Stakes of light impaled Lancer Alter, pinning him to the wall. These stakes are able to immobilize even something almost on the level of a True Daemon. Beast VI is considered one and since he's connected to it they register the Alter as a demon.
Daemons are different from demons yet can be similar. A daemon is in fact the imaginary sixth element and are said to be sympathetic to the struggles of humans. Daemons give rise to demons, a broader category that daemons fall into whereas humans give rise to daemons. Beast VI only exists because of humans, loving them so much that it wants to eliminate them in order to save them.
Ruler faced the Greater Grail after dematerializing her flag. Mikoto stood behind her, making sure Lancer doesn't get free.
Lancer grunted in frustration. The stakes prevented him from raising his power by losing his chains, prevented him from summoning his familiar. He got too careless and now he's going to pay for it.
Ruler's hands were clasped in prayer, eyes closed. A golden light seemed to shimmer around her like a cloak. The saint who always holds Him in the highest regard, even as those flames ate her earthly body away. "For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things. He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. Sing joyfully to the Lord, your righteous, for those who go down to the path of silence. Pax Exeutibus. [Peace to Those Who Depart]"
A bit after, soft growling was heard from Lancer Alter that gradually grew in volume, making both the human and the blond Servant look at him. Both were speechless as they saw the warrior's body change.
All the chains dematerialized. His hair was undone, down to his waist, and changed color to a dirty white while his skin changed to a pale brown color and his eyes became two colors, the iris still a pale yellow with blood-red around each serpentine pupil. Unlike before, they had the shine of life to them. Three maroon horns adorned each shoulder, the six encircling his neck, and four of the same color went around the top of his head, a total of ten having appeared. Both clawed hands were exposed, the claws longer and a pale yellow and red looked to cover the hands to the elbows, a ring of black fur around each wrist. Red draconic armor covered his feet to his knees, his feet looking like a dragon's. A brown-violet sash with various crimson symbols adorning it around the back of his neck with both ends dangling on either side. A crimson, tattered robe replaced his clothes, tied at the waist with a cloth like the sash with a circle of black fur under it and another circle of red scales going down to the middle of his thighs sprouting from under that. The scales over the side of each thigh was raised, resembling the armor before that was there. The furry mantle around his neck looked the same except it went to his chest all the way around instead of just at his back and it was now various shades of black. Behind him was a circle of six masses of light glowing like the sun, all shaped like wings.
"A Beast's Crown?!" Ruler exclaimed, referring to the horns. "He must have undergone a full daemonic possession by Beast of Revelation!" The possession by a daemon, unlike ones by those like kitsune, are unintentional. But since Lancer Alter already has his spirit core corrupted by Beast VI it latched to him. This elevates him to the rank of True Daemon, a false Beast VI!
Behold, foolish humans! This is what your greed has birthed! Someone who even gods will kneel to!
Sweat was building on Ruler's face after she took a look at Lancer's current stats. Pretty much all six parameters, aside from Luck, are now at EX. "Beast possessing him means he has a Nega skill!"
Mikoto quickly glanced at her. "And that is?"
"A Nega skill is similar to those of Servants but it's against the texture called humanity instead of the Reverse Side of the World or the planet itself. Fortunately since he isn't a true Beast he'll need time to charge enough mana for use, especially on a global scale."
At that moment all the golden stakes shattered and Lancer got to his feet, the impalement wounds closing right away. They could no longer hold him now that he's a True Daemon.
Mikoto glanced at the Greater Grail. "Wait, he got mana from the Grail because Beast was in it. Now that it isn't his existence is probably burnin' too much mana for him to last much longer."
Ruler shook her head. "He's no longer being supported by the Greater Grail but that doesn't matter now that he has Independent Manifestation." Independent Manifestation is a spirit's ability to materialize in the world without an anchor. In short, the skill's an improved version of Independent Action.
She needed a Servant who isn't weakened or recovering right now. She materialized her flag and raised it, the Command Seal on her back being projected. "Come, Rider!" One of her strokes faded. The redheaded Servant appeared in a blast of white light, looking confused as to why he was suddenly teleported to the Greater Grail but wore his battle attire regardless.
He glanced at the holy maiden. "Ruler? What's going -" Then he sensed the opponent and turned his attention to him. "That Spirit Origin..! Lancer?! Wait, another's mixed in!"
"Beast VI possessed him," Ruler explained. "We need to defeat him and your assistance is required."
"He actually has a Beast's Crown of horns?! I think killing an adult Beast should be left to any Grand Servants Alaya just sent out."
"Actually killing him in this state isn't required. Since Beast VI is a True Daemon I can perform an exorcism on Lancer after restraining him. With no other host it can possess Beast will collapse into nothingness."
"Restraining him will be a lot easier said than done."
"I'm aware. So I'll be using your second stroke to strengthen you." Another stroke from Ruler's Command Seal faded. At the same time the massive king made his chariot appear and got on it, grabbing the reigns.
Lightning, fire, and light began dancing in a chaotic mess. Lancer was effortlessly blocking or dodging then counterattacking. Each blow from the enemy would be enough to kill a human so the other two Servants made sure to defend Mikoto from any aimed at him.
The divine bulls of Gordius Wheel were slashed over their flanks with Gáe Bolg, Lancer's Beast-Slayer skill meaning his attacks are more effective on them. For the bulls it felt as if thorns had invaded their bodies through the wounds, stabbing at their insides. This made it painful for them to move. Rider grit his teeth then dematerialized his chariot.
A howl sounded from the enemy and a bubble of white began expanding with him as the center. Everything the light enclosed appeared gray and lifeless. With Nega-Messiah, he'll overwrite the world, rejecting evolution and causing everything to begin anew. In Ruler's eyes it's like he's spitting in the face of the Lord, destroying all life He created.
The only being allowed in this expanding conceptual bounded field is the Beast creating it. Every living thing and even the dead like Heroic Spirits within its boundaries will be instantly destroyed.
Thinking fast, a dome of white light burst from Rider. "Ionioi Hetairoi! [Army of the King]" At the same time Ruler materialized a sword and went down on one knee while holding the blade tightly enough for her blood to stream down the steel. She began reciting a prayer.
His own expanding bounded field smashed into Beast's, both fighting to overpower the other. Rider knew the mana output of the other's is higher but he just needed to buy time.
"La Pucelle [The Crimson Saint]"
Ruler had already finished her prayer, a flower of fire being materialized at the butt of the sword pointed at the enemy, the threat to humanity. Since the Noble Phantasm uses her life, taken from her being burned at the stake by the English, instead of mana she can't use her Command Seal to strengthen it. But it felt like Alaya's empowering her against this threat. And she's sure the Lord is as well.
All 18 Norse runes appeared a few meters in front of the enemy Servant and a black hole appeared. The spell doesn't produce enough gravity to pull Lancer in so he's fine as long as he doesn't pass its event horizon.
The massive stream of fire, a kilometer high, that came at him from the flower was being sucked into the black hole. Still, Ruler didn't let up, wanting her flames to overwhelm the spell. After all it's only an imitation of Lugh's star Authority with magic since it's impossible to create a collapsed star with magecraft. That means it can only handle so much. Eventually small flames began dancing around the edges of the black hole, like a fiery explosion is about to happen.
Mikoto, trying to help Ruler, released a wave of magenta at the caster of the black hole, it hopefully not going into the event horizon. If he could make to opposing Servant lose focus it could allow La Pucelle to win out.
Lancer didn't even glance at Mikoto but a rune created a small shield that completely blocked the magecraft.
At that moment Rider's bounded field was smashed down and everything disappeared as the other field hit them.
- Dead bad end