In Tsubaki-mon's courtyard, Reisi traced an ancient Nordic letter in the air using his mana. The mana suddenly lashed out in a burst, knocking Reisi down and back a few meters. When he regained his bearings, he heard Lancer not far off laughing his ass off.
"That looks like me while I was trainin'! Though it was worse since it was Primordial Runes."
Reisi narrowed his eyes at his Servant. "You know, you could give me advice on how to avoid this instead of being amused at my failures."
"Pain will be your greatest teacher. Ya know ya have to get the balance of mana just right or, well, that happens. But be prepared for that to happen several times. It took me about a week to form my first rune without bein' blown into a wall. It got much easier with the mana control for the other runes. Now I bet I could do 'em in my sleep."
"Kotosaka just spotted some Blue Clansmen poking around a forest to the west of here," Nagare said. "There's a ley line there, so Lancer must be in need of mana, and the Blue King can't provide a sufficient amount. This is the perfect chance to eliminate them."
"If I use my Noble Phantasm on the base, nothing of it will remain. The Master should also die," Saber told him. Contrasting her authoritative tone is the sheep doll she held, which she named Zerco.
Nagare shook his head. "Mr. Iwa still has a personal vendetta against the Blue King, and we won't deny him of that."
Tenkei stood up. "Let's go, Assassin. We have some fun things to prepare."
"I did this just for you!" Caster practically sqealed once Ichigen entered the workshop.
He was looking around. "What is all of this?"
"You can practice magecraft here outside the public eye. This magecraft won't come to you as easily as magecraft from the Dresden Slate," Caster warned. "Just getting the hang of it will take months of practice. Even after I'm gone, this place will remain for you to continue your studies."
Ichigen opened a book sitting on the table. "Then I'd better get started."
They sky was still orange as Reisi and his Servant headed into the forest outside of the city where a supposedly safe ley line is.
A bullet suddenly came out at Reisi. And this wasn't one that could be simply stopped and destroyed by his aura; it's a supernaturally charged one courtesy of the Grey King. The Blue King ripped out his saber at imbued it with his own aura in time to block it. While that was happening, Assassin materialized behind Reisi, dirk clutched in his left hand and the point of it going for his head.
"There ya are!" Lancer went behind Reisi and grabbed Assassin's wrist just as Reisi knocked the bullet away. "Figures since your Master's here." A swift kick to Assassin's chest knocked him back, but Reisi noticed Lancer wasn't unscathed. Blood ran down his face due to the dirk in his right eye.
"Lancer!"
"It's fine! I can deal with the pain and my eye will regenerate! Just worry about the Grey King!" He tore the dagger out of his eye socket. The hook near the end of the blade had a blood-soaked fleshy mass on it. He spat in disguest then hurled it at the Grey Servant. All it did was cut his ear a little and destroyed a tree. "Huh, I missed. Well, one of my eyes is gone."
"So you are in a weakened state after all," Assassin said as he got up. The thrown dirk dematerialized and a new one appeared in his hand. "This seems better for me."
"I'll still kill ya. So you'll go after the Master and not the Servant? As I thought, you cowardly Assassins make me sick. Just a pathetic nobody!"
Yes, he's nobody. He can't even remember his name. All he knows is that he's just another Hassan, just another person with no identity of his own. That seems to have manifested on him as a Servant with not having a face.
Meanwhile, the Masters were fighting in the building fog. "People like you should just die!" Tenkei shouted as he shot at Reisi.
"Your grudge against me is annoying."
"Not just against you, but your entire kind..." Reisi charged at the man before he could allow the fog to swallow him up, but his aura seemed to suddenly go into defense and created a dome to protect him from the tree large explosions, like from TNT. This made him jump back in shock. Then a bullet aimed at his head came through the smoke and dust, easily penetrating his shield.
He moved in time to where it only took off the top half of his left ear. "What?"
The dust cleared enough to reveal Tenkei's smirk. "I had plenty of time while waiting." He then went at Reisi, swinging the butt of his revolver. The other King ignored the intense pain from his injury and met it with his saber.
His aura running through his saber allowed the rune Ehwaz to be formed on the barrel of the revolver. He remembers Lancer telling him that Ehwaz has another use. When imbued with a mana imbalance, it can take away something's durability rather than add to it. So it can be used even if not mastered, though the novice still would create too much of an imbalance that he'll be knocked back onto his ass. Hence Reisi's current situation.
Tenkei snarled in frustration, seeing his revolver crumble away. Then he reached into his robe and pressed a button. A hidden crossbow several meters away fired a bolt into Reisi's hip as he was getting up, making him stumble back onto the ground. Tenkei took this chance to tackle the man onto his back.
Fists began coming down on Reisi's face. "Your ideal is pointless! We Kings are worthless in that endeavor! We can't save everyone in front of us no matter how much power we have!" That's when Reisi realized Tenkei isn't raging against him. It's against who he was before Genji dropped his Sword. He's merely using Blue Kings as an outlet to vent his anger since the two he knows have the same dream he once did.
"Killing me won't help you in the end!"
"Yes it will. And I'll also kill anyone who gets in the way of Nagare winning the Grail." Tenkei had quit the punching and settled for basically snarling in Reisi's face. "See, I'm not interested in claiming it myself. Nagare plans to have it change the world in a way where no one will be powerless to stop what happened in 1999 from occurring again! We'll return to how we were during the Age of the Gods!"
"That's insane! Supporting people being empowered is the same as supporting mass senseless killings! I'm sure a part of who you once were remains and he would never allow this!"
"That's where you're wrong. When Ootori died 13 years ago, every part of him also died. All that remains is Tenkei Iwafune, the man who'll give his life to fulfill Nagare's vision. Just wake up already, kid." A harsh slap punctuated this. Then Reisi decided to play a little dirty by kneeing Tenkei in between the legs then punching him away.
The two Servants were still fighting. "I may be far from bein' at my best right now, but there's no way in hell I'm losin' to some fuckin' sandworm!" Lancer shouted after basically hurling Assassin about a hundred meters away. What Lancer seems to have failed to realize until it was too late is that is was only a few meters away from his own Master. Assassin turned to the human and held out his right arm.
"Your heart...I'll take it."
"Look out, Reisi!" Lancer shouted as he prepared to jump. A spear of ice flew out on a path to Assassin's bandaged right elbow joint. A bullet came at it from the side and the cold projectile vanished in an explosion of tiny ice shards. The bandages covering Assassin's right arm flew away, revealing a lengthened red arm. The hand went for Reisi. "Zabaniya! [Disillusional Heartbeat]"
Lancer shoved Reisi away, those long fingers touching the Servant's chest, over his heart. Then the arm returned. In Assassin's right hand, an exact copy of Lancer's heart. "You lose!" His fingers had started to close around the heart, to crush the real one inside the spearman. A crow perched on the branch of a tree by him swooped down. Blood flew out.
"I haven't gotten to play with him yet so I won't allow ya to kill him. Taking his eye is the most I'll allow." As Assassin's head fell to the ground, the Servant burst into blue mana.
"Wha-" Tenkei sputtered, taking a few steps back in shock. The silver-haired woman with red eyes that the crow seemed to turn into grinned at the Blue Servant, lowering the bladed staff she used to decapitate Assassin.
"It's been a long time, Cú Chulainn."
Even though he's never seen this woman before, somehow he knew who it is. He bared his fangs and snarled, "Not long enough, Morrigan."
Morrigan. The Celtic goddess of war and death and one of the people Lancer has had a few encounters with while alive.
The woman giggled, taking a few steps closer to Lancer, bloodied blade dragging across the ground. He, like the two humans present, was on guard. "Did ya honestly think I was done with ya, Cú Chulainn? The Einzberns wished for a Divine Spirit by utilizin' the Dress of Heaven and I answered their call 'cause I sensed you're in this War. Ya feel honored, right? Don't you just want to kiss me?"
Lancer was still growling. "Look, you bitch, I kicked your ass before and I'll do it again."
This earned a howl of laughter from Morrigan. "Still overconfident? Ya should be smart enough to have figured out I was goin' easy. I thought killin' ya would be simple since you're merely a demigod!"
A blue eyebrow was raised. "You didn't figure out I'm not one to be taken lightly durin' those attempts on my life in the Táin Bó Cúailnge?"
Morrigan chose not to counter. She just narrowed her eyes in frustration and growled.
"I was able to possess this one since she's the vessel for the Lesser Grail. I'm only interested in the bloodshed so I have no qualms with grantin' the wish of the Einzberns, to obtain Heaven's Feel."
"You're still a Divine Spirit. You shouldn't be here with this Grail system."
"Breakin' the rules in this way is possible with the Dress of Heaven and hackin' into a leyline."
"So, you're gonna kill me?"
The expression Morrigan wore was one of a mother gently advising her child. "No, I don't want to kill ya right away. That'd be lettin' ya off too easy. I want ya to suffer first. I want to hear ya beg me to kill ya. Then I might decide to show mercy."
"Hell will freeze over first."
"Ya never noticed how much I loved ya! Ya always regarded me as a bother! I just wanted ya to look at me the way ya look at that lowlife bitch ya call your wife!"
"Will you shut up?!" Before anyone could react to the new voice, a green lightning bolt came down on Morrigan, making her jump back to avoid it. A spear was embedded in the ground where the bolt struck.
Lancer recognized it before it dematerialized. "That's..!"
Mikoto and Rider casually walked out from the trees to stand by Reisi. "Man, you're loud!" the Servant was complaining.
"Why is the Rider here?!"
Lancer was as confused as Morrigan. "Seriously, pal, why are ya here?"
"We were returning from a ley line and this commotion got our attention."
"Ya also went to this leyline?"
"Look, a decent amount of my mana was drained from me last night, especially when I went as fast as I did. I may have a large mana pool, but I can only do it for half a second tops then I seriously need methods to restore it."
"If it leaves ya that bad off, why do it?"
"I was just wanting to get back to my Master before you!"
Reisi sighed as they continued to argue then turned to Mikoto. "Remember what Kokujouji said Habari and Kagutsu once did? Let's see if we can also pull that off."
"I don't think we have a choice, Mikoto replied.
The auras from the two Swords reached out and entangled with one another, turning the rest of the two colors a light violet. This process was instinctual, like a Servant using their Noble Phantasm, so they knew how to do this even though it's their first time pulling it off.
"Whatever this is, it's useless!" Morrigan shouted before attacking. The blade of her staff smashed into the translucent purple dome around the two Kings. She thought it would end up breaking, but it held up with only a minor crack. She jumped back with a "tsk!"
Reisi was suddenly right in front of her and thrust his saber blazing with violet at the goddess' throat, which she ducked to avoid right on time. The instant she did, a fist of violet flames smashed into her cheek and sent her tumbling dozens of meters away.
That strike was with C-rank Strength and these two are only equal to first-rate magi! So how in the world was this possible?!
They're opposites, one utilizing fire and the other ice, and yet they're the two Kings who's aura is most compatible with each other, able to easily combine and explosively increase their strengths.
The two moved in on Morrigan to try finishing it while she's down but sharp pain abruptly assaulted both of their bodies, making them collapse. Up above, the purple aura around both Swords washed out to red and blue again.
"Looks like...we need more work on it..." Mikoto chuckled when he caught his breath. He was still twitching a little.
"I hardly think getting hit with mana backlash is something to laugh at," Reisi growled.
When Morrigan went at them, Rider abruptly appeared beside her, driving his spear through her enitre midsection to pin her. "I don't thin - the hell?!"
A swarm of bugs suddenly appeared and flew at Rider, making him rip his spear out and jump back.
"You aren't completely used to fighting in that vessel yet." It was a male unable to be seen.
"Bugs?!" Rider exclaimed. He and Lancer began using their spears to strike them down and Mikoto generated a wall of aura around him, the heat within causing the insects to burn up as soon as they entered. Reisi was freezing the air around him, trapping the bugs in ice. Tenkei didn't have as many go at him, but he ended up doing the same as the Kings.
The bugs began covering Morrigan, but she didn't fight back. The last thing she saw before insects completely filled her vision is Lancer giving her the middle finger. The bugs on her broke away and she was gone, teleported out. The other bugs quickly left.
"I'm sure I sensed a Dead Apostle!" Lancer exclaimed. "Why is one working with her?!"
Rider sighed. "We'll notify the Overseer about the Dead Apostle. You go to the ley line."
"Looks like Lancer has someone crazy on his ass," Mikoto said as he and Rider walked to the church.
"Being the target of a god is the absolute worst," Rider added. "I'm still pissed at Apollo! And who knows what Morrigan's plans are for joining with a Dead Apostle."
Reisi and Lancer stopped when then reached the ley line and Lancer sat down.
"I can't move from here. If I do, I'll get disconnected from the ley line."
"So, this Morrigan person..?"
Lancer sighed. "She's a yandere towards me. She even tried to kill Emer."
"Had that when I was in college. So we have another person to watch out for."
"Y'know what? If she wants me to fuck her that badly, then that bitch can suck my dick." Then Lancer smirked. "I'm sure that slut's practiced with plenty more than Dagda."
"Something tells me that suggestion won't go over well with her..."
"I don't give a shit what her thoughts on it are, that's my only compromise. I don't even feel like hate-fuckin' her in the pussy or ass!"
"When this language escapes your mouth...I can't help but pray kids aren't nearby."
"That's another thing in this time I don't think I'll ever get used to. Plenty of people, includin' Uncle Fergus, were completely unfiltered 'round me when I was growin' up."
"Parent of the year right there..." Reisi grumbled. "Lancer, do you think you'll be able to handle Morrigan?"
"It doesn't matter if it's a god I'm up against, they're dead all the same."
"It looks as if your encounter didn't go the best," Zouken said, eyeing the wound Rider gave to the goddess. "Are you still wanting to do this?"
"Like me, that man personifies war. Whenever he enters the battlefield, plenty of death results. He was born to kill! I love people like that. I want him so much but he refuses to return my feelings! And worse, he chose someone who stays out of conflict as his wife! Why?! I can't believe such a worthless human was able to tame the Hound of Culann."
Morrigan would rather die than admit she's also jealous of Emer. That should've been the goddess always at his side, the one who should've made him happy. Every time she saw them together she wanted to scream in frustration. And when Morrigan appeared before Cú Chulainn to offer him her love, he rejected her. Granted she was transformed but he still should've known it was her! Is the real reason he turned her offer down because she's Dagda's wife? Why would that matter? To a god, two millennia goes by in a flash. And yet, spending that much time without him was more agony than she ever thought she'd have to endure, an eternity of loneliness to her. So he now has to be punished for that.
"Well, I'll go clean up the trash." Zouken vanished among insects when he said that.
"Lancer's defenseless. And Mr. Iwa's returning. Time to initiate Plan B." Nagare glanced at his Servant. "It's your turn, Saber."
"Understood," was the simple reply before the silver haired woman dematerialized. She was almost to the forest when she abruptly materialized her sword, slicing apart several insects.
"These again?" She sliced the ground, throwing up several pieces of rubble to make the insects halt then it looked like a rain of slashes cut them to nothing. "Cannon fodder."
'Saber, you need to return!'
'Is something happening?'
'We're under attack by a man controlling insects!'
"I see. These were just to buy time." As a Servant, her duty is to be a tool for her Master. Whatever he tells her to do, she should do it without question.
At the base, both Kings and Clansmen were fighting. Without his pistol, Tenkei was using another fighting method. By compressing his fog, he was able to make clones of everyone. These fog doubles aren't as powerful, but they still provide the heat source of a human. They should be able to confuse the insects. Meanwhile, Nagare made cages of electricity to trap the bugs in before frying them. He and Tenkei can handle these insects no problem, but the numbers will exhaust and overwhelm the Clansmen much faster than for them. Meanwhile, the stranger just stood there, letting his bugs do all the work. Then his bugs warped him a short distance away when Saber suddenly appeared, slashing down on him.
"The Servant's back already? I was hoping to finish first." He vanished among insects, but his voice could still be heard. "Well, I know where this place is, so I can return whenever. I wonder what you people will do."
Saber turned to Tenkei. "He must've planted a familiar on you. That's how he found this place."
"Mr. Iwa, you should go to the church for protection," Nagare said.
"Not gonna happen. I'll be staying with you guys for as long as possible."
"What'll we do now?" Sukuna asked. "He said he'll come back."
"We'll need to relocate for the time being. Get me into a new straightjacket and I'll bring you there."
After some time, the Green team arrived in a hotel. The receptionist bowed. "We've received your request and made appropriate accommodations, Mr. Hisui."
Tenkei raised an eyebrow. "Nagare?"
"The receptionist here is in JUNGLE. I merely offered an appropriate amount of JUNGLE points for our stay."
"There's even a pool here?! This place is awesome!" Sukuna exclaimed after looking through the amenities.
"I'm more interested in the spa they have," Yukari said.
Tenkei narrowed his eyes at the two. "Don't get attached. This is only temporary. We'll go back after the War's over."
Sukuna began pouting. "Aww! You're no fun!"
I originally made Reisi and Mikoto's combined strengths be B but went down to C because I can't see someone with their combined auras being strong enough to pull a Queztalcoatl from Fate/Grand Order and hurl an axe as heavy as an ancient city-state 30 km. One carrying the Storm Border is probably more likely.