monjuchiken Daishintou! Love blast… Demonic Sun-Shower!" With that cry, her raised arm descended as the blades shot forward like bullets.
A slight breeze ruffled Lancer's hair in the otherwise still environment as the rain of swords descended on him. Then he launched forwards and up towards Saber. Into the blades. Sakagami laughed, probably thinking the seemingly mad charge an act of suicide, before wind burst forth from Hakuno's Lancer just before the first glowing sword could touch him.
"What?!" Sakagami's eyes bulged as the Noble Phantasm was scattered away from Lancer's charge like a heap of dry leaves before a storm, "Impossible!"
"You know," Hakuno actually grinned as she thought back to how her Lancer gained this skill "I'm pretty sure that word doesn't mean what you think it means."
*/*/*
"You are permitted one last trip to the Commissary for supplies or a last visit to the Chapel before you enter." Kotomine's malicious smile revealed that he did not believe either would help Hakuno.
We should use the Chapel. All that training must have grown your magic at least a little. Lancer was optimistic, and Hakuno used his confidence to carry her outside.
The Alteration was the same strange sensation as last time. But Lancer had been right. Their hard work had been rewarded. Not with another stat rank up, but with something else.
SKILL REACTIVATED: PROTECTION FROM ARROWS – TEMPORARY BUFF. WIND AURA NULLIFIES/NEGATES ALL ATTACKS/MAGIC CONSIDERED PROJECTILES.
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"Heal!" Hakuno used one of her new skills on Lancer, patching up the damage that Suzuka had managed to inflict so far. Sakagami seemed to be a 'direct approach' kind of opponent so she had a feeling he'd focus more on skills that would deal or boost damage rather than reverse it.
"Hey, Suzie." Lancer smirked as he pressed onward, "Something tells me my master is just a hair better than yours."
"Just shut up already!" Suzuka snarled, Lancer's digs at her persona from before and with the new jabs at her master and the essential nullification of her Noble Phantasm had her rattled.
Don't let him in your head Saber!" Sakagami ordered, "Your first Noble Phantasm is out, so we'll just have to take him out in melee." The prick sneered at her, "You know, I was cautious before in case you had somehow gained any skills but with that little healing skill and whatever your servant used to avoid Suzuka's Noble Phantasm, I know you're out of tricks. There's no way a second rate master has anything else to be afraid of!" his hand glowed as he prepared a skill, "Attack Boost! Now Suzuka, use your second Noble Phantasm!"
"You got it Kuku-Kun!" Suzuka readied her other blade as it started to glow, "Blessing of Wisdo-"
"HACK!" Hakuno roared out, thrusting out her hand as she used the second skill she'd just managed to acquire for herself, the backlash of the hack interrupting the skill Suzuka had been preparing to use, the Saber freezing up as Lancer landed a clean decisive blow through her chest.
Sukuza collapsed as Lancer jumped back from her. Lancer's gaze assessed her before his stance shifted from battle ready to lazy, putting his weight on the back foot with his spear on his shoulders behind his head and hands loosely draped over the shaft. Not only was the battle over, Lancer was unconcerned with Saber possibly gaining a second wind.
Then a wall of red slammed between the two pairs of Master and Servant. Hakuno and Lancer on the side that remained normal. Sakagami and Saber on the side dyed in crimson light. This was the Firewall. The weapon of the Moon Cell that erased those who had failed. Bits of both Saber and Sakagami immediately started crumbling away into darkness.
"I'm sorry Kuzu-kun. I failed. I tried my best." Saber gave a bittersweet smile. "Thanks for the adventure while it lasted." Then she crumbled away into nothing.
Sakagami's eyes went from where Saber had been to Hakuno. "You've won." He sighed deeply, as darkness spread along his body. "You know, all this time I've been feeling strange. Finding myself doing and saying extraneous things that I couldn't explain. The fact you look someone I should know didn't help. Or maybe it's better to say you look like the sibling of someone I can almost remember. It doesn't matter now. Go and win the Grail. Don't you dare fuck up after beating me." And then he was gone too.
It was real now. Hakuno could no longer box away the thought. I killed someone. Sakagami's strange last words were not ignored but rather put aside as the crisis she'd been avoiding bubbled to the surface.
"Lass. Let's get out of here" Lancer all but had to physically drag her to get Hakuno's feet moving up and out of the Arena. He only vanished once the elevator brought them back to the top. Even invisible, he hounded at Hakuno's steps, keeping her moving forward. Up the stairs. Down the hall. Finally, she made it inside 2-B.
Lancer reappeared, leaning down to match her height. He watched her evade his gaze and favor the floorboards for a moment. The warrior's hands were still capable of gentleness, as demonstrated by his fingers lifting her chin up. This startled Hakuno enough that she met his eyes. "There you are lass." The hand left her chin and instead hovered open. Inviting her in. Hakuno found herself stepping in, her face meeting his chest. She could no longer see his movements like this, but still felt him draw her into a loose hug. The tip of his chin rested lightly on top of her head. "The first kill is always the hardest, Master. Getting told that you shouldn't feel anything or to just forget it is bullshit. Emotions make us human. It's good to remember that even your worst nemesis can be a person. They had lives, thoughts and dreams. What you shouldn't do is let your enemies haunt you. Grieve if you must. But then show me that stubborn bullheadedness of yours and keep going forward tomorrow."
Lancer's unexpected comfort had tears falling from Hakuno's eyes. It was quiet weeping, mourning the loss of life and of innocence. The night was cruel, but Lancer's words were honest. She would cry now. And tomorrow Hakuno would continue onwards. To do anything less would be a disgrace to herself and those whose lives had ended.