Rider brought Pyrrha and Ruby to the borders of Argus' walls. While Ruby was focusing on those meditative techniques, Rider placed his hand on Ruby's shoulders.
"Focus on meditating, Ruby," said Rider. He then turned to Pyrrha. "Master?"
"I'll be fine," Pyrrha said. Her face was resolute. "Just make sure that Assassin is dead after this."
Ruby saw that anger. She nodded. She won't say anything about Pyrrha's current state. Had Ruby known her own mother for as long, she probably would be the same.
/-/
Lancer and Assassin stood meters away from each other. Lancer felt the sudden surge from her Master's aura reserves. Aura Amplification. Rider was amplifying Ruby's aura, focusing on recovery. It won't be enough to outlast against the god of light. But that simply means that Lancer would have to end Assassin soon.
Assassin moved to the side, looking to get past Lancer. Lancer side-stepped, ensuring that she will always be between Assassin and Lancer's Master. Rider may be capable of defending one or the other but definitely not both. Assassin would separate them, no doubt about it.
"Sorry," Lancer said. "But I'm not about to let anyone come to my Master. Even if yours is the reason I exist. Grail War rules, you see? And no, I'm not about to make another contract with your Master. I've got to have some honor or I'm not fit to call myself a hero."
Assassin stayed still. Then, she nodded and appeared satisfied. Her daggers spun many times and ended with Assassin holding it in a reverse grip. "I'm proud of you, Pyrrha."
"So be it, then?" Lancer guessed. "Yeah, so be it."
They were out in the open field. Grass, leaves, and branches swayed in the breeze. Lancer readied both her weapons. Assassin drew another dagger.
Surprisingly, Assassin had been the first to strike. Out here in the open, a direct confrontation wasn't the best option. Yet, Assassin chose to take the first shot.
Lancer's Preflexes allowed her some leniency of reaction speed. If it wasn't that, the sudden chilling of her immediate surroundings helped alert her on that. Lancer took a few steps back and began to swing.
Daggers sparked as they looked for a way past the blades of the Lancer's kamas.
Lancer spun and spun as her weapons' weight was primarily away from her own hands. It made her predictable but her Preflexes prevented that. In this more youthful body, she was at her physical peak, made only better in part of being a Heroic Spirit.
The other benefits of her weapon also came into play. Her kamas could be attracted to one another like magnets that she could control. Lancer threw one kama to the distance while the other continued to fight. Holding it on two hands made it easier to wield and faster to swing.
Hit and run. That was the primary fighting style of Maria Calavera and fitting for the Lancer class. Controlling the distance was Lancer's main advantage.
With kamas coming and to from two different distances and areas, Lancer controlled the open battlefield with finesse, overcoming Assassin's agility and smaller physical frame.
By contrast, Assassin couldn't hope to win in a direct confrontation. Dirty tricks were had as the frosty air about Assassin wasn't just for intimidation. Layers of frost and snow were slowly forming by Assassin's footsteps, melting into water before freezing again, creating patches of ice.
Lancer kept her distance and took note of when and where to step. Assassin's tricks and deceptions meant little against Preflexes, especially out here in the open field. Still, Assassin was sporadically covering the small field in ice.
Lancer realized another intent later. The melted ice also led to muddy ground. Lancer's steps on that mud would slow her down and made the ground uneven. Flat stones proved slippery and the growing mud would mean that her flying kamas didn't have the most solid landing.
Up-close, Assassin stayed inches away from Lancer's body while Lancer used her knees, feet, and hands to keep Assassin away. Those daggers were dangerous once Assassin got past Lancer's blades.
Reversing her usual tactic, Lancer used her kamas' repulsion to force that distance. Lancer took one breath of relief. She was still between Assassin and Argus. No Grimm had yet entered the field. There weren't any nearby.
But there was one thing that Lancer felt: chess pieces were drizzling down. Their numbers were small and were currently nothing more than mere toys. But even in this passive state, Lancer could feel that her balance and footing were disturbed.
Above them, the skies darkened with an unnatural darkness. Thunder rumbled and lightning revealed Assassin's Master watching from that heavenly domain.
Lancer exhaled. The kama on the ground caught her as she pulled herself towards it. But the muddying ground nearly made her slip. She flipped and pulled the kama out of it.
Assassin kept her aggression, unfitting for her class. But it was fitting for a Grimm, in Lancer's biased eyes.
The skill, Grimm Reaper, allowed Lancer to find Assassin's weaknesses. Assassin's was no different from any other humanoid. Being Poppy, there wasn't much in the way of physique that afforded Assassin much in the way of combat. The Grimm part is what was carrying Assassin.
Lancer nearly beheaded Assassin. But Assassin's dagger got between the neck and Lancer's blade. Assassin still moved along the momentum.
Assassin violently skipped across the muddying ground then rolled to recover. Mud got all over her pauper's clothing and her hair had been messed up. Assassin blew aside the hair that got in the way of those Grimm eyes.
Assassin raised her head and nodded. She then fled into the woods.
Before chasing after Assassin, Lancer checked her Master's aura reserves. Manageable even at the distance that Assassin wanted.
Lancer threw one kama past Assassin. Assassin turned back and was surprised to see Lancer barreling towards her.
Not the only one with the speed, kid, she thought. The kama in her hand was already in mid-swing.
Assassin jumped and avoided the blades. She dashed further and hopped from tree to tree until she reached the tree tops.
These trees are going to make it hard. Lancer observed her surroundings. Her wild swinging was limited here.
As expected, Lancer's movements were restrained. Preflexes may have afforded her a sense of her surroundings but that didn't mean her habits were going to adapt along with it.
Throwing knives flew towards Lancer. Her kamas spun vertically. Horizontal swings put her blades at risk of getting stuck in the trees. She could cut them down but the tree trunks were thick and would also get in the way.
Assassin hopped from tree to tree, throwing knives like she had an unlimited supply. Assassin probably does.
One kama flew towards a direction and buried itself to a tree. Lancer held the other kama with both hands. Now, she could swing with greater control.
Lancer's weight made her less agile than Assassin. Not only that, but Lancer was also fighting Assassin on the latter's terms. Assassin ruled this arena with only Lancer's Preflexes allowing her to compete.
A smaller frame meant that Assassin could fit into smaller locations. Those frosty patches she leaves behind were also hazards once they started melting and before they dried. Branches were capable of supporting Assassin's weight, a luxury that Lancer does not have.
However, Lancer wasn't just chasing Assassin. She was also making her own plans.
With a tap on her held kama, Lancer pulled herself towards the one buried deep in the tree. The gravitational force pulled that kama free.
Assassin could only avoid one in time and only barely; she chose the kama coming from the tree. Lancer was spinning when she struck Assassin. The added momentum and direction forced Assassin down and disturbed the soil and some rock.
Because of the momentum, Lancer kept moving until she herself begun her descent. Her feet braced the thick trunk as she jumped off of it, her kama's blade poised to pierce the ground.
Assassin rolled and jumped away. The layer of frost broke like water having begun to freeze solid.
More daggers flew. None of them aimed at Lancer. Instead, they flew to cut off the thin branches of the trees.
Hardly worth an annoyance, Lancer didn't bother remove the branch that landed on her shoulders. Lancer closed in. The branch flew away.
Assassin kept moving. Assassin kept cutting down the thin branches. There was hardly worth much effort and Lancer's movement was hardly affected. Even Assassin avoided those branches.
Metal clashed with metal. Sparks begun to fly as metal kept clashing with increasing, violent intensity.
Those sparks then came for the branches. The first sign of a fire sprung to life. Lancer soon realized Assassin's intent. Branches were surrounding Lancer.
Lancer made her attempt to move. But Assassin's throwing knives forced her to stay there. More branches fell with those already fallen being thrown and fed to the growing fire. More sparks flew and started more fires.
The trees were too distant from each other to start any forest fire.
Lancer noticed another intent: Assassin was creating layers of frost around the ring of fire, melting into puddles and creating mud. More patches of snow soon made that the melting water was too much for the ground to absorb.
Throwing one kama out, Lancer pulled herself out of the ring of fire.
Lancer spun one kama behind her, repelling the thrown daggers headed her way. Lancer didn't need to turn around. Assassin already took out the flames, surrounding herself in a slippery sheet of ice, turning into muddy water.
Beneath the mask, Lancer smirked. The blades of her kamas retracted back, turning them into fancy-looking walking sticks.
Lancer's weapons, now more of a blunt tool, were easier to handle. The weight was better distributed as the blades compacted across the stick. Closer to smaller hammers, Lancer dashed for Assassin, hopping just before the muddied ground.
Without the threat of the blade, Assassin no longer needed to worry too much about trying to get into Lancer's space. However, now Assassin had to deal with the entirety of Lancer's weapon. Now turned into combat batons, Lancer's effective striking range was greater. The power behind Lancer's strikes were greater with the weight redistributed.
Lancer had greater control of movement now. She even switched her fighting style to accommodate. No longer swinging widely, Lancer made use of jabs and sword-like slashes. Less spinning also meant that she exposed her back less, an exploit that Assassin was frustrated of losing.
Dagger locked with baton. Lancer held both the weight and the leverage as she was forcing Assassin on her back.
Assassin broke free by kicking Lancer in the shin.
Unaffected by the knives flying her way, Lancer kept the pressure on as she kept closing the distance Assassin was making. The frosty layers couldn't come fast enough to slow her down.
Only the trees provided cover as Assassin's smaller frame gave her better fitting in-between them.
But Lancer wasn't about to fall behind. She too bounced from tree to tree though not quite as fast.
Knives kept raining down. A storm of knives went in Lancer's direction as Assassin hopped behind the trees for cover. Lancer may not get her weapon's stuck but she couldn't get past the thickness of those trees.
Branches broke and fell. Leaves were raining down just as much as deflected knives.
Lancer gasped as she deflected another set of knives. Curves? Forks? Sinkers? These knives were being flung like baseballs.
Sparks flew in-between them. Assassin's thrown knives were hitting against the ones Lancer deflected.
Assassin kept circling. Assassin was inching further.
Lancer knew what was coming. Her Preflexes warned her of that. But she couldn't do much about it. Assassin was pushing herself and forcing Lancer into unfavorable positions. The tree branch Lancer was on soon gave way from the deflected knives chipping away their connection to the tree.
A kama's blade went back as Lancer slowed her own descent. Assassin was running again.
The night meant nothing against Lancer. Assassin already knew that and didn't set any sort of trap.
Lancer noted that there was a tower, a communications tower of sorts, on one side of her. But Assassin made no effort of slowing down nor did Assassin change course. No civilian casualties this time. Assassin had killed enough.
The two made their stop with Assassin being the first to turn around. There was a stone formation of sorts that served as a bridge between the two landscapes.
Everything was silent except for the rushing torrent of water that was to Lancer's side. The space was wide open but the ground was limited. The stone bridge itself couldn't support them after repeated damage, Lancer estimated.
Assassin made no moves to attack. She had her daggers out but no knives were thrown no were there any traps.
Above them, the darkening clouds of the sole witness of this fight loomed over them. God of light watched over the creation that had been taken into the Throne of Heroes and the Servant that he himself had brought into this Grail War.
A second feel of her surroundings informed Lancer that there were other stone bridges. Wearied down by the rushing water, the sediments have long since been taken somewhere else.
Lancer and Assassin continued to stare at each other. The waterfalls to the side gave some easing chaos to their eerie quiet. Assassin and Lancer stood there, almost still as statues. A much more noticeable layer of frost formed beneath Assassin's feet. Some icicles began to rise from the ground beneath Assassin's feet.
Lancer was the first to break the silence. She buried the kamas deep in the ground. The stone below cracked as the bladed parts buried deep.
"This is it, huh?" Lancer said. "Didn't think an Assassin, let alone a Grimm Assassin, would choose to fight nobly. Figured you'd always be the sneaky, conniving ones."
Assassin stayed quiet. Either she was refusing to speak or there was nothing new that she could say.
In some respects, Lancer could pity Assassin. Communication wasn't going to be its strong suit. But it was still Grimm. Lancer was a Silver-eyed warrior. Those two things are too difficult to reconcile for their Spirit Origins. The most that Lancer could afford is some respect for an opponent.
Lancer took a deep breath. "If this is going to be how it ends for you, so be it."
Lancer raised her hand and pulled back her hood. She then removed the mask that covered her face, revealing the young Maria Calavera underneath it. Her shoulder-length ashen hair free in the wind and light of the night. Though that light was not from Remnant's moon.
As expected of their namesakes, her eyes were as silver as the moonlight. Her face remained resolute and held the respect that one warrior had for another. Lancer would give Assassin a good showing.
"Maria Calavera," Lancer said. "One of many Silver-Eyed Warriors." She drew her kamas from the ground. "Servant to a fellow Silver-Eyed Warrior. Bane and eternal enemy to the creatures of Grimm."
That was what they were supposed to do, right? Lancer wasn't sure. She wasn't one for formalities but she thought she did well.
Assassin said nothing. She only nodded. Not like she could say anything else other than "I'm proud of you, Pyrrha" right now.
"You know what, kid?" Lancer said. "I'll do you a solid." She cleared her throat. "Poppy. The Grimm Child. Bane and eternal enemy to the Silver-Eyed Warriors and the rest of Remnant's humanity. That about sum it up, yeah?"
Assassin, for a moment, appeared genuinely happy. She nodded and a serious expression replaced that happiness.
Both combatants readied themselves for battle. Temporary bursts of aura escaped their bodies. Assassin crouched back. Lancer loosened her fingers, cracking a few that she could.
Assassin left disturbed the ground as she attacked first. It wasn't enough to destroy the stone bridge but it left a noticeable mark.
Lancer did not miss the change in Assassin's direction. Assassin ran in a slant until she began to circle around Lancer. Lancer still did not move.
Assassin got closer. Lancer stayed on her spot. Assassin circled around her and got close. Lancer's eyes followed Assassin's movement.
Assassin got behind Lancer. Her dagger raised high in the air as she leapt to make up for that height. Her spinning added more momentum to her swing.
Lancer blocked it head-on. She stepped to the side, kama swinging to meet with the descending dagger. One of her feet cracked the ground for better footing. Lancer retaliated by swinging with the other kama.
But Assassin was agile. She jumped over the coming blade and kept the momentum going by thrusting out her dagger. Lancer was forced to follow the momentum of her weapon. But Lancer managed to lean back, raising the kama already coming for Assassin.
Assassin went far back, not returning to the melee. Lancer did not move much from her spot. Assassin resumed her circling around Lancer. This time, Lancer followed, twisting her own body and adjusting her footing as necessary.
Then, Lancer's Preflexes warned her. She only managed to raise her kama's to block the sudden distance that Assassin traveled to close in, dagger up-front, close to burying deep into Lancer's chest. The speed behind it pushed Lancer back though not by much given Assassin's mass.
Assassin's Master is being generous now, Lancer thought. Assassin's speed only increased, almost to a point of teleportation. No. God of light was the one allowing this. Assassin is fighting with a proper Master now.
Preflexes caught up to Assassin's movements as Lancer retracted the blade on one kama, serving as her defensive tool while the other her primary offense. Lancer alternated between the two as she needed. Battle batons better served to deflect and block Assassin's strikes.
Assassin was high in the air, spinning as she descended back down. Lancer raised her weapon and flung Assassin to the side. The swing had been forceful that the ground beneath them cracked more than it should have. They were accumulating the damages on the bridge.
This wasn't the only stone bridge. Lancer wasn't about to let Assassin have the entire field. Lancer moved as well. She kept her feet to the ground while Assassin stayed as airborne as she could.
Blades clashed with blades and batons. Lancer and Assassin exchanged blows but neither side gave in into their opponent's range. Assassin closed the distance quickly and got back out. Lancer punished any openings and missteps that Assassin had made.
Lancer somewhat regretted having her kama's blade be retracted as she managed to catch Assassin. But the blunt force hurt and Assassin was flung towards the other stone bridge. Lancer closed that distance; it was her turn to spin.
The kamas' blades buried into the stone ground as Assassin rolled to the side. Lancer kept her own momentum going as she dislodged herself from the ground, free kama preventing Assassin from closing that distance.
Out here in the open, Lancer controlled whether she would get closed in or not. Her own spins with both kamas in different positions meant that Assassin had a small window to get inside. With both combatants constantly on the move, that window never stayed.
Preflexes prevented Lancer from having her back be her blind spot.
Lancer combined the two kamas into a single quarterstaff with the blades edges pointed in similar directions.
Assassin had better windows now. But Lancer had better control of her weapon. Without the threat of weapons in separate hands getting in the way, Lancer could focus her attention on one weapon and have better handling now that she was using both hands.
Lancer spun her staff, allowing herself greater reach and better mobility.
Both sides were careful with not hitting the ground too much but Lancer needing to adjust her footing meant that she would put strain on the ground beneath her. Assassin's weight and speed added to it as both of them would dig into the stone unnoticeably little by unnoticeably little.
Assassin nearly pushed Lancer off the edge but Lancer flung Assassin towards the previous stone bridge and leapt off.
Chunks of that side of the bridge fell and brought with them other parts. The bridge had become smaller but still held on. The edges were unstable and Lancer and Assassin's attacks only chipped away more of it.
Weapons locked and Lancer's height and weight bested Assassin's smaller frame. At the edge, Assassin couldn't kick Lancer away. Instead, Assassin allowed herself to fall; one dagger burying itself into the stone.
This close to the edge, Lancer fell as well. Before another piece of stone fell, Assassin pulled herself back up.
Splitting her staff back into two, Lancer threw one kama, missing Assassin, and pulled herself back with the gravitational force inherent in her weapons. The two were back on the bridge and Lancer equipped herself back with the staff.
The ground itself began to shake as both Lancer and Assassin intensified their clashes. Lancer was mindful of her Master's aura. At this distance, Ruby's reserves were slowly descending. Rider's amplification can only do so much with Lancer this far. Lancer could feel that Ruby was losing her concentration as well. Meditation for this long couldn't have been something that the girl was used to.
All in, Lancer! Lancer thought. All in!
God of light was supplying Assassin with magical energy that afforded Assassin to fight better and longer. Not only that, Assassin was moving at speeds that could only be the result of her Master's intervention.
Lightning began to flash above them. Assassin's teeth grind as she pushed on. Lancer adjusted her footing. Thunder rumbled. Remnant's broken moon was completely hidden away. Two draconic eyes dotted the dark, unnatural clouds.
Lancer hopped back. One blade taking another chunk of their platform away, taking further more as collateral.
Their platform was getting smaller. Assassin's own movements were being limited. It was Lancer's turn to control the environment.
Every attack, hit or miss, was targeted at getting more of the ground away from Lancer. Much of the stone of their current platform had already gone. The middle that connected the two had given way. But before Assassin could escape to one side, Lancer caught Assassin and used her to break the other stone platform.
Assassin was back in the air from the sudden stop of her velocity from Lancer's swing. Lancer slammed Assassin back, breaking the second stone platform.
Both Servants fell along with the stones. Assassin managed to take a hold of one and bounced off of them, attacking Lancer wherever she could. Lancer could only force her own body to move and allowed the weight of her swings to change her direction.
Below, the rushing water did not hide the stones that stayed above water. Lancer split her kamas and aimed it to the shores. It was an unintended aid as Lancer aimed for Assassin. Assassin grabbed hold of the kama and followed wherever it had landed. Lancer used her other kama to draw herself to the shore.
Lancer spun as she reached for her other kama. Assassin spun back and made a few steps. Lancer did not yet pick up both kamas.
Misty cold air surged from Assassin. Her breathing was labored as the white mists made Assassin fade into silhouette.
"Alright then!" Lancer replied. "Better to end it this way!" Lancer took a deep breath and boldly declared: "Noble Phantasm!"
The imagery of Lancer's mind changed. All around her there were a multitude of different folks. All of them wore hoods or something similar that hid away their eyes. Lancer chuckled at the sight of one in particular. Lancer may not be able to see that one's face but she knew for certainty who that one is. With a hooded cloak similar to her Master's, the only difference was that that one's cloak was white.
Your kid's going to go far, ma'am, Lancer thought. I'll make sure of it.
Lancer's eyes began to glow. A light made more powerful now that she herself was a Heroic Spirit.
"Thus kindly, we scatter," Lancer said.
From the icy cold mists, Assassin emerged, dashing towards Lancer like an arrow. "Poppy Flower!"
"By mystic eyes of silver! Argentum!"
Bright silver light shone on every way, in that small area where it momentarily turned to day. Lancer felt a large chunk of Ruby's aura being taken away. Had Rider stopped his amplification, Lancer would have been forced to dematerialize then and there.
When the light faded, Lancer wasn't the only one that remained. Just before her, by her feet, was Assassin. No sign of Grimm was on her body. She looked like she was exposed to extreme heat, practically burnt. Assassin was still breathing though only barely.
The eyes were that of a child as her dying pupils looked to skies above.
"We…" said Poppy. "Weren't… meant… to… exist."
Poppy closed her eyes. Contentment painted her face as she begun to glow.
"Thank you… Lancer."
Thus, Assassin vanished. One Servant in the Grail War had fallen.
Despite that, Lancer could only shake her head. "You do now, Assassin. You do now."
Lancer stayed for a while longer. Then, she went to pick up her mask and wore it once more. She pulled the hood above her head as she looked upward. The unnatural clouds still stayed there and the two draconic dots stared down, watching Lancer in particular.
Rather than run away, Lancer walked her way back. The tree leaves rustled as many more of those pieces fell like rain. Toys. Chess pieces, nonsensical objects fell down and littered the ground.
Lancer's hooded cloak swayed in the wind. She passed by the communications tower. The lights were on. Some people were getting out. Lancer stayed hidden away, not wanting to be discovered by them.
None of the civilians paid any attention to the toy pieces that continued to rain. Either they didn't care or didn't notice. They were more focused on returning home. They all traveled in pairs, never travelling alone. But with Assassin now gone, they would now be able to travel alone, for however long that it would last.
Lancer paused and looked over her shoulder. It wasn't that there was anyone behind her. It was more that she could feel the movement, courtesy of Preflexes.
She'll have to protect those civilians as they returned back to the safety of Argus. Lancer followed closely from behind. Watching them as she was sure that her Master would want to.
Lancer's return was slow but once those civilians had made it to Argus' walls, she dashed back towards her Master. She found her breaking from her concentration, both her and Pyrrha.
"How did it go?" Rider asked.
"Assassin is gone," Lancer replied. Her tone had no sass. She kept herself neutral. "I take it things are going well around here?"
"With Assassin gone," Ruby said. "Things would get better right?"
Pyrrha and Rider looked to Lancer. Pyrrha had a similar hopeful expression as Ruby. Rider had his face hidden behind that helmet of his.
"Lancer?" Ruby asked. "Things would get better right?"
Lancer took a deep breath. "Best if we return back home for now, kid. I'll explain to the rest of you folks what I just saw there."
Ruby and Pyrrha, the latter especially, wore anxious faces as they returned. Rider vanished again but Lancer felt him close-by.
Lancer whispered, "Assassin is out. But her Master isn't. I've got to be honest, Rider. I won't be much help there. The next ones may be on you and this league of ours."
Rider made no response but Lancer could feel him nodding.
Lancer's Preflexes informed her of Pyrrha's actions. Behind the mask, Lancer's eyes narrowed.
Pyrrha Nikos was tracing her command spells.
She won't be able to lose another again, she thought. Rider's Master won't let him throw his life away.
Rider will live. Lancer was sure that that was on Pyrrha's mind. Rider will live, even if he would throw away that life of his for everyone's sake.
/-/
The toy pieces scattered. None of them were perfect recreations. He didn't want to recreate them. Just as his brother created his Grimm for no other purpose than mindless destruction, he too will create things for his sole benefit: the remolding and recreation of Remnant, without the child, without these Heroic Spirits, without that space probe ever coming here.
How strange, he thought. For a Servant, one who should serve, Assassin certainly moved against me. Insistent on it. I do not understand my creations. Why do they not move as I wish them to?
It was a curiosity on his end. Nothing more. A whim of amusing himself as Assassin had its moment of independence. Now that it had perished, there was only one thing that was made certain in his eyes.
I see now that giving Assassin free will was a mistake. Perhaps, I shan't allow such transgressions further. Even those two, whom my brother and I have bestowed their burdens as a lesson, have chosen to rebel. Their choices had led to this.
Once he will find this child, and obtain this Grail of theirs, Remnant will be remade as he designed it. No alterations. All will be by his exact designs. All will be as he wills it, to its minute detail.
The pieces that he had spread across the world of Remnant, where these Servants are gathered, have begun to grow in size. His brother's creations have noticed this and begun to descend upon them. But he cared not. His own creations were moving as he wills them to be, exactly as he wished them to be.
As a Master, he may have lost. But he was not about to falter. That space probe will be destroyed. Earth has no place on Remnant.
AN: This. This right here has been long coming. But it is also the most difficult decision to make among the main Servants. Since I chose most of these Servants with a balance of numbers in mind (Three for Ozpin and three for Salem with Assassin being the "wild" card), once any one of them falls, the balance of scales is going to get tipped.
Not only that, there's also the thought if giving the Remnant Servants their chance to shine, and that made it harder to decide when the time would come for them to bow out.
On to Lancer's NP. Argentum is based on Ag, the symbol of Silver the chemical element. In my notes, I am basically treating it as a "Mystic Eyes" of sorts, one specific to Remnant. So, one could say that this is the "Mystic Eyes of Silver"