Three knights stood at the edge. Watching the chaos and destruction marching towards them as the only bastion against a chaos that could end the world.
"If you can hold it in place I have a noble phantasm that might be able to kill it." Archer seemed unperturbed as he looked on. "Though it will take a moment to draw enough power and even then I cannot be certain what will be caught in the blast."
Archer mused for a moment. "It would be best if we waited until Knight arrived."
"There is no need to wait." Saber's words were almost bitter. "I will be enough to hold it in place."
"Correct there is no need to wait." He stepped forth as Knight in his full glory to stand beside them. "I am enough to solo it."
Saber and Archer shifted uncomfortably to keep him in their gaze as well as the dragon, even as the third member smiled sweetly and stepped up to him. "Isn't it better to all work as a team in the face of a disaster. Surely even if you are strong the three of us can still aid you."
"The three of you can aid me?" He let out an amused chuckle. "You have the ability to fight with swords, to heal and an attack that can devastate an entire clearing between the three of you it is true."
He took a deep breath and spoke louder. "But as a true Knight worthy of the name you will find I can do all three. In the end to be strong a knight one can do not only these things but is also a master of magic and can disappear into the shadows. Tame monsters beyond mortal ken and fight beyond reason to achieve victory in the darkest hour."
"Specialisation is for insects."
"Perhaps that is true." Archer nodded calmly enough. "And I would be quite happy to see you take the lead as my own specialties tend more towards attacking from range. I am glad to know we have someone who has fought one before."
"Yes we should all work together rather than fight." Lancer nodded and rested a hand on Sabers shoulder. "The two of us would be happy to have your assistance as well."
He glanced back and saw the Saber did not agree with their sentiment at all. Still her glare wasn't half as bad as the dragons and even that wasn't able to faze him. "I can start by saying this is truly the weakest dragon I have ever met." Even weaker than the one at the bottom of his garden. "Gaze upon it and its fatal flaw is plain as day for anyone with eyes to see."
The other three stared at the massive beast in the distance. A titanic monster that dwarfed its surroundings and crushed everything in its path, an overwhelming force of devastation that toppled trees like matchsticks.
A miasma of death that radiated outwards and killed every living thing that came close to it. That to even meet its gaze crushed them down with a sense of oppression as though it could kill them with merely a glance.
The three of them glanced between each other and understood they were not looking at the same thing as the knight beside them. "The left wing appears to be slightly injured but that is a minor wound compared to its terrifying power."
Cid let his arms raise to the sky. "True but it means it can be injured. The last dragon I killed turned out to be able to regenerate its entire body after I vaporised it and then got back up and started talking. But as long as it can be harmed you will find I can kill it for good."
In the distance three masters watched through spyglasses as one. Even as the first, Sherry put the book down in front of them. It was the same mark, the exact same heraldry from the book that Cid had shown her when they were discussing Alexander that was on Knight's armour. "I think we can confirm he really is Alexander then."
Rose beside her nodded in agreement. "It would be good if we could confirm some of his noble phantasms beyond just the list from the records. And it means we can use all of his weaknesses in legend against him."
It was a good start.
"So, what were his weaknesses in legend anyway?" Because all of the books she had read didn't really go into that kind of thing.
Rose pondered it for a moment. "He wasn't able to kill a dragon I guess."
"Then how did he die does anyone know who managed to kill him?"
The books she had didn't actually cover his death at any length. But surely if they could recreate the circumstances of his death, take advantage of his greatest weakness then it would be easy to obtain victory.
"I think you'll find my servant has never known defeat." The cloaked figure that joined them was Alexander's master. Iris has said her name was Violet.
Iris next to her grit her teeth. "She is correct Alexander did not die in battle but rather of old age. While it can be said he never slew the dragon he made the oath with."
Being unable to kill a nation destroying dragon wasn't exactly a weakness.
"Then you are his greatest weakness you would say." Iris cut through the niceties and straight to the point.
Violet chuckled lightly from beneath her cloak. "I suppose it might be easier to kill me rather than him. But the three of you are not capable of it, and the difference between us is so vast that even your servants might struggle."
"If the dragon were not here I would call Saber to kill you right now."
"Is that so." Violet seemed amused. "Perhaps I have been given one of his Noble Phantasms, to protect me in his stead and even the attempt of it would only lead to your downfall."
Sherry looked over her list again. "But he has the sword, shield and his armour so you cannot have them. And the dragon… if he had summoned it of course he would use it in this crisis." There was no flaw in her logic.
Violet smiled calmly back. "You focus so much on the sword and the shield, and so little on the oath of the king. Have you not even bothered to remember it."
The dragon. The oath was simple and well known and…
She trembled, such a thing was insane there was no way it could be true. For the oath wasn't between Alexander and the dragon.
But between Alexander and all his descendants and the dragon. "He brought all the armies of Midgar with him."
A flaming sword the size of a house swung up and crashed into the dragon itself. Lava and flame sputtering away as scattered harmlessly against its flesh without leaving a trace.
He stepped up through it his form rising up until he was level with its head, a shadow cast over the world by his presence as he stared it down. The beast staring back as though he was nothing but prey as it lunged.
He hopped off passing over the snapping jaws of the charging dragon, his own slime sword touching a;; three eyes on its left ever so gently as he passed and came down behind it.
A roar echoing through the forest around them as every living thing it touched died and even the girl he'd landed next to set her feet and braced herself.
"It is not just how hard you strike. But where as well." He nodded to Lancer as he turned back to the beast, his sword resting gently on his shoulder. "One good blow is all it takes."
Well except that it had eyes all over its body, on its neck and head and even on its wings.
The dragon itself swept its gaze around the forest even as its huge form moved back around. The remaining good eyes ignored them all and settled to fix itself on him. Malice and hatred drenching the world as it poured out all of its will in an attempt to make him cower.
He waved back in response.
Magic swelled up as it seemed to flood the world around it. Pouring into the world as the beast opened its maw to reveal the light within. A force of pure destruction ready and waiting to be unleashed upon the world.
He stepped in front of Lancer, hand outstretched towards it. "Atomic Aias."
Slime extended outwards in a single point before rocketing backwards surrounding them. Seven plates curving so that it would flow past them without harming them. For there was no need to waste more magic to block it fully when there was only a forest behind them.
The blast erupted outwards as a river of power, an overwhelming torrent streaking towards them both as it crashed down with the weight of an avalanche. Tearing the ground asunder, vaporising trees caught in its wake and shattering the very world upon which it was unleashed.
Splitting uselessly against his shield as it broke around them and the two of them were left unharmed. The light passing harmlessly around them both as he held his shield in place without any effort.
When it passed they stood alone amidst the devastation. Untouched even as the forest had been scoured away. "To think of the seven layers of my shield that I made to be invincible under any attack." He casually inspected it even knowing what he would find.
"If you need me to heal you." Lancer stepped up and he smiled at her.
"Nonsense, it failed to break even the first layer of my shield." He held it up showcasing the still intact heraldry he'd made when producing it. "It seems I overestimated this dragon too much and it stands barely able to harm me at all."
She paused staring him up and down. "Ah."
He bounced on the heels of his feet and advanced towards the dragon again. A flick of the cape he'd draped over it fluttering in the wind around him as he stared down the dragon again. "Come dragon, these are the last moments of your life so use them wisely."
It crashed forward as claws tore for his head, each blow falling short effortlessly as he outpaced it. Each pass leaving him taunting death by the smallest margins as he laughed at its efforts, driving himself forward even as his sword flashed through the ridges between its scales and drawing blood.
A frenzy to drive its anger even further as he toyed with it.
The spiked wing crashed down towards him even as the lightest step carried him onto it. The retraction pulling him up to meet the eyes on its right side with a grin. The lids of its eyes closing before he had a chance to strike as it feared him.
But that just gave him freedom to move, as he reached out past it and swung round even as it writhed to throw him off, his blade flashing into the ridges between the scales on the base of its neck as he drew blood once again.
Then rocketing back round to the front even as it writhed trying to crush him.
Sword turning into a spear as he threw it forward into the eye on the front of its neck, his full weight behind it as he slammed it through the lid covering the eye and drew blood once more.
It swung its head down once more in an attempt to crush him. Snapping jaws lashing out even as he made a point to dance just out of reach and drove a sword into the still bleeding eyes from before.
Then stepping up to rest on its head, even as light filled the sky above him.
High above the world a satellite finished turning. The magic at its core that had been building up for the last ten minutes finally reached its maximum charge.
The work of a masterpiece created using a fusion of magic and technology fired.
The sky tore asunder as light rained from the sky. A blast of pure magic pouring from the heavens to smite man and dragon both as they stood together.
He would have done the same if he'd been given a chance to kill two birds with one stone as his arm raised. "Atomic Aias."
The shield stretching out in front of him and catching the blast before it ever reached him. The sky itself lit by the strike even as he stood untouched.
Even as the dragon stood untouched as well, its eyes ignoring the blast to focus on him once again. Claws flashing forward once more.
A knight stood between him and the dragon. Daring to try and steal his thunder as he pushed back the claw of the dragon. "Fear not friend for I Rider have arrived."
A burst of magic surged out and the dragon was knocked backwards even as a shining sword reached out and cut through its scales. Blood pouring free of the monster as it roared in anguish.
The magic swelled again, a prelude to the destruction about to unfold once more. And Rider stepped up in front of him, his own massive shield crashing to the ground in front of the dragon. "Stand behind me and I will ensure your safety."
Like a heroic knight of legend standing between him and disaster.
There was no way he was letting some pretender turn up at the last moment and steal his spotlight. Never mind replicating his sole feat of blocking a dragon's breath.
He strode past letting his magic condense into a single point, a singularity held on the tip of his finger as the world broke and everything was crushed under the weight of his will.
A single finger pointing upwards as the dragon opened its mouth and the incandescent light within was unveiled.
"I am Atomic." His own magic poured in before it could breathe out, the two blasts combining inside its head in a single moment of pure destruction. Destruction itself tearing the monster apart from within as it disintegrated before his eyes.
Leaving only the broken lower half bleeding out into the world. He turned back to the knight arrogance radiating out from his presence. "I am quite capable of defending myself."
Rider grinned back at him. "I see that you can… to think there is another servant in the same league to have arrived." The man flared his own magic, a flood pouring out into the world even as it felt familiar.
He poured out his own magic in return.
"I see you were worthy of seeing through the mists and into the darkness of this world."
"Of course, for I am one who has made the shadows my friends, to hunt those who lurk within them."
The two of them sized one another up for a moment more, before turning back to the corpse itself.
Two girls stood by the corpse of the dragon. Long flowing red hair dancing in the wind as the blood poured out around them. As the blood poured towards them the first holding out a jewelled goblet that seemed to devour everything around it.
Rivers of blood being devoured in an instant as the rest of the nightmare was dragged deeper inside. The artifact itself overflowing with darkness even as it remained pristine and untouched by it.
The other stood watch calmly staring back at them even as her own blood spilled loose. Not one or two, but hundreds of blades of blood coalescing in the air between them her gaze flickering between each of those present. A sweet voice ringing back. "Caster."
They were the same class as Aurora then. So, you really could summon two servants of the same class, or perhaps three as the two of them were identical.
"We do not intend to fight, though we will if we must."
"Muspel." A flaming sword the size of a building crashed down past them, and he casually met it with his own.
"Come now she hasn't even finished her introduction and you're trying to kill her. If you want to dance you can dance with me instead." He forced her back even as a lance fired at full force to crash into his next defence the therianthrope girl pouring everything into her blow.
He casually tossed her back without a care and grinned. "Fair lady it seems you are almost as hated as I am."
"We truly are sometimes. It is regrettable." The corpse behind her was devoured in its entirety even as she spoke, and the other twin continued her words. "But we did deserve it at points and that too is regrettable."
The two heroes stared back at him from their position. "That girl is a vampire letting her win is a threat to all of humanity."
He paused to ponder her words for a moment. "The order you come to the killing fields does not matter for I will still be victorious in the end. There is no need to squabble over which ones I kill first merely know I will reach each of you in turn."
All five of them turned to stare at him at that, so he preened under their attention. "As long as you are not harming anyone my lady you can rest assured I shall protect you from these brigands."
"Thank you but…" Caster blinked at him for a moment. "We are done here, and it is not like they can prevent us from leaving."
A single finger traced the surface of the goblet, a mote of light drawn forth from its depths. The next moment the world seemed to shimmer and break around her and both copies disappeared.
Leaving him facing three heroes of legend, with one more waiting in the wings.
He posed dramatically for them all to see. "Today has been a wonderful day, but with the dragon dead I believe our truce is now over. As such I will be taking my leave."
He wrapped himself up in his cloak and dived off into the night.
Two dozen firsts, forty more seconds, a veritable army in case he needed to drown them as sacrifices. For while he wanted to fight the strongest servant one on one the rest could serve as distractions from his hunt.
And perhaps he would even kill Rider's master as Laugos wanted him to. Stepping forth onto the streets with all the confidence of a man who'd slaughtered heroes countless times.
A man without a trace of presence on him stood in their path. A calm smile on his face as he waved to them cheerfully. "Millet dumpling or death."
"What?"
The man blinked. "The Millet dumpling of an alliance, or for me to kill you all where you stand, it seemed such a simple question to me."
Fenrir drew his sword, a majestic red blade made to channel magic perfectly. Ancient and yet still as sharp as the day he'd taken it from the corpse. "Death I always preferred to solve my problems with murder."
"Wonderful." The man grinned wider. "I also prefer to kill people. It is such a calming thing to slaughter a handful of mutts like the vermin they are." An average steel blade appearing in his hand.
"Assassin I take it." He readied his own stance.
The man tilted his head in response then doubled over. "Berserker Momotaro of course can you not see the darkness in my heart, the evil of the onis blood poured over my soul that drives me to indescribable violence. It is only through the subtle charms of Millet dumplings that my anger can be quenched, and you have not chosen that path."
The man didn't seem like a berserker at all. "Only a normal blade then, not even having killed enough people to make it a legend."
"In the hands of a master even this mundane blade is enough to kill any monster. For only the truly weak must rely on a legendary weapon. But come let us not use words for the violence sings to me. Come let me paint the walls with your blood that you might know it too."
He charged a dozen phantoms of killing intent surging forth to hide the true blade as it surged forward. A perfect cut and the pinnacle of swordsmanship.
The man stepped through the illusions without a care, the true blade carving a line a fraction of a millimeter from his face as his first strike fell just short.
He dodged a blow that never came as the man stepped past, blade tearing Hubbs head from his neck followed a moment later by four more. Lifeless eyes falling as they stared at him.
He shot forward again the edge of his blade screeching through the night.
As the man danced just out of reach, his own reaping six more lives.
They clashed as the steel sung between them for an instant. Gettan stepping up behind the man to take his head.
And the next Gettan's lifeless corpse fell between them even as he flittered through and nine more men died in the opening. Fenrir grit his teeth watching helplessly as every swing fell short.
And then it was over.
The two of them stood surrounded by the corpses of his men. Blood pouring over the streets even as his opponent stood without a scratch. Only a grin marring the face of the man who'd stepped past his every attempt as though it didn't even matter.
"Today is the most important day of your life. For if you lived you would have made a mistake that might have ended the war, and I cannot allow that just yet."
He raised his blade one final time. "You think killing Alexander's master would be so important?"
"Kill." The word was drawn out in amusement. "You are not capable of such a thing, in both life and death only an inconvenience to be trampled by your betters. I am not even the strongest servant summoned right now."
"But if you had swung you might have blown away her hood, let Olivier know who she was. And then Olivier, Lilli and Laugos would have all died like the ants they are. To keep this secret you understand that you had to die." It was final, for they had already crossed blades long enough to know who would win. "But do not worry for your organisation will be joining you shortly, for I know the power of my words."
As he set his feet for one final stand.
The blade took his head a moment later.
AN: Yeah I have a chapter of this for this week. Go me.
Also I have become popular enough that copypasta art scams have noticed me, not so go me.
Aniisomeone: The story start for this is before Nidhoggs death, so we are post Sanctum, but pre Bushin Festival.
Fateful Twilight: The Cult here isn't as strong as my other fic as I have servants to play as my villains, so alas poor Fenrir we knew you well. And Momotaro truly does dare to do so many things.
Darkbeast42: Well, there are some hints for SG getting involved in this chapter, two of them really.