A New Ally
The three women stared at Ritsuka in complete silence. The boy looked at them and took note of their faces, and sighed. "I'm sorry, I should have mentioned it earlier. But I didn't think I'd come back here so soon."
"Well, why didn't you?" Olga asked curiously.
Ritsuka looked at her with slight embarrassment. "I guess with everything that happened, it didn't seem that important."
"I hate to say it, but Ritsuka has a point," Tatsuko said calmly. "Besides, I think we're getting off track here. Ritsuka, you said that we can see more of the city from here?"
"Well the window's gone, but that just means we have a wider view." Ritsuka answered. He gestured to the three girls to come closer and look out the hole in the wall. Olga smirked, the boy was right in that they could see more of the city, and what they saw gave them some slight hope. Fuyuki was on fire, there was no denying that, but for some reason, there were a couple of areas in the city that weren't complete ruins. The bridge was intact, as was the port and the church. Three areas that have seen some damage, but not as great as the rest of the city. Olga looked back towards the three teens with a calm expression.
"Okay, we have three areas that look the most promising. I suggest we check them one by one, and find out which one has the core."
"But Director, what if the core isn't in one of those locations?" Mashu asked.
"Then we just continue to investigate until we find it!"
The three of them stood there silently as Olga stared at them with a slightly flushed face. The Director took a few deep breaths before clearing her throat. "I-in any case, Mr. Fujimaru and Ms. Tachibana, I am ordering you both to be my bodyguards, so work hard!"
Ritsuka and Tatsuko looked at each other blankly before returning their attention to the white haired director.
"Director Olga, are you trying to put on a front?" Ritsuka asked curiously.
The Director blushed slightly. "N-n-no I'm not! And don't you go thinking otherwise you fool!"
"If you say so, Director…." Tatsuko muttered. Olga glared at her for a moment, before clearing her throat.
"In any case, we should get moving now." The Director ordered. The three teens nodded and began to walk towards the door downstairs. Ritsuka was about to head towards the stairs, only to feel a tug on his sleeve. The male Master turned around and saw Tatsuko looking at him with a conflicted look in her eyes.
"Is there something wrong?" He asked.
Tatsuko's look became one of guilt as she took a deep breath. "Sorry for calling this place trashy. This was your home, and I should have been more considerate."
The female Master stared at Ritsuka's face, and saw a flash of discomfort and reluctance. A hint of annoyance filled her body as he looked away from her. Why wasn't he saying anything? Did she offend him so much that he didn't want to say anything? Or was he just wanting to move on and just leave it be?
"I will admit, it wasn't exactly the cleanest place. But I accept your apology, however…" Ritsuka shook his head and sighed. "Actually, I'd rather not talk about it now. If that's fine with you."
Tatsuko nodded with a sigh. "Fine, be that way. I was being serious, and yet you clearly don't want to talk."
Ritsuka gulped. "Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind right now."
Tatsuko sighed again. "Yeah you're right, how about we try to talk things out when we get back. IF we get back….."
Ritsuka smiled. "Sounds good. I'd like to get to know more about you too."
Tatsuko stopped in her tracks. She stared at the male master with complete shock. So many people tried getting to know her, and she always kept her guard up. And yet here this boy said the same thing, and yet she didn't feel any suspicion. Just who was he? Maybe she could trust him with….the female Master shook her head and gave a small nod towards Ritsuka. "Okay, it's a deal."
The orange haired girl grabbed Ritsuka by the arm and chuckled. "Okay, I think I stalled us for quite enough. Let's get moving, Twig Boy!"
"I thought I told you not to call me that!"
Tatsuko laughed. "I never said I would stop!"
Ritsuka groaned as the female Master dragged him down the stairs of the clinic.
The four Chaldeans looked around the bridge for anything they thought would be out of the ordinary. But nothing looked particularly out of place, aside from a couple of ruined cars and a charred road. The only thing that caused alarm was a few dozen skeletons that attacked them. After the battle, Olga decided to use a healing spell on Mashu while Ritsuka and Tatsuko were in heavy discussion with Roman over the comms.. While they were able to defeat the skeletons with little difficulty, Mashu sustained a minor injury on her leg when Tatsuko's Command Spells did not work on her. The two of them were completely baffled on how that could be possible, when a startling truth was made by Roman.
"What do you mean I don't have a contract with Mashu?!" Tatsuko shouted.
Roman put his hands up trying to calm down the irritated girl. "I'm sorry Tatsuko, but it would seem that you both didn't form the contract. It would seem that Ritsuka is the one she is contracted with right now."
"So what are you saying? These Command Seals are just decorations?"
"Not necessarily," Roman countered. "You can form a contract with Mashu, but in order to do so, the two of you would need to return to Chaldea, but given the circumstances…"
Tatsuko sighed. "Yeah, I really can't do that right now since we're stuck in Dante's inferno here…alright, I guess I'll just have to wait until then."
"Don't take it too hard Tatsuko," Roman chimed. "The Director was a Master Candidate like you and Ritsuka, once."
The two teens stared at Roman in shock. The director was a master candidate? If that was the case, where was her Servant?
"I know what you're going to ask, so I'm going to answer for you. Just keep it between us, okay?"
Ritsuka and Tatsuko nodded. Roman cleared his throat and bridged his hands together. "You see, three years ago, her father, the previous director, died. Some workers found him in his office, with a bullet in his head. Apparently he committed suicide…"
The two teens stared at him in horror before looking back at Olga. "She had to take over for him after that, and since she was just a student, it became really stressful for her. Everyday became more and more tense."
"What does this have to do with her being a Master Candidate?" Tatsuko asked.
"I'm getting to that," Roman answered. "It was around a year ago or so that an anomaly was discovered by Chaldea, and she was ordered to fix it as soon as possible. Unfortunately, this was around the same time it was discovered that she had no aptitude to be a Master…"
The revelation hit the two teens like a truck. Olga had no way to be a Master? It was no wonder Roman used the past tense. "Now I hope you guys understand why she's been a little testy. For three years, her psyche has been worn down to the point that I suggested some counseling, but she refuses to listen…."
Ritsuka looked back at Olga and Mashu talking about the previous battle, and his blood ran cold. For someone to have gone through so much stress, and still be able to get up in the morning and work even harder resonated something within him. He looked back at Tatsuko and took a deep breath.
"Tatsuko, I have an idea," He said quietly so Olga and Mashu couldn't hear them. "Let's try to be nicer to the director. I think she just needs people to have faith and acknowledge that she's doing her best."
"Do you really think that? I mean… She sounds like a bitter old lady to me."
"I know what I'm doing," Ritsuka answered back. "I just need your help. After all, it's pretty obvious that she needs someone to support her, and we can do that, help her be less stressed about this situation."
"I definitely see your point… Alright, I'm on board, let's help the Director!"
"What are you two talking about me in secret for!?" Olga said after Tatsuko accidently raised her voice.
"Nothing, nothing!"
The director raised an eyebrow. Those two were up to something, but she didn't know what. She would have to interrogate them later about it. "Well in any case, the bridge was a damned bust. So let's get to the next location."
The two teens nodded as the director walked passed them. Mashu walked up to the Masters with a curious glint. "What were you two talking about?"
"Oh nothing important," Tatsuko answered. "Just thinking about something Roman told us is all."
"I see…" Mashu looked away with a hint of guilt before looking back at Tatsuko. "I'm sorry that I can't be contracted to you right now Tatsuko. When I saw you and Senpai with Command Seals, I just assumed that I had a contract with both of you."
"Don't sweat it!" Tatsuko chimed. "At least this way Ritsuka won't blow through his Command Spells!"
"Hey, you actually said my name." Ritsuka said with a smile.
"Careful, I just might forget again," Tatsuko said teasingly. She turned to look at a giggling Mashu and a mischievous glint twinkled in her eye as the female Master wrapped her arm around Ritsuka's shoulder. "Okay, let's get going, Mashu, Twig Boy!"
"And there it is…" Ritsuka grumbled. Tatsuko ignored his comment as they followed Olga to the next location.
Thankfully, the port was not too far from the bridge, they just needed to reach the end of the bridge, and walk down a flight of stairs. When they finally reached the pier, the Chaldeans were immediately attacked by skeletons. Mashu, the two Masters and, much to their pleasant surprise, Olga fought them off. The three teens were pretty shocked at the frightening display that the director performed. There was no question she was a first rate mage as she expertly stunned two skeletons before Ritsuka and Tatsuko finished even one of them before she moved on to the next one, allowing Mashu to smash the enemies to tiny pieces. After the battle, the four of them stopped to catch their breath. Unfortunately, it would seem that the core wasn't here either, much to Olga's chagrin, who cited the most recent battle as pointless.
"Speaking of the last battle Mashu," Olga said with curiosity. "Why is it that you didn't use your Noble Phantasm?"
Mashu looked away sheepishly, causing Olga to widen her eyes. "You can't even use it, can you?"
The shielder nodded shyly. "I don't even know which Heroic Spirit I fused with, so I can't even use it….."
Olga sighed in resignation. She should have noticed earlier on the bridge when she was fighting, Mashu just used her shield as a weapon, but without its True Name, it's power was pretty weak. The Shielder looked at the two masters with a heartbroken expression. "I'm sorry Tatsuko, Senpai, I'm not able to properly defend you without knowing my Noble Phantasm. Just think of me as a failed Servant who can't live up to your expectations….."
"Whoa whoa whoa, hold the phone Mashu don't even think like that!" Ritsuka answered. "You've done amazing so far without it. Sure, you'll be stronger with it, but you AREN'T a failure."
Mashu's eyes shot wide open at the comment. Ritsuka didn't consider her a failure despite her lack of a Noble Phantasm? She looked towards Tatsuko who bore a wide grin.
"He's right Mashu, you've gotten us this far by just bashing those boney bastards with that huge shield. I'm sure everything will work out!"
Mashu felt a lump in her throat as the two Masters praised her. Olga walked up to her with what looked like a soft, yet stern expression.
"They have a point Mashu. I wouldn't call you a failure for this. The only one who failed is the Servant you fused with. They should have told you what their Noble Phantasm was before they disappeared, and yet they left you high and dry."
Mashu could say nothing as Olga took a deep breath, and a small, yet noticeable smile crept upon her face. "When we get back, I'll go through Chaldea's records and find out who you fused with, and you have my word that I'll tell you what their Noble Phantasm is."
The shielder gave a small smile and nodded. "Thank you Director!"
Olga smirked. "Well, let's get going. I believe there's only one other promising lead left."
The three teens nodded as they followed the director towards their final lead. With any luck they would find the core to the singularity, and end this nightmare once and for all.
The moment they stepped into the church, Tatsuko shivered. Ritsuka looked at his companion with curiosity and concern. Every other location she was fine with, so why would Tatsuko be shivering here? It wasn't cold because of the fires outside, so it had to be something else.
"Are you okay?" Ritsuka asked.
Tatsuko broke out of her stupor and sighed. "I'll be fine. I was just never a fan of churches, much less religion in general."
"I see, well I've never been particularly religious either, but I always felt this church had a rich history. Too bad I heard the priest was….well from what I heard he was bad news."
"Don't tell me he was into Boku no Pico…"
Ritsuka shrugged. "No idea what that is, but I doubt it. From what I heard, he just seemed to take pleasure in the suffering of others."
"Wow, that's messed up."
Ritsuka nodded. "Yeah, I never met him, but that's all I know about this place."
Tatsuko shrugged. "Well, it definitely got my attention."
The two Masters chuckled lightly before splitting up to find any evidence of a core. Ritsuka gave Tatsuko his communicator as her's got destroyed in the previous fight, after that he found Olga near the podium with a big frown on her face. The male Master took note of the director's foul mood, but he decided to walk towards her anyway.
"Is something wrong, Director?"
Olga looked at the boy with slight irritation. "Yes, there is. I can't sense anything that could be a core here! It's like this place is completely empty here, and it's pissing me off!"
Ritsuka put a hand up in reassurance. "Maybe it's somewhere else? We could go back to the red light district and-"
"Denied!" Olga countered. "While you were leading us through that place, I was looking for any sign of a core there, and lo and behold that area was empty!"
"I see…" Ritsuka's eyes widened in realization. "Wait, I think there might be a place we could look at!"
Olga looked at him with curiosity. "Where?"
"When we looked outside the clinic, I saw a crater not far from the bridge."
Olga's mouth stood agape before she glared at the boy. "Why didn't you say so earlier?!"
Ritsuka stepped back as the director walked closer to him angrily. "I'm sorry, it's just that I didn't think about it when you mentioned the other places. Besides, you're the director and I'm your subordinate…"
"That's no excuse for not speaking up!" Olga shouted. "I would have taken that into consideration and we'd have been there by now if you said something."
"Well….not exactly," Ritsuka said reluctantly. "At first I thought it was just a small hole, but when we were on the bridge I saw that it was a crater….on the opposite side of the city. Meaning we'd have to check the port, then walk up to the bridge again, then walk all the way to the other side."
Olga was about to protest when she heard footsteps getting louder and louder. The two of them looked back and saw the frightened faces of Tatsuko while Mashu brought her shield to her side, ready for a fight.
"What's the meaning of this?" Olga said harshly. Tatsuko lifted the communicator high enough for Olga to see the frightened look on Roman's face.
"You four need to get out of there now! I've picked up a Servant signature in your vicinity!"
Olga and Ritsuka's eyes widened. Another Servant was here? But where was it?
"Don't just stand there!" Roman shouted. "It's too early for you all to fight one right now, so just book it!"
The four Chaldeans didn't even have time to run. Tatsuko looked up and gasped before rolling to her left as several projectiles hit where she previously stood. The female Master got behind Mashu alongside Olga and Ritsuka as they got a better look at what just attacked them. It was obviously the Servant Roman warned them about, but the assailant looked like a shadow, yet male human at the same time. In his left hand were several throwing knives, his right arm was completely covered up in what looked like bandages. The most disturbing feature, however, were the shining golden eyes staring back at them.
"Targets acquired."
Mashu barely had enough time to raise her shield to block several of the attacker's knives before he leapt into the air and threw several more. The Shielder blocked all incoming strikes, but was almost blindsided as the attacker kicked the center of the shield, sending her stumbling back towards the three humans. Ritsuka, Tatsuko and Fou did all they could to distract the Servant, but his onslaught was relentless.
"It is futile girl," he said coldly. "You cannot win this fight."
Mashu groaned under the strain, but managed to find an opening, and kicked the Servant square in the chest and sent him back a few feet in the air and crashing into the pews. Mashu looked at the two Masters and the director with pure terror in her eyes.
"RUN!"
They didn't need any more motivation as they ran out of the church without looking back. The Servant got up and made a mad dash towards the Chaldeans, but Mashu was slightly quicker and slammed her shield into the Servant's face. As the Servant staggered, Mashu took the opportunity to run out the church at full speed as the Servant chased her. However, the Shadow Servant was completely caught off guard as the doors to the church slammed right in front of him.
Mashu looked at the satisfied smirk of Tatsuko as the female Master laughed.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but that guy needed Jesus." She said in between breaths. The four ran away from the church, only for their eyes to widen in surprise as the communicator beeped again. Tatsuko pressed the button and saw Roman's frightened face.
"Don't tell me that guy escaped and is chasing us again!" She shouted.
Roman shook his head slowly as the four Chaldeans saw the blank, dead look in his eyes as he stared at them.
"There's another servant coming your way…"
The four Chaldeans looked at each other in fear and disbelief. The situation was already dire enough, but adding another Servant into the mix was already asking for trouble. Unfortunately, trouble found them quickly as Mashu dove to the side and pushed all the two masters and Olga to the side and blocked an incoming strike.
"Not bad, not bad at all." The assailant said calmly. Mashu managed to disengage from the new Servant allowing another close look at their attacker. It was another shadow of a man, but it was obvious despite the shading that he was of a slender build. On his left shoulder, they saw what looked like a pauldron. In his hands were two spears, the one in his right hand was longer than the one on the left. The four of them couldn't help but stare into his glowing golden eyes and shiver at the glacial look he gave them.
"I wouldn't be standing there too long," he said coldly. "This is a battle after all, and I do not take prisoners."
Mashu gasped as she raised her shield and blocked the Servant's attack. The Shadow Servant simply swung the spear in his left hand into a reverse grip, and swung downward towards Mashu's shoulder. The Shielder managed to disengage in time before the strike landed, and swung her shield into the Servant's face. The man flew back mere inches before correcting himself and landed on his feet. He threw his spears towards the Chaldeans but Mashu kicked them away before they could hit their targets.
Unfortunately it was a ruse, and the Servant grabbed his spears, and sidestepped an incoming strike from Mashu and kneed her in the gut, taking the air out of her lungs. He kicked her away into a building causing Ritsuka to instinctively look towards Mashu with fear in his eyes. The male Master had to bring his attention back towards the Servant charging towards him, and roll out of the way from his spears. However, Ritsuka misjudged his timing and a sharp pain ran through his body, he looked down and saw that the larger spear managed to leave a decent cut into his leg. The Servant was about to strike again, when a large object hit him in the chest and sent him flying into the wall. Ritsuka looked up and was relieved to see Mashu running towards them.
Tatsuko ran to Ritsuka, and helped him off the ground as Mashu grabbed her shield and continued to fight the Servant. The shielder swung her weapon high, but the Servant used the butt end of his spears, and slammed them into her gut and knocked her back again, but Mashu did not go down. Instead she twisted her body, and slammed her foot on top of the man's head causing him to hit the ground with extreme force. Mashu took this opportunity to run towards the two Masters and Olga at top speed. "We have to retreat while he's still down!"
No sooner did she say that, the Servant threw his smaller spear at them. Mashu turned around instinctively and managed to block it, but the Servant kicked her in the face, staggering her for a brief moment, which he took advantage of by dashing towards the Masters. Mashu grabbed his leg and swung him back towards her and slammed him into a building. Instead of making sure he was down, Mashu ran towards the Masters once again so they could retreat. "Let's go!"
They ran as fast as they could, but they could hear the Servant breaking free of the rubble. They looked back and saw him leap onto the rooftop, using them to chase the Chaldeans below.
"He just doesn't know when to quit does he?" Tatsuko muttered to herself. She felt a cold, stinging sensation upon her cheek, only for it to be replaced by something warm and wet. She put her hand upon where she felt it, and her eyes widened as she saw small amounts of blood on her hand. She looked down and gasped as she saw a familiar throwing knife right behind her. The moment she looked forward, she fell to the ground in pain alongside Ritsuka and Olga. Their legs had multiple, yet shallow cuts upon them as more throwing knives hit the ground. Mashu gasped in terror as she looked up and saw the Servant from the church land close to them.
"You can run all you want, but it will only delay the inevitable."
Mashu ran in front of her injured comrades to protect them from the assailant. But her resolve faltered slightly as she saw the other Servant land from the rooftops near the one armed Servant. Her body shook as they drew closer. She already had difficulty fighting them both individually, there was no way she could fight them both.
The communicator sprang to life again, and Roman looked at them in despair. "There's another Servant coming….."
The Demi-Servant's heart froze, they weren't going to make it. Mashu looked back at Ritsuka, Tatsuko and Olga and saw the despair in their eyes. They were afraid, just like her, but she had the power to defend them. She gritted her teeth, and dug in her heels. She couldn't be afraid right now. If she was going to die, then she would die fighting to defend her comrades.
"I'm not going to give in," She said with newfound confidence. "I will find a way for the four of us to make it out alive!"
"Well this is an interesting turn of events. I thought you were just some girl pretending to be a hero, but you've got some fight in you. In that case, I'll lend you a hand."
Everyone stopped in their tracks as they tried to find the source of the new voice.
"ANZUZ!"
A bright light shot passed Mashu and towards the two Shadow Servants at incredible speed, the resulting explosion caused the Shielder to cover her eyes briefly as the shockwave subsided. The two Shadow Servants lowered their arms, only to stare in shock at who fired at them.
"You!" The one armed servant shouted.
"Who else? You really should have expected this Assassin, the battle isn't over yet. Not as long as I'm around."
Ritsuka and Tatsuko looked back and saw a man walking towards them. He wore a bright blue cloak and hood, with a gray shirt underneath, which ended with fingerless gloves. A white robe was wrapped around his waist. The man's face was obscured by his hood, which unnerved the two Masters.
Their concerns were put to rest as Fou jumped from Ritsuka's shoulder and wagged his tail, and the man pointed his staff towards the Shadow Servants.
"Seems like you two need to be taught a lesson, fighting a girl two-on-one."
He planted his staff to the ground and helped the three humans up, and applied a healing spell on their wounds, surprising the four Chaldeans that he was aiding them. The two Shadow Servants were prepared for battle, but the mysterious man shot them a look and wagged his finger in the negative.
"Just hold your horses, I don't want to fight when these guys need help. Besides, it's more fun when everyone is at their best, no?"
The Shadow Servant with the two spears clicked his tongue. "Very well, it's not like you'll win anyway."
The mysterious Servant laughed. "That's rich, considering you were the first one to be beaten by Saber, right Lancer?"
"I was not!"
"In a way, you were." The hooded Servant countered. He returned his attention back to the two Masters and director and grinned. "So, who's the Master of that girl over there?"
"I-I am." Ritsuka answered.
"Well boy, you might want to get your butt in gear. Things are about to get chaotic here."
The black haired Master nodded. The hooded servant looked at Tatsuko and raised an eyebrow. "Where's your servant?"
"Technically I'm supposed to be her Master too, but the contract didn't go through." Tatsuko answered.
The hooded Servant clicked his tongue. "Well that won't do at all. Tell you what, how about we set up a temporary contract. That way those Command Seals won't be just for decoration."
The female Master nodded. She shot out her hand, and her Command Seals glowed very briefly, signifying the contract was complete.
"Excellent!" the hooded Servant shouted. "Now, let us get back to the fight shall we?"
The two Masters nodded. Ritsuka looked at Mashu and applied a healing spell to soothe her injuries. The shielder nodded back as the hooded Servant stood next to her. He spun his staff around, and gave Mashu a knowing look. The two of them leapt towards the Shadow Servants and struck first. The two Shadows dodged out of the way and mounted a counter attack, but were caught off guard as an explosion was set off under their feet. The hooded Servant started to chant, and shot two fireballs at the assailants. The two shades leapt out of the way, but the Assassin was caught off guard as Mashu swung her shield, and slammed it into his jaw. He skidded a few feet before throwing more daggers, but the Shielder blocked them all. Lancer appeared behind her, but was quickly ambushed by the hooded Servant.
The Shadow Servant lunged his spears at the new arrival, but the hooded Servant expertly blocked one strike, while dodging the other before swinging his staff, and hit Lancer in the chest, then another strike connected to his temple, and another to his shoulder. Lancer growled in frustration before side-stepping from an incoming strike, but the hooded Servant smirked as he raised his hand, and shot a fireball at the Shadow Servant.
Meanwhile, Mashu continued her fight with Assassin, and much to her surprise, she was able to fend him off. It wasn't like earlier in the church, where she was struggling to fight him. Instead, it felt like she had a chance of victory. Assassin suddenly vanished, causing Mashu to raise her shield while looking out for the Shadow Servant. Her eyes widened as she looked at her three companions, and saw Assassin right behind them about to strike. She threw her shield, causing the two Masters and Olga to jump out of the way in shock before seeing the Shadow Servant behind them. Ritsuka and Tatsuko watched on as their Servants started pushing back the two Shadow Servants further and further.
The hooded Servant chuckled as he dodged Lancer's strikes effortlessly, and activated his runes from under the Shadow Servant's feet. Lancer barely had enough time to roll out of the way before the hooded Servant fired two more fireballs at him. Lancer leapt out of the way causing the flaming orbs to hit the building behind him, and destroying its foundation. Lancer charged at the hooded Servant, but the new arrival simply chanted and shot his free hand upwards. The Shadow Servant felt his entire body stop in his tracks. He looked down and saw the runes trapping him in place. He looked up in resignation as he saw the hooded Servant right in front of him with his staff pointed towards him.
"Anzuz!"
The Shadow Servant didn't even scream as he erupted in flames. Ritsuka, Tatsuko and Olga looked at the sight in surprise as the flames died down, and saw a purple glow appear around Lancer before he dissolved into thin air.
"One down, one to go!" The hooded Servant said with a grin. "Now, where did those two go?"
His question was soon answered as Assassin appeared in the air and hit the building behind him. The hooded Servant smirked in amusement as Mashu leapt in the air and threw her shield at the remaining Shadow Servant. Assassin rolled out of the way and threw more daggers. Mashu gasped as she tried to dodge the projectiles, but hissed in pain as a couple cut into her skin. The Shielder landed on the ground and grabbed her shield just before Assassin lunged at her ferociously.
"Hey, aren't you going to help her?" Tatsuko asked.
The hooded Servant shook his head. "This is her fight. Let her handle it."
"But you said you'd help us!" Olga shouted. She looked at Tatsuko in irritation. "You made a contract with him, so make him help her!"
"If she was that weak, then I would be helping her now," The hooded Servant countered. He turned to look at Tatsuko, and the female master could tell he was looking at her sternly even with the hood hiding his face. "Save those Command Spells for later, you're going to need them."
Tatsuko stared at Mashu as she fought the Shadow Servant with much difficulty. Her inexperience was apparent, and it worried her. She turned to look at Ritsuka with uncertainty, but the male Master surprised her by nodding towards the new arrival, and to the two girls. "Mashu can do this, I trust her."
Tatsuko stared at him for a moment, before returning her attention towards the fight.
Assassin swung his dagger at Mashu, but the Shielder continued to move out of the way, clumsily, but with fluidity. The lilac haired girl swung her shield and hit the Shadow Servant in the chest before kicking his face. Assassin stumbled briefly before leaping into the air, and extended his foot out to kick Mashu. The Shielder was slightly quicker as she blocked the attack with her shield, but the pressure from the strike almost made her lose balance. Assassin jumped off the shield and sliced into Mashu's leg with his dagger before she swung her fist. The Shadow Servant side-stepped and shallowly cut Mashu's arm.
The Shielder swung her shield behind her towards Assassin, but the Shadow Servant stepped back, and lunged again at the girl. But the Shielder somehow predicted that. Mashu ducked and kneed Assassin in the gut, and kicked him in the side. The Shadow Servant skidded on the pavement before looking up and saw Mashu in the air, bringing her shield down with all her weight, crushing him from beneath the weapon. Assassin rose his arm feebly, but let it fall limp to his side as he dissolved into dust.
Mashu panted heavily. After much difficulty, she managed to defeat the Shadow Servant. She heard footsteps and saw her companions run to her aid. Ritsuka and the hooded Servant extended their hands out and a wave of relief filled her body as their healing spells worked their way into her body. A few minutes passed and she was able to stand up with renewed energy. Fou took this opportunity to land on her shoulder and licked her cheek, causing the girl to giggle and rub his head affectionately.
"You did great Mashu!" Ritsuka said with a smile. The Shielder smiled back at him before turning her attention at the hooded Servant.
"Thank you for your help." She said politely.
"No need to thank me, you did a pretty okay job yourself," The Servant chimed. " But there is definitely room to improve."
"That can be said for anything," Tatsuko said calmly. Her eyes widened, and gasped. "Oh my god I can't believe it! We don't even know who you are!"
The hooded Servant laughed. "Well, the situation wasn't exactly one where we could exchange pleasantries."
"Well regardless, I think we'd like to know your name at least." Ritsuka said with curiosity.
"Well, that's a complicated answer kid, but I'm your ally now if that's what you're concerned about." The Servant pulled back his hood, revealing a handsome face, blue hair and red eyes.
"As for my name, just call me Caster."