Alone We Fall, United We Stand
Alone We Fall, United We Stand
“Take this, stupid rat!”
The Rider of Tokyo-3 delivered her punch, only for the rat to disappear again.
‘Stop!’ said Kayneth mentally. ‘We need the Einzbern alive! She's the only one who knows about where the vessel of the Grail is!’
Kayneth had studied the registers about the past Holy Grail Wars. The last conflict was a lost cause because the Lesser Grail -a structure used to summon the actual wish-granting artifact, the Greater Grail - was destroyed at the end. And he also knew that the Einzbern were the manufacturers of the structure.
Killing the homunculus so early could spell the doom of the entire ritual.
“You should have said this during the briefing of the damn mission then,” grumbled the younger woman. Kayneth could see her watching angrily at where the beastly Servant vanished, gripping the cockpit's controls with strength.
The Lord of the Clock Tower grits his teeth. It was the first time seeing the ride of his Rider in action, and yet his stomach grumbled with rage.
All-Decisive Prototype Mass Production Evangelion, Unit 02.
That was the name of the atrocity that Asuka Langley Sohryu used as her mount. For a magus like him, it was inconceivable that technology could surpass the power of magecraft.
There was no way for that to be true.
‘Well, it's not all mechanical…’
When Kayneth asked about her Phantasm, the woman explained that she didn't know much about the specifics, but she knew that all Evangelions were partially organic, which was even scarier.
What kind of beast would be so strong yet so easily tameable?
He licked his lips.
Lancer also seemed shocked by the sudden appearance. He knew that Asuka was hidden beneath the sea -as they previously planned -but the monstrous form of her mount was a sight to behold.
“Dammit!” roared the Rider, looking around with the mecha. “Where the hell is that rat?”
“It's a hedgehog for you.”
Oh, and he was also looking at the top of the head, where his counterpart, Saber, and the Einzbern master - the latter holding into one of the “horns” of 02 for balance -appeared.
“What the-?!” grumbled the pilot, immediately commanding her Evangelion to slap her foes away.
CLANG!
This time, the knight and the hedgehog tried to stand on their ground but grunted under the pressure of the machine's strength. After a few seconds, Saber released a burst of air from her blade that lifted the palm for a few seconds, giving time to the trio to escape the attack.
‘What I said about not killing the Einzbern?!’
‘Killing,’ pointed out Asuka. ‘Not wounding. And I was aiming for them!’
"Enough, both of you,’ said Diarmuid with some authority. While he didn't like to raise his voice against his current Master, he knew that distractions on the battlefield could be costly. ‘Remember the plan. Leave Saber to me.’
With some reluctance, both decided to stop arguing.
Meanwhile, Shadow exchanged glances with Artoria.
“You fight the pretty boy over there,” he said. “I have experience against machines like those.”
The King of Knights nodded.
“Irisviel, please retreat to a safer place,” she said.
The woman shook her head.
“I would rather be able to focus on the battle,” said Irisviel. “Besides, I feel safer now.”
She gave a sideways glance at a building. The knight frowned. Why-
Then it hit her. He was here. Slowly, she nodded.
“I can provide you with healing but not much else,” said the homunculus. “Be careful.”
Saber shook her head, turning to the enemy Lancer.
“How kind of a reception that was,” she said dryly. “Although I was expecting a more honorable solution.”
The man with a beautiful face bowed slightly.
“I follow the orders of my Lord, as does my partner. My dislike is irrelevant, as his word is the law.”
“Hm…” said the swordswoman. “Is the charm spell that you have a result of your Master's orders?”
He gave a sad smile.
“Unfortunately, this is only part of my destiny,” he declared. “As it yours, for such a beautiful woman to be a fierce warrior. Ah, this only shows that the Magic Resistance of the Saber class is nothing to sneeze at. Ah, so good to have found an opponent with such strength of mind,” he added sincerely.
Saber raised her invisible blade.
“You better have weapons other than honeyed words and good looks to match me, spearman,” she smiled. “Now, let's see if you fight as well as you talk. Show me your power, noble Heroic Spirit.”
The two warriors tensed. Then, in a millisecond, they flew at each other.
CLANG!
Saber attacked first with an overhead slash, to which the enemy Lancer crossed his spears to block it. Then, pushing it away, he tried to spin and slash against the Servant of the Sword with his long spear, but she avoided with ease, immediately going on the offensive again with a thrust that got counter-thrusted by the green spearman. The two took some distance from each other and soon were back to fighting.
Irisviel blinked. All of that happened at such high speeds that she barely could follow the events, and the impact of the blows felt as if they could easily break solid steel.
‘So this is a conflict between Servants…”
WHOOSH!
And speaking of conflicts.
“Stay still, you damn rat!”
“You seem insistent in calling me that.”
The machine that the Rider of Tokyo-3 drives had no right to be so fast. Yet, Shadow was nimbler, avoiding the attacks of 02 easily. Her swings destroyed the border of the dock, but none even touched the target.
“Dammit!” she roared. “I will get you sooner or earlier, monster!”
“You are one to talk,” grumbled Shadow, avoiding another attack. “I knew a lizard with a better aim than yours. Now, let's end this!”
He jumped at the top of the hand when it swung, taking to the air. Then, when he began to fall, two jets of air expelled from his boots, stabilizing his descent.
“Wait, you fly now?!” asked Asuka, seeing the enemy floating away from her grasp.
The Ultimate Lifeform smirked.
“I fly now,” he said, snapping his fingers as a volley of light spears appeared around him. “Chaos Spear!”
The barrage fell upon the machine, creating a smokescreen from it.
“Hmph,” he said. “Even the machines of GUN were tougher than that. How pathetic for a Noble Phantasm!”
WHIZZ!
Shadow narrowly avoided a giant bullet that almost pierced him.
When the smoke went down, it was possible to see an octagonal orange shield appearing and then slowly dissipating. The EVA also was holding a gigantic assault rifle that resembled one of Kiritsugu's weapons.
“Hey, hey…” said the Rider of Tokyo-3, cracking the head of her machine. “You were talking such shit before…did you think an attack of that level would be enough to hurt 02?”
It was possible to feel the wicked grin that the pilot held as she prepared the gun to fire.
“Eat lead, you overgrowth mice!”
‘...somehow, I am still surprised. Alright, you win this time, Old Man Acht."
Kiritsugu positioned himself at the top of one of the buildings, using the Walther to see the fights. He watched Lancer of the ARK trying to avoid the bullets of the enemy Rider's gigantic Steyr, then focused on Saber, who currently faced the other Lancer.
He grumbled. ‘So those must be the Servants of El-Melloi.’
One of his contacts in Fuyuki's mail service had informed that the famed magus had ordered something from Ireland in a rush, and the dual-wielder seemed to be of the region. Kiritsugu had no idea why he did that, unfortunately: in his mind, someone like Kayneth El-Melloi wouldn't be so loud in his preparations.
‘Could it be part of a plan to confuse the enemies?’ he wondered. The mercenary shook his head: no, it didn't make sense. It was against the profile of El-Melloi. Thus, he assumed that something happened that forced the Lord of the Clock Tower to make the order.
For all the efforts of Kiritsugu to minimize its influence, luck still was a thing.
He shook his head. It was no time to make such idle thoughts. The man put his eye on the scope, looking around. Other than Irisviel and the Servants, no sign of a heat signature. Nothing out of the expected: only a fool would be close to such a battle -he only asked Irisviel to do that because he knew the danger to her would be low, and they needed to sell the image of her being the Master of the Einzbern.
‘One small treason to begin,’ he thought bitterly, but, like always, he hardened his heart to other emotions. There was a job to do. He still spared a glance at Saber and his Lancer.
“Show me what you can do, King of Knights, Ultimate Lifeform…”
‘This man is good.’
That was what Saber thought while Kiritsugu launched his silent challenge.
Yes, her eye didn't fail her: the Lancer with the charm spell showed great prowess in wielding both weapons. With the short and gold spear, he fended off her attempts at closing the distance. With the red and large one, he controlled long-ranged combat.
She bit her tongue. Dual-wielding spears was an advanced combat style because it sacrificed much of a spear's traditional advantages: unless you were unnaturally strong, your thrusts would be weaker. And the two weapons were smaller than a dual-handed spear, meaning his control of the field wasn't as strong.
But if you got it right, the result was extraordinary.
The King of Knights couldn't help but let out a smirk. As she deflected the attacks, she wondered which weapon was the Noble Phantasm -or could it be both?
‘The problem is that I can't remember any warrior that excelled with such style,’ she reflected, launching a lunge that pushed the enemy Lancer away.
‘Maybe he used them separately?’
Saber nearly stumbled on her face with the sudden voice in her head.
‘Shadow?’
She glanced at the battle unfolding in the waters of the dock. Her ally was sliding through the water with his air shoes while Unit 02 tried to shoot him down.
‘What, did you forget that we are connected?’ thought the hedgehog. ‘The mind of our Master makes the perfect channel for us to communicate.’
Her eyes widened.
‘I see. So, by using Kiritsugu's mind as the connection, we can talk silently.'
Her Instinct flared. She avoided the attack of the red spear, that nearly ripped a lock of her hair.
“Don't get distracted in battle! It would be a shame for things to end in a sneak attack!”
The two knights returned to clash weapons.
‘I don't like the idea of my head as a radio,’ thought Kiritsugu. ‘It distracts my aim.’
‘Aim?’ asked Saber. ‘Are you protecting Irisviel?’
‘...something like that,’ lied the mercenary, in a manner so obvious that even the knight could tell he had another target.
‘Master, this is-!’
CLANK!
The golden spear hit the armor of the King of Knights, causing her to wince from the impact. She fought back with an overhead attack followed by a lateral slash enhanced by her Mana Burst and defended again by crossing the two spears, trapping the two heroes into a stalemate.
‘I don't think we have the time to discuss my methods,’ said the Master. ‘Keep talking, you two. Use this to your advantage.’
His voice vanished. Saber grunted. She and Lancer were tied strength-wise, so to turn the scales, she channeled her magical energy into a powerful burst of power that threw the knight away.
‘Hmph. Ignore our Master, Saber,’ said Shadow. ‘Allow me to ask again: why do you think he used both spears together?’
Saber prepared to answer only to find herself unable to do so. Was she jumping to a false conclusion?
It was possible. Heroic Spirits were never summoned in their full power, as the Class System would split their skills in life into different classes. So, it was easy to assume ‘this man mastered the use of two spears, so he should have used them together in life.’
But what if that was not the case?
“You are slacking, Saber!”
Lancer flew from his crashing spot, again crossing spears with her blade. The spearman retreated when she threatened to slice him apart with her invisible sword -one of the most precious advantages she had in this battle, restricting the movements of the brave hero in the face of the overwhelming risk of having underestimated the length of the blade.
She used that time to think. Shadow had a point. There was another defining trait that Saber was forcing herself to ignore, the charm spell. The Servant of the Sword was sure she heard stories of a tragedy involving a man and a love curse during her time as a king: if she managed to piece that information together…
CLANG!
The blades crossed once again. Saber set her mind.
Once he revealed his Noble Phantasm, she would see if her guess was correct.
“Thinking you are hot shit, you weasel?!” roared Rider of Tokyo-3, recharging her gun. “A monster like you won't ever beat me!”
Shadow huffed, annoyed, as he tried to approach the enemy with his speed. However, the machine had reloaded its Pallet Rifle.
“Take this!”
Once more, he retreated, weaving through the bullets that impacted the ocean, spreading the fire in an attempt to overwhelm him.
‘Hmph,’ thought Shadow. ‘As if I would fall for such a simplistic ploy.’
His counterattack came in the form of even more Chaos Spears launched with great speed at their titanic target. The Rider didn't bother to dodge, letting them impact harmlessly at the energy shield.
‘How pathetic!’ thought Asuka. ‘If this is the power of the other Servants, then I can rely on the AT field to tank through them all!’
Still, both recognized the stalemate between them. Shadow was too fast to hit, while 02's defenses were too much for the Lancer's attack to pierce.
It was a battle of attrition.
However, one of the sides knew how this would go.
‘How much energy do you have remaining?’ asked Kayneth.
Asuka grimaced.
‘At best? Three minutes, tops.’
She could see the grimace of his Master in her mind.
Besides the traditional scorn that most magi had over modern technology, Kayneth had two other reasons to dislike 02.
The first one was size.
“F-fifty meters tall?!”
“More or less. And let me tell you, the Angels were even bigger.”
The magus fell into the chair, stunned. His hands were on the face.
“Goddammit, goddammit, why do my Servants have to be so troublesome?!”
It turns out that Bounded Fields -a type of spell used, amongst other things, to hide supernatural activities, like the Holy Grail War -can't hide a machine of 02's size. Thus, Asuka couldn't use her Noble Phantasm unless her Master authorized it -something about “keeping the Moonlight World” in secret or some crap like that.
It was a new feeling for the Second Child to hear that the size of her machine was a liability, but it is what it is. At least the docks were just deep enough for her to use the Evangelion -and, honestly, for all the talk about keeping her ace in the sleeve, that was one of the best opportunities to make full use of her Noble Phantasm.
Unfortunately, the second issue wasn't as circumventable.
And that is, of course…
“Hmph,” grumbled Shadow. “I wonder how much power it's needed to keep a machine of this size.”
The line of thought of Lancer of the ARK was almost correct: there was no way that a Noble Phantasm of that power didn't have a hideous energy cost.
Unlike in her time in NERV, Asuka didn't have the means to keep 02 charged constantly. No umbilical cords, no additional batteries, nothing. Only the (thankfully rechargeable) inner battery with a time limit of five minutes and whatever magical energy Sola-Ui and Kayneth could offer her.
However, considering the energy problem, her Master and his wife would need to grant her a large amount of mana to add one extra minute to her, while disregarding the support to Diarmuid entirely.
She snarled. Attracting enemy Servants and crushing them seemed like a good plan at the time: simple and efficient and very likely to work considering how fast 02 was for a machine of its size. The failure of that strategy put her on the back foot. And, considering that her partner and Saber seemed evenly matched…
‘Two more minutes,’ she grumbled.
It took only fifteen minutes for 02 to reload from an empty battery, but that was way too long in a Grail War. Thus, Asuka needed to switch plans fast.
With that in mind, she dismissed her steed, backflipping to the solid ground of the dock, doing a little roll-up per force of habit. The Second Child stared at her enemy with determination, still like a rock.
The Lancer of the ARK stared back, a bit wary. What was she doing?
‘Could it be that was her limit? Or is it a trick?’ wondered the Ultimate Lifeform.
He let out a cocky smile. Whatever plan she had on the sleeve wouldn't work.
After all, there was a reason why he was a Lancer, and it wasn't only for his Chaos Spears.
“Out of my way!”
The Lancer charged his body with energy, going from 0 to 100 in less than two seconds. A yellow corona appeared around him, giving the eerie form of a spearhead.
Who needs a spear when you are the spear?
The girl didn't have time to guard. With that velocity, she would suffer grave injury-
BZZZZZT!
-if she was vulnerable.
“What?!”
Shadow staggered a bit from the invisible shield around the Rider, who was sent sliding from the force of his attack, until stopping close to the area where Saber and the other Lancer fought.
“Got you now!”
She swept her arm in a maneuver that Shadow instinctively attempted to dodge.
CRRRACK!
“!”
In response to the movement, the arm of 02 appeared. Instinctively, Shadow teleported out of the way.
BOOM!
The hand crashed into a warehouse. The force of the impact was enough to destroy the structure in one mighty blow.
“Dammit, I missed!” groaned Asuka.
THUMP!
She felt a blow hitting the AT Field from behind.
“Stay still you-!”
She swung once again, and the arm of her steed complied. And, once again, the Lancer of the ARK avoided the attack by teleporting. He reappeared a few meters behind, glaring at the red pilot.
“All you can do is run, beast?” taunted Asuka. “Come on, I've fought monsters that are bigger than you!”
“Hm, so that's the issue,” commented the Ultimate Lifeform. “So used to smacking away titans, you are utterly incompetent against ants. I see.”
He glared at the girl.
“So this is a battle my pride can't afford to lose!”
He swung his arms. An array of Chaos Spears formed midair, pointing at the red Rider.
“Begone!”
Thankfully for Kiritsugu, he was used to the sound of explosions, or otherwise, the massive attack that Lancer launched would have distracted him.
Explosion after explosion collided with the orange shield, which had no sign of giving in. The defensive abilities of that girl were top-notch.
Shame that it wouldn't do her any good to her once El-Melloi fell.
“Found you,” he said to himself. The man had weaved an invisibility spell in a warehouse far from the battlefield. Unfortunately, that also meant that the magus was emitting a big heat signature -ironically making finding him easier thanks to the thermographic aim. “Maiya, El-Melloi is northeast of the fight. Can you see him?” he asked on the radio.
“Negative,” said his assistant. “I am in a blind spot. It seems that crossfire is out of question.”
Kiritsugu analyzed the situation. Three hundred meters. The Lord of the Clock Tower didn't notice him yet. A bit of wind came to the ocean, but it was easy to make the compensation. He only needs to aim, pull the trigger to release the potent .300 Winchester Magnum round, and-
Before he could stop himself, Kiritsugu set the tripod. That was a unique opportunity to seize an early win in the war. Feeling himself enter the zone, he prepared to shoot when something made him stare at the crane.
He considered using that place as a watch spot because it was obviously the best place to see the docks. However, as at least one Assassin was still in the war, he decided not to go there.
His suspicions paid off as he saw a black-skinned figure with a skull mask hanging out, silently watching the battlefield.
“Abort mission,” he said. “I see the Assassin, the Hassan.”
It was unmistakable. While that Assassin looked different from the one sent to slaughter the night before, the mask marked him as a member of the Hashashin sect.
“We can still salvage this,” said his assistant. “If I distract him, then you have a free shot.”
“Too risky,” replied the mercenary. “He's too fast to escape and too strong to fight.”
He considered other options. Shooting El-Melloi would reveal his position to everyone present, but he had the trump of the Command Seals. At the cost of one of them, he could protect himself. With two Servants, he could put one to defend Irisviel while the other led him away from the scene.
‘No, this wouldn't work. Too risky.’
The Servants of El-Melloi would also hear the shot. Once they understood that their Master was dead, it wouldn't take much to realize that he was also there, becoming a target as well. Three against one.
Or worse. The Servants of El-Melloi could go after Irisviel for revenge on their Master, a risk that he was unwilling to take.
He grits his teeth. They lost a golden opportunity because of that big stone in their way. But so was the life of an assassin.
He moved his hand to speak in the communicator when he heard Maiya screaming:
“WATCH OUT!”
His muscles tightening, the Magus Killer activated his Innate Time Control, moving from his position quickly. In the last moment, maybe feeling what was to come, he threw himself to the ground.
SLASH!
A giant blade slashes the floor horizontally, barely missing the Master.
‘What are you doing?!’ roared Kayneth. ‘You can't just strike a random building for anything! This will only-!’
“Shut up!” shouted Asuka back. “I saved your life, ungrateful bastard! Or did you want to feel the iron in the head?! If I hadn't noticed the scope glint, you would be a damn corpse!"
Meanwhile, Shadow jumped to the position where his Master was.
“Kiritsugu!” said the Lancer, helping to lift the mercenary. He grumbled a bit from pain - Time Alter had this effect on him -but ultimately managed to return to its feet.
“Dammit, her attack range was bigger than expected…” said the man. If it wasn't for the hasty warning of Maiya, he would be dead. “I need to-”
He didn't finish, as Shadow put in his arms and jumped to the skies as Asuka downed the Progressive Knife.
“Got you now!” she roared triumphantly as a cannon appeared on her right shoulder, launching a gigantic spike flying against the flying pair.
“Chaos Control!”
Much to her disappointment, the duo disappeared right as the attack was about to reach its target.
The two reappeared at the top of another warehouse.
“We are close to where Maiya is,” said the Master. “Leave me here. You need to return to the battlefield.”
He tried to walk but tumbled a bit, dizzy. Shadow rushed to grab him.
“Take it easy. I never used this power with humans as my passengers,” said the Lancer. “I don't know how much you can be affected by a first trip.”
He was about to help him when he heard a sound. Acting quickly, he scooped his Master and jumped to the sky.
BOOM!
A rocket hit the building, blasting the roof to smithereens. The few metal shards that flew to the duo were too weak to cause any harm.
“I ain't done with you, you little-!”
Asuka summoned the arm of 02, who was holding a bazooka. Before she could fire another, however, a wave of wind hit the arm, making her fire at the ground.
BOOM!
A crater appeared where the missile hit. Asuka summoned some of the armor of 02 to protect herself from the debris. When she turned to look at her targets, they were already gone.
“Dammit! What-!”
She looked to the other fight in the docks, where Saber glared at Asuka as her golden blade slowly turned transparent. Lancer stared at her opponent, shocked, having barely avoided the attack.
Invisible Air: Barrier of the Wind King wasn't only a way to hide the true identity of Artoria Pendragon.
It was a powerful spell that Merlin specially created to also serve as a way to augment Excalibur's cutting power. A powerful layered Bounded Field formed by compressed winds made a high-pressure structure that constantly refracted light, thus creating the invisibility effect, and only kept together with her magical energy.
However, Invisible Air wasn't a scabbard only and had lots of other, more niche applications. The one that Artoria used more in battle was the one that she called Strike Air: Hammer of the Wind King.
By willingly releasing the barrier around her blade, the release winds created a vacuum that diffused through the air with enough strength to send most people flying away as if dragged by a hurricane.
That was the attack that hit Asuka Langley Sohryu.
“You…” said Diarmuid.
“You!” roared Rider of Tokyo-3. “I had him dead to rights, you bitch!”
The King of Knights stared coldly at the enemy Rider.
“Good,” said Artoria. “That man is dear to my Master. His death would upset her."
‘Nice save, Artoria,’ thought Irisviel, finally letting her grip on the metal relax. The sudden attack on Kiritsugu left her very anxious.
“Master of Einzbern!” roared the Lord of the Clock Tower from his hiding spot. “I heard rumors, but I can't believe you dared to bring that heretical Magus Killer to this war!”
Irisviel stared at the point where the voice of the Master came from.
“The Einzbern do not have to justify our actions to an outsider, Lord of Mineralogy.”
Everyone heard the contempt in his answer.
“So it be. Lancer, Rider, finish that foolish-!”
“Wait.”
Lancer moved from his position, taking a few steps away from his rival knight.
“I can take her, Milord,” said the Lancer. “There is no reason to tarnish this duel between us. Can you comply with my wish, Rider?”
Kayneth scoffed at that and was about to order him when Asuka answered:
“Yeah, ahm…Sure,” said the teenager, her cheeks a bit red.
‘Blast,’ thought the Lord of the Clock Tower. ‘Of all times for you to be affected by that damn curse!’
As a Rider, Asuka had a bit of Magic Resistance, which meant she could resist the love curse to some extent, but it wasn't flawless.
‘Did he do that on purpose, or was it a coincidence?’ thought the Master.
Judging by his surprised stare at Asuka -a person that, from what he saw, was very much practical -it was the latter.
“Thank you, Rider,” said the Lancer of the Love Spot, then turning to Saber. “Now…time to kick things up a notch, shall we?”
He turned to the point where the voice came from. Kayneth let out a tired sigh.
“Why do I even bother? Alright, Lancer, you are authorized to use your Noble Phantasm.”
The knight bowed slightly, gently putting down the yellow spear and wielding his red one with both hands in a more traditional manner. Then, the purple clothing that covered the weapon disappeared, revealing a pattern of vines intertwining around the handle, and runes at the blade.
‘So this is his Noble Phantasm?’ thought Saber. ‘Or, better, one of them?’
Her eyes caught that the amulet around the other spear also disappeared. Maybe a way to hide which was the true Phantasm? Or was that spear something he couldn't use yet? Certain Noble Phantasms had restrictions on their applicability like “the moon needs to be high,” or “Servant X needs to have dragon blood.”
Either way, Artoria was very much alert to the danger of that object.
“Now, I didn't get a good look with that attack of yours,” said the Lancer. “Let's correct this!”
He thrust his red spear toward the Servant of the Sword, who blocked the attack with her blade.
As the weapons clashed, the bounded field of Invisible Air was forcibly released, revealing once again the golden blade that there resided.
“!”
Saber immediately jumped back, summoning back the Bounded Field around her blade.
“Ah…” said the Lancer. “Such gentle light. A shame that you can't keep it revealed for once. Alas, your invisible blade shall not fool me again! Hiya!”
The spearman advanced with his blade, going for blow after blow with the blood-red spear. Artoria risked giving some glances to her blade and snapped her tongue. Whatever his Noble Phantasm was doing, it was stopping her from reforming Invisible Air and revealing the outline of the sword.
‘This is bad,’ thought the King of Knights. The knight she faced was a skilled fighter and, unable to use the full power of Excalibur, any advantage counted.
However, she still had a few trump cards on her sleeve. Her armor was quite resistant, and her Instinct would give her the best possible course to victory.
‘If I advance, he will try to stab me. However, by going slightly to the side at the moment of the blow, I will only need to take a lighter blow, and he will be wide open!’
Trusting her Instinct, she went onward with the plan, bursting to slash his foe with Excalibur. She avoids the attack, relying on her armor to block-
Pain.
The knight immediately threw herself to the side, ignoring the chance. That probably saved her life, as the spear of the enemy Lancer drew blood.
“Saber!” screamed Irisviel, worried.
“I'm alright!” said the female knight, touching the region where the spear should have pierced her armor. Yet, the structure was intact. How curious. The wound on the side of her body swiftly closed. “Thank you, lady Irisviel.”
She turned back to her opponent.
“My, you are one troublesome knight,” said Saber.
He gave a cocky smile, in a sense that he knew that.
Artoria's mind went into overdrive, compiling all she knew about the Noble Phantasm. It pierced Invisible Air, a Bounded Field, and then struck her prana armor without causing any visible damage to it. Only one conclusion was possible in her head.
“A spear that nulls magic is quite the artifact for a Grail War.”
That was the mystery that Artoria solved. The armor and Invisible Air needed a constant flux of prana to keep working. By temporarily cutting the flow, he forcibly released her Noble Phantasm before, and the back and forth between her and Lancer meant accumulating wind for perfect refraction was impossible. And now, by cutting the energy in one section of her armor, he managed to get a clean blow on her.
Now, what to do?
Her first thought was to disperse her armor. Its defensive prowess would be for naught against the red spear, and by using the energy, Saber's Mana Bursts would allow her to overwhelm the enemy Lancer's defenses to end things in a single blow.
However, the looming threat of the gold spear resided in her mind.
‘The more I think about it, the more I feel I'm playing straight in Lancer's game.’
They are evenly matched in skill and powers, but since he unveiled the red spear, the flow of the fight seemed to slowly go in his favor, as expected from a Noble Phantasm. However, in her mind, he held a final trump card to surprise her.
‘But…maybe I can play to his expectations.’
With that in mind, she dispersed her armor.
“Hm, I see. Trying to match my speed, Saber?” asked the Lancer of that world, smirking. “A bold choice.”
Diarmuid slowly moved his hand closer to the spear in the ground. The conditions were slowly setting in his mind.
The blue knight put her sword behind her. The intent was clear.
‘I see. She will use the technique from before to boost herself to me. With that amount of momentum and power, it will be enough to kill me.’
He smiled. That was the situation he arranged. Alas, his Eye of Mind would guarantee his blow would be a killer strike.
The two stared at each other silently, waiting for the first move.
And, as Diarmuid expected, it was done by Saber. The winds behind her swirled. And then-
She flew. Like a bullet, the King of Knights flew straight against her opponent. As Diarmuid calculated, he kicked the gold spear to his hand, but…
‘My timing! It was off!’
In another world, Saber would have flown against him and been caught off-guard by the innocuous weapon he dropped, fooled by thinking that his true and singular Noble Phantasm was the red blade of exorcism.
However, in this world, where an insightful voice offered the idea of trickery by part of her opponent, she performed one small trick herself.
Her blade was a bit lowered to the ground.
The whole exchange lasted five seconds in total.
Half a second after flying from her starting spot, Artoria lowers her blade slightly closer to the ground, fully touching at the mark of one second.
Her blade was not an offensive tool at the moment but rather an improvised brake. It didn't do much to alter her speed, so it shouldn't be good on most occasions.
However, in this case, it made all the difference.
This rustic way to stop herself went unnoticed by Diarmuid, who focused on landing the killing blow.
At four seconds, he kicked his blade up from the ground, picking it in his hand, hoping to use it to strike down the female knight. However, she is slightly behind -one second away from impact, in fact, and now vindicated in her caution.
One manages to make the trap fire too early. The other realizes he's about to get hit by a devastating blow. Thus, the knight jumps slightly back to get the distance for what is, in his mind, a killing strike.
However, he also gives time for his prey to react. At the four and a half seconds mark Lancer attempts to strike Saber's shoulder down. However, for her Instinct, it could have been thirty seconds. The blade misses its target, only managing to nack the cheek of the heroine as she dodges the move.
At four and seventy-five, she attempts to give her killing blow. However, Lancer, realizing his vulnerability, puts the red spear of exorcism in the way. That action saves him: the trusty Phantasm nulls much of the magic surrounding the blade but couldn't do anything against the magically enhanced physiology. Thus, all he felt was her martial prowess that launched him away like a ragdoll.
And, at five seconds, the Lancer crashed into a warehouse's wall -it was not a good day to have a warehouse in the docks - and blinked, slightly stunned from the devastating move.
“Your feint…” said Saber, summoning her armor back. “It was admirable, Lancer. You almost got me with a lowered guard.”
She touched the slash on her cheek, then stared at Irisviel, who attempted to send mana to heal her.
“It…it's not closing,” said the homunculus. “My magic is not affecting it.”
Saber nodded. That confirmed her suspicions.
“Two demonic spears. One that nulls magic and the other that inflicts unhealable wounds. All followed by a man with a magical love spot,” she smiled. “It's quite an honor to meet you on the battlefield, Diarmuid of the Love Spot, honorable First Knight of Fianna.”
The knight jumped back to his feet, still dizzy but ready to fight.
“And that golden blade…” he let out a joyous laugh. “No Heroic Spirit of this world can't see that shining light and recognize your identity, King of Knights. Oh, the beauty of the Holy Grail War! The opportunity to face a warrior of your caliber! It makes my blood boil in anticipation! And the enemy Lancer…yes, this is a battle to write in an epic.”
The two knights readied their weapons. Saber glanced at her blade, now transparent. While he knew its length, she could still fake him out as long as she avoided the red spear - The Crimson Rose of Exorcism, Gaé Dearg. And, with her armor back, The Yellow Rose of Mortality, Gae Buidhé, had lost much of his efficacy.
She smiled. It was still an even match, but her desire to fight another knight shined bright. Whipping the blood on her face, she burst ahead to-
CRACK!
She barely managed to defend herself when the giant red hand slapped her away like a fly, throwing her away from the docks, bouncing in the water like a stone before touching her feet, and began running through the water, triggering the blessing of the Lady of the Lake. The fluid felt like solid ground thanks to the spell -albeit an unsteady one due to the waves.
BOOM!
The gigantic form of 02 appeared again in the waters.
“Rider!” screamed Diarmuid, indignation brimming in his voice. “What is the meaning of this?!”
“It means that you lost, Lancer!” said the young pilot, her voice echoing through the battlefield. “Not only did you reveal both of your Phantasms, but that bitch also revealed your true name! And you still failed to finish her off!”
“I could-”
“You could do nothing!” interrupted the girl. “You lost, simple as that, and now I will harm this cow that dared to hurt you, how dare she-!”
She stopped talking. Saber's eyes widened. For a Rider, one of the classes that could inherit the Magic Resistance skill, the Love Spot was affecting her more than expected. And considering how emotional teenagers could be…
“YOU ARE DEAD MEAT!”
The machine summoned two knives similar to the one she summoned early. Then, with surprising speed, the machine pierced through the waves to get her target, crossing the distance between the two in seconds.
“DIE!”
The machine swung one of the knives at Saber, who, still running, avoided the attack by jumping over it. Then, she avoided the other coming from above by using her Mana Burst to launch herself midair. Stepping again into the water, she ran around the machine, using her smaller size to weave through the attacks.
Meanwhile, Diarmuid stared aghast at the scene, shocked by the sudden turn of events and the talk from his partner. Then, he heard the voice of his Master:
‘This is your chance of redemption.’
‘Milord?’
‘There is no sign of that other Servant, and Rider is keeping Saber occupied. Pressure the homunculus.’
His eyes widened, glancing at the white-haired woman, who watched the fight in the ocean with great apprehension.
‘Milord, you said you didn't want her killed!’
‘I did, and I stand by that,’ scoffed the man. ‘But those damned Einzbern have the nerve to hire the heretical Magus Killer to win the war for them. This is something that only true magus like me should participate in. Thus, I have no shame in ordering you to punish their inattention and willingness to besmirch this ritual by claiming their Command Seals.’
‘But sir, this is dishonorable!’ protested Diarmuid. ‘It would mean-’
‘I. Don't. Care’ said the cruel Lord. ‘I had enough of disobedience in the last days! Thus, by the power of my first Command Seal, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, I order you to remove the Command Seals of the Einzbern homunculus with your Yellow Rose of Mortality!’
The Servant grits his teeth, but it was too late. The magical power of the Command Seal pressured him to accomplish the order of his Master. With sorrow in his heart, Diarmuid prepared Gaé Buidhe-
There was no sign of the homunculus.
‘What the-’ said Kayneth in their bond before Lancer's instincts flared, and he swung his blade up, forcing a red and black ball of fur to avoid the attack with haste.
Said fur ball, much to his surprise, was the other Lancer, who perfectly landed on the ground after missing the attack and decompressing. He held a green stone that, even from afar, Diarmuid could tell that it emitted power.
“Hmph,” said the hedgehog Mobian. “Such a shame. I hoped that I could end this in one blow.”
The knight of Fianna snorted.
“Do you confuse me with a lesser hero, monster?!” claimed the knight. “I praise your audacity, however, for being so willing to throw himself at the hands of the natural enemy of a monster!”
The knight sped up, thrusting his red spear against the opponent, who, like before, teleported away. However, the Lancer had already predicted that his counterpart would do that, and swiftly avoided the follow-up kick, and tried to counter with a blow from his Gaé Buidhe. Much to his surprise, the hedgehog teleported again, moving to the other side of the docks.
“Hm, I see,” said the Lancer. “You couldn't teleport consecutively in the fight against Rider. You only did teleport twice towards the end of that battle. Now, with that gem of yours, you pulled that move immediately. Could it be that this artifact enhances your power?”
The Ultimate Lifeform glared.
“You are observative for someone in a duel until recently.”
“It comes with the duty,” said the knight. “Your teleportation is troublesome, but it will not be enough to defeat me, beast.”
Shadow glared at him.
“I am getting tired of being called that,” said the Lancer of the ARK. “Besides, it's not only my teleportation that you need to worry about.”
Snapping his fingers, thirty Chaos Spears appeared midair and automatically hurled themselves at the other Lancer, who promptly jumped over the attack. But-
“OOF!”
Like a rocket, Shadow flew at high-speed towards the enemy Lancer, who barely blocked the attack and was launched higher in the air.
“CHECKMATE!”
More Chaos Spears appeared beside Shadow, flying towards the falling Diarmuid. Not too shabby, the knight of Fianna dismissed Gaé Buidhe, and, holding Gaé Dearg with both hands, spun the magic dispelling spear as an improvised shield.
It worked like a charm: while the nullification of the projectiles was only partial -as the blade of Gaé Buidhe had the property to cancel magecraft -it still softened the blows of the barrage enough that he was unharmed when he hit the floor with the grace of a cat.
‘What a fearsome attack,’ thought Diarmuid. ‘If it had more power, I would be in trouble.’
The knight avoided another charge attempt by the hedgehog, who missed a kick on him.
‘And his speed…it's incredible. Maybe it matches…no, it certainly surpasses mine!’
‘Is this time to praise the enemy?!’ replied Kayneth. ‘Where is the homunculus?’
‘I fear this worry becomes secondary at the moment, Milord,’ said the Lancer. ‘With the technique of this other Lancer, I can't say if it's possible to find her.’
The Lord clicked his teeth.
‘Ugh! Defeat this fake, Diarmuid!’
“It will be done, Milord,” said the knight, a bit of relief at being able to ignore the hasty previous order of his Master. “I can't afford to fail in slaying you, cat.”
The cat hedgehog glared at his opponent, annoyed.
“I'm starting to get tired of this tomfoolery.”
He snapped his fingers, and many more Chaos Spears appeared in midair.
“Now, begone!”
“Hm, hear hear,” said the King of Conquerors from his stand.
Dumbledore turned to the red-haired king, munching what seemed to be jellybeans.
“Are you annoyed by the knight of the Love Spot too?”
The Rider shook his head.
“No, not that, I agree with the previous statement of the rat-”
“Hedgehog,” corrected Dumbledore.
“-about the situation of this conflict. It's quickly growing stale.”
“I like stale. Stale is nice,” said Waver, who by now managed to ignore the fact that one wrong move and he would fall to his death. “It's safe, and it's not batshit insane.”
“Boy!” said the King of Conquerors. “I feel shocked by your lack of guts. We can't afford to have fear in our recruitment drive!”
Both Waver and Caster of Hogwarts blinked.
“Excuse me, but what?!” asked the Master.
The Macedonian conqueror stepped into the steel frame, shaking the structure and causing Waver to hold onto it for his dear life.
“It's quite simple, boy! Lancer and my counterpart seemed to have brought out their trump cards from the get-go, and yet failed to finish the job! Thus, it stands to reason that things will start to halt and become an endurance contest.”
“Wouldn't this be ideal for us?” questioned Dumbledore. “Logically speaking, letting two opponents weaken themselves is a sound tactic.”
“It would be…if that was my goal,” replied the gingerhead. “But that is far from being my ambition. No, in my patience, I hoped that more would answer the call of Lancer and his feisty partner. Rather than pick one by one, I would rather face them all at once!”
Waver looked at his Servant as if he had grown another head.
“You knucklehead! Your wish is to create a battle royale?!”
“Ah, you can think like I do, after all!” said Iskandar. “Yes, that was my plan! This war, it's nothing more than one great opportunity to cross swords with heroes of all times…and, of course, of other worlds! What kind of fool would I be to lose such an opportunity?!”
“A smart fool!” argued Waver. “Come on, Dumbledore, help me here!”
The old man, however, scratched his beard.
“Hm, I can't say that I am opposed to intercultural contact…” said the headmaster of Hogwarts.
Besides, if his suspicions about Saber's identity were correct, she could answer many questions about a subject of which the beard was the talk of the wizards in his world.
After all, if all knew that man, then there would be no way of not knowing about the man -or woman - he nurtured with his wisdom.
“Oh, come on! The whole point of the Grail War is to let Servants die! Just do that, please!”
“And let unanswered the burning passion of those four heroes? Nay!” said the chariot driver. “This is something I cannot do! For I search for something beyond a pile of bodies: I aim to win without bringing ruin, to dominate and not disgrace. In short, I look for true conquest!"
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
“Of course, you can always stay here, boy,” said the Rider. “I doubt anyone can get to you from this height.”
Waver looked down, and suddenly the somewhat large bar he sat on seemed as narrow as a tree branch.
“Fools, fools, fools!” said the young man. “For leaving me here and for going down there! You two are wackos!”
“Hm, this is a new way to say that I am dimwitted,” said Dumbledore. “The vocabulary of Rita Skeeter got so stale after a time…”
Albus didn't mind being offended, but he demanded creativity in the insults.
“Come, Gordius Wheel!”
With a flash, the thunder chariot appeared, the bulls rambling in wish to take his owner to the battle. The trio jumped into the vehicle and advanced towards the dock.
‘One and a half remaining? Shit!’
Asuka rushedly back to the border of the docks, with Artoria following suit. Similarly to Shadow earlier, she failed to pierce the shield around the machine -less by attempting to attack and failing to cause damage and more because the nature of the waves combined with the range of the mount meant that closing in was difficult.
Still, she could see why Shadow was having so much difficulty with the girl. With her having to return to land, Artoria would have an easier time closing in, but the shield was still problematic.
‘Strike Air managed to affect the movement of the arm before but didn't seem to damage it in any way,’ thought the Servant of the Sword. ‘But maybe if I use a more powerful attack…’
Her grip on Excalibur strengthened. The Sword of Promised Victory would doubtlessly be able to shred the protection the Rider relied on, but it was also a dead giveaway of her identity. Once she did that…
‘Denied.’
Her eyes widened.
‘Master. I didn't expect you to talk directly with me.’’
In another building
‘I didn't expect that either until you and Lancer used my mind as a radio antenna.’
“Do not make sudden moves, Kiritsugu. You tore your biceps, and movement makes healing harder.”
The Magus Killer nodded, letting his wife do the job. Maiya watched the couple a bit before returning to watch the battlefield.
After escaping Rider of Tokyo-3, Kiritsugu had instructed his Lancer to put him in the same building as Maiya, followed by ordering to bring Irisviel there -and right on time, judging by how oddly Diarmuid was acting.
Tactically speaking, it wasn't a decision that Kiritsugu liked. Irisviel was still relatively safe under the hands of Lancer, and he would rather attempt to find a new way to attack El-Melloi -his modified Walther had been destroyed in the attack against him.
But that was a need. El-Melloi had shown a surprisingly ruthless streak once he deduced his presence as a “mercenary.” Besides, it was a long time since Kiritsugu had used Time Alter for the last time - the damage he took was a bit bigger than expected, especially because he still got some nasty bruises from stray rocks. It would take him out of combat for a significant time if his wife didn't treat it fast.
‘I suppose it's a fair assessment -although it's his fault for doing that in the first place,’ argued the knight.
‘I can hear this,’ said the hedgehog blankly.
‘Do you even care enough to be offended?’ asked Kiritsugu.
‘I do not. Now, back to fighting.’
The hedgehog turned off.
‘Is this even possible?’ asked Saber. ‘Like, I heard a beep and-’
‘Not the point,’ said the Magus Killer. ‘As I was saying, don't reveal Excalibur yet. This is our one trump card in the offense. You know that Shadow's is a Support type.’
‘Understood. Although, Master…I would like to have a heart-to-heart after this battle.’
Before Kiritsugu could answer, the knight shut off the link. Kiritsugu grumbled in displeasure.
“Is anything hurting?” asked Maiya.
“No, just thinking about a future headache…”
There goes the plan of not having to deal with Saber…
Rider of Tokyo-3's ride dematerialized, leaving only the pilot to attempt a midair punch at Lancer of the ARK -currently bombarding his counterpart with wave after wave of projectiles that seemed unending. Seeing the attack coming, he jumped over the arm and ran over it, attempting to strike the pilot with a boosted kick from his Air Shoes, yet again failing to pierce the shield.
Free from the barrage, Diarmuid used the dematerializing arm of his partner as a support to jump in the air to attempt to skewer Shadow with Gaé Buidhe, but Saber, using her Mana Burst, jumped quickly into the air and deflected the attack of the gold spear. Then, when he attempted to follow up with a strike from Buidhe, Shadow held onto her and teleported both to the ground.
“Hmph. I had him under control,” said the Ultimate Lifeform.
“Better safe than sorry,” said the King of Knights. “Thanks for the help, by the way. If it weren't for you, I may have fallen for Diarmuid's trap.”
He shrugged.
“Hmph. It would be a poor show of you if that man critically wounded you. Spare your gratitude for another day.”
The woman raised an eyebrow but shrugged it off.
“If you wish, but I stand by what I said.”
The hedgehog scoffed but let out a hidden smirk. It was nice to have a competent ally -even if a bit of a fool in some ways.
“Dammit, dammit, dammit!” said the pilot, striking the floor with her hand. “Why?! Won't?! They?! Die?!”
Diarmuid put a hand on his shoulder, grimacing a bit. He was uncomfortable doing that, but if Asuka started to rampage…
“Miss Langley Sohryu,” he said, touching her shoulder. “You did your best with what you had. Cool your head, and do not be reckless.”
He made sure that the girl stared at him the whole time. Her respiration slowly returned to normal and her cheeks became a bit red.
“Ah, uhm…” she said, trying to articulate the words. “Yeah, you're right. Thank you, Diarmuid.”
Slowly, she rose from the ground, putting her fists up.
“Goddammit, I'm almost missing the Angels now…”
Well, except for Arael of course, but she didn't want to even think about that thing.
“Don't worry…” said Diarmuid, spinning his two spears. “The only ones that will rest among them are those two.”
The duos prepared to keep fighting…
When two things occurred simultaneously.
First, a scream.
“ULULULULULULULU!”
Said owner of the scream landed between both teams, his lightning chariot indicating his condition as a Heroic Spirit. A gentleman with a long white beard and a terrified younger man were together inside the vehicle. The bulls slowed down until the chariot blocked the path between them.
Second, a crash.
CRACK. WAH WAH WAH WAH!
Followed by an alarm.
A fancy black Mazda crashed into one of the walls of a warehouse -coincidentally in the same warehouse that Diarmuid ended up in.
Dizzyingly leaving the vehicle, Saber saw a familiar figure and held his breath.
“Him!” said the knight, tensing up.
The man in the lightning chariot only spared a side glance to the surprise visitor before speaking:
“Put your arms down, noble heroes, as a King stands ahead of you!” boomed the caped conqueror. “The King of Conquerors, Iskandar, announces its presence as the Rider of this world, joined by my friend, the Caster of Hogwarts!”
Silence. Awkwardly, the “driver” coughed.
“Oh, we are making introductions?” asked the Servant. “Ah, crap, never was good at that, even made a bad entrance, stupid fancy cars…”
He moved his tie a bit and took some invisible dust from his coat before saying:
“And I…am Tohru Adachi, the Berserker of Inaba. Heard that there was a Murder Death Kill game here,” he looked around. “So? Where is the blood?!”
Rider of Tokyo-3 - Asuka Langley Sohryu
True Name: Asuka Langley Sohryu
Title: The Second Child
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Alternate classes: Berserker
Parameters
Strength: E
Endurance: D
Speed: E
Mana: C
Luck: D
NP: B+
Class Skills
Magic Resistance - E
Merely reduces magical damage rather than nullifying. As a hero of a modern age, Rider receives this skill as part of the class container, thus getting a low rank into it.
Riding - A
All vehicles and creatures besides Phantasmal and Divine Beasts are controllable. The A rank is the norm for those belonging to the Rider class, so it's not surprising for Asuka to have this skill at this rank, and her fame as the driver of the enormous EVA-02 meant that it was natural for her to possess this skill. Of course, she excels more with her Noble Phantasm.
Personal Skills
Battle Continuation - C
Allows one to keep fighting even in the face of mortal injury. Even when surrounded by countless foes and bleeding out, Rider fought until the bitter end.
Berserk - C
A combination of the Mad Enhancement and Valor skills. At this rank, it can partially block attempts on mental interference and increases melee damage. However, in the case of Asuka, weak as she is, this skill is more useful when inside her Noble Phantasm.
Eye of the Mind (True) - D-
Skill granted by fighting on countless battlefields and refined through observation, discipline, and experience. Of the Evangelion pilots, it's correct to say that she was the most skilled pilot until the arrival of a certain someone. However, her youth and the nature of the conflicts she was engaged in, means that Rider never managed to grasp this power in its entirety. Her temperament also causes her to ignore small things, and thus, she can be caught off-guard.
Noble Phantasm
Unit 02 - The All-Decisive Prototype Mass Production Evangelion
Rank: B+
Classification: Anti-City, Anti-Angel
The steed that Asuka used in life, this biological mecha -also called Evangelion - is known as Unit 02. Created from samples of the original Angel -mysterious beings that cause havoc in the world and whose origin is rather vague - the organic components of this vehicle are made of a substance called particle-wave matter, and their form is based on their progenitor. In a sense, they are as living as any human being. They are powered by a core that serves as a power organ, but that can only provide limited energy: after that, Rider is dependent on whatever her master can supply or in letting the core recharge.
To use 02, Rider needs to enter in synchrony with the machine, said condition only being possible by the insertion of the soul of her mother in the Evangelion. By connecting to the Entry Plug, she also links back to the neural system of 02, giving control to her.
02 Stats:
Strength: A+++
Endurance: A+
Speed A+
02 is monstrously powerful in combat, compensating for Asuka's mediocre physical prowess. Its armor can resist even nuclear explosions while restraining some of the machine's bestial nature. She can also manifest on demand any weapon she used in battle -albeit with the caveat that, if destroyed, she can't manifest it again. However, her biggest trump is the Absolute Terror Field, AT Field for short. Generated by her soul and enhanced by her Evangelion, this invisible force field effectively makes Rider impervious to all but the strongest attacks, which she can also use offensively. And, as an Anti-Angel weapon, she gains a plus modifier when facing anything Angel-related.
Last, but not least, as a desperate measure, Asuka can channel her Berserk spirit into 02 to increase its abilities even further, in the appropriately named Berserker mode. Said to be the apex in an Evangelion fighting skill, this state releases all of 02's animalistic rage against its foes. However, she insists on using only Berserker mode when nothing else works, as she progressively loses control of 02 and risks suffering injury and draining the Master.
With all that said, Unit 02 possesses a massive weakness that most Evangelion share: it's only as good as its pilot, as it requires absolute synchrony to work at its finest. Asuka became infamous for getting worse in the machine when losing her cool, and those marks are present. A full manifestation of 02 is also dangerous for the Master, as the upkeep is monstrous after the battery gets empty. Thus, Rider limits herself to summoning parts of the machine to strike her enemies down.