Chapter 4: Knights, Ninjas and Soldiers
-154:09:25
The opposing Servants stood facing one another, readying themselves. Saber holding her hidden weapon in front of her chest, straight and resolute. Lancer with the left spear forward and the right to his chest, knees bent for a lunge. His eyes were dazzling even while they reflected his eagerness to fight. In fact, his whole face was… mesmerizing.
Then Saber understood. "A charm spell…" Irisviel behind her realized it too after hearing those words: this Heroic Spirit was exuding a sort of mana that would enchant any woman that gazed upon him. She was less affected thanks to being an Einzbern homunculus (Jubstacheit made sure all of his family's creations were designed with a decent tolerance against enemy magecraft), but it was still a nasty ability. Especially against a married woman.
Lancer smirked and relaxed his position, casually resting his red-tipped spear on a shoulder. "My apologies. I was born with this curse, and I cannot control its effects. You can blame my being born or your being born a woman."
Many females would've been quite affronted by the latter remark, but the pair ignored it. "I hope you weren't planning on escaping my blade's steel with just good looks, spearman," Saber replied.
"That would've been a disappointment," Lancer agreed. "But this goes to show the Saber class' immunity to magic isn't hearsay." A slight joy fluttered in his heart. "Wonderful. My reputation would suffer if I cut down a woman so easily dazzled by my face. It's a relief that my first opponent has such fortitude." Not a single word had been spoken without sincerity.
"Oh?" Saber smirked, pleased herself. "Looking for a straight fight, are we? I'm honored to face such a proud Heroic Spirit."
"Alright, then," Lancer straightened a little more, "whenever you're ready."
Another moment of silence, then Saber sprinted forward, closing the distance within seconds. Lancer in turn spun his right spear in front before thrusting with it, but the crimson tip was parried to the left. The watching Irisviel tensed up as the ground before the weapon was violently ruptured. That was caused by the sheer force of his thrust alone, she thought in awe. The fake Master already had some idea of just how powerful these "familiars" tied to her husband were by watching them skirmish, but this was something else. So, this is when Servants clash for real, then?
Saber had to break off her follow-up due to a thrust from the smaller spear, then Lancer was forced to step back from her slashes. An overhand swing was blocked by both of his weapons, but the concrete beneath his feet crumbled from the sheer power of the blow.
Despite this, Lancer couldn't help but smile. This is the fight he had been waiting for since his tense summoning. His designated partner had been such a handful.
Saber for her part frowned in concentration. This wasn't going to be easy. But she couldn't deny, she'd been hoping for something like this.
"It's already starting," Kiritsugu muttered, adjusting the strap on his shoulder for the Walther's case. He glanced at the differently colored containers, feeling how mana was crackling in the air. The transmitter Irisviel carried with her had led them here, and the energy confirmed the duel between Servants.
And something else. "I can sense a Bounded Field. The enemy Master must've set it up."
"At least we don't have to worry about bystanders, then," Assassin X commented from where he crouched up against the side of a container behind his Master, no grip whatsoever on the metal. Gravity should've sent him falling to the ground, but he remained rooted there as though he was on regular ground. A simple, but useful trick usually for climbing trees.
Maiya was ahead, leaning behind a corner with the Steyr primed and ready. The revelations of Assassin X's abilities and discussions in the last few hours had been rather curious, even for her, but if there was one thing she knew how to do well, it was to compartmentalize. And hunt magi. "Up there," she inclined her head towards the control cabin for a derrick crane further away and up. "A good spot to monitor the entire area."
The men eyed it for a moment. "True, we couldn't find a more ideal vantage point here…" Assassin X murmured, tellingly trailing off.
Kiritsugu finished it with a half-smile. "And neither would anyone else who wants to take a peek." She understood the implication; too obvious. "Maiya, approach from the eastern bank. Assassin X, head for the south. I'll be going west. We'll find spots to monitor both Saber's battle and that crane." Kiritsugu rose a finger towards the Servant. "No interfering unless I say otherwise."
"Affirmative," was the mutual reply before both set off in their respective directions. Maiya sprinted quickly but kept her rifle close in case the enemy was right around the corner. Assassin X first ran along the container's metal side before jumping off it towards an adjacent one, all without making a single sound or letting his presence be known.
Kiritsugu watched them leave, then drew in a breath. "Alright, my cute little King of Knights," he couldn't help but smirk, "I've got your back."
Saber suddenly felt the urge to punch something. Hard.
But she brushed it aside in favor of parrying another thrust from the golden-tipped spear and slashing to the left. Lancer leaned out of the way while the container behind him received a deep cut across its surface and even buckled slightly. The reply sent more concrete pieces flying through the air, freed from their larger part.
She circled around him while deflected two more attacks and evaded the third that tore right through the already damaged metal. As a cloud of dust burst forth from the blow, Saber moved out of it to reclaim proper visibility. Lancer peered out through the cloud in delight.
Incredible though its participants were, Irisviel made sure to keep up with the battle. She noticed how the eyes of the Servant allied with her kept shifting from one speartip to the other. Saber doesn't know which one is Lancer's ace, so she has to watch out for both.
Saber kept a stoic face and calm posture while she tried to discern her enemy's tactics. The right hand holds the long spear, the left one the short spear. The long one grants him the advantage in range over me while the short one covers for up-close combat. But which one is his Noble Phantasm? If I knew, I could win.
We have to figure out his True Name, Irisviel thought as well. But how?
As Lancer lunged for another round, Saber remembered something; she wasn't alone. 'Assassin X,' she sent out while evading an attack from his left, 'are you here?'
'Present,' he replied telepathically to her slight relief, in spite of the slash from the spear she'd just avoided. 'Kiritsugu and Maiya, the ally that had been awaiting us, are still getting into position, but I can see you both clearly.'
'Good.' Saber forced down the weapon while maintaining the conversation. 'I need to figure out my opponent's identity. He's incredibly skilled in wielding spears, two of them simultaneously in fact, but that's insufficient. Can your Sharingan reveal which of the spears is his Noble Phantasm?' She blocked and jumped over the long spear's assault.
'I've been watching him ever since I got a first look, but I'm afraid I can't tell yet. Those bandages wrapped around the spears aren't just covering them in the optical sense. They must be some form of amulet that completely seals their powers. Right now, they appear to me as a pair of simple weapons even with Sharingan. Sorry.' She felt a bit disappointed but kept up her guard despite Lancer's attacks. Both Assassin X and Kiritsugu had stressed not to grow dependent on that Noble Phantasm.
And Assassin X didn't sound like he was about to give up. 'That said, what I can do is tell you his movements in advance.' "What's wrong, Saber?" Lancer baited her. "I'm waiting for your attacks."
'No thanks.' Saber immediately declined his offer. 'He's good, but I will handle him.' While she was impressed with that eye's near-precognitive ability to read movements, figuring out the True Name of an enemy Servant and allowing another to aid in a duel between knights were two very different things. Lancer had chosen to fight her without support from his partner. The least she could do was extend him the same courtesy.
'…All right.' Kakashi at least didn't press her, which she appreciated. 'One thing I can say, though, is that Lancer knows what he's doing. Both spears are being wielded with equal technique despite their differing lengths, so it's possible that they're both Noble Phantasms.'
That warning stayed with Saber while she charged this time, knocking down the long spear that awaited her. The short spear was swung down on her like an axe, but the Servant of the Sword blocked it and shifted her grip on her weapon while taking a step forward. Lancer was forced to dodge as the invisible sword slid sparking down his spear past his face. He rolled out of range and onto his feet, spears at his defense.
Blood trickled down his cheek from a tiny cut. He hadn't been quite fast enough. Damn that sword… he wiped away the blood with his thumb, appreciating the chance to take a breath. Calm as he appeared, he was actually a bit winded from having to trade blows with a swordswoman with the prowess befitting her class and a blade he couldn't even see. I keep misjudging its length, and she's parried all of my twin attacks with it too. She's good.
Lancer couldn't keep the joy off his face if he tried.
Saber's stayed expressionless, but she was in truth pleased. Even if Assassin X was right about the nature of his Noble Phantasm(s), she was starting to get her own idea of her opponent's fighting style. This was a fine duel.
High atop one of the many shorter cranes, the Master of Saber and Assassin X peered through the infrared scope of his Walther. Kiritsugu calmly assessed the battling Servants below before sparing a quick glance towards Irisviel. Then he focused on his original plan: find the other Master. Tuning out the clash of weapons beneath him, he slowly swept the rifle along the outskirts of the battlefield, looking for-
He doubled back a moment. There. One heat signature of man size. Kiritsugu peered through the regular night-vision scope and scoffed; Lancer's Master, looking confidently down from a warehouse roof as the battle continued.
Leave it to a traditionalist to fail to realize that illusion or camouflage magecraft was useless against technological surveillance. Hell, the more they activated their Magic Circuits, the bigger a hotspot they were on a thermal imaging camera. "Maiya," he spoke into his radio, "Lancer's Master is northeast of them. Atop the warehouses. Can you see him?"
From her perch on another warehouse, the woman tried to find the target but took her eye away from the scope of her Steyr. "Negative. My position's got a blind spot there." She almost glared at the offending building in her way. "No sign of another Servant, either."
Kiritsugu wasn't disappointed, though. "Fine." There was still a possibility for a two-pronged attack, after all. So long as the other Master left this place with a .300 Winchester Magnum round in his skull. He began to set up the tripod, then a slight gust of wind caught his attention. Swinging around the Walther to check with its scope, he saw that the crane they'd earlier discussed was indeed being put to use. By…
"Assassin." This one was completely covered in black robes save for his head, from which hair cut in a bowl sprang forth, but the same skull mask adorned his face.
Maiya had brought up her gun and aimed it at the shadowy figure. "I've got him in my sights. Looks like our theory was right, then."
"The whole thing had felt sketchy from the start," Kiritsugu grumbled in agreement. Another moment, then he returned the gun's sight to the situation below. "Keep an eye on Assassin."
"I can draw Assassin's attention by shooting at him, then you kill Lancer's Master in the chaos."
"No, Maiya, leave that Assassin to our own," Kiritsugu ordered her. "We're not equipped to fight Servants-" then he froze at something being pressed against his left temple and a slight click. The sound of a gun's hammer being cocked. The Mage Killer grimaced. …Damn.
"Is that right?" An artificially deepened voice rang out. The area next to him flickered, then a very big person in pitch-black armor appeared out of nowhere. This wasn't the suit a knight of old like Saber would wear, though. It had a far more advanced design, from the mixture of mesh and alloy over each extremity to the square-shaped helmet with an orange visor. That alone took up nearly the whole face, like with an astronaut's suit. He was also holding a silver handgun in a dual grip, its silencer-covered muzzle aimed right at Kiritsugu's head.
Lancer's partner, then.
"Drop it." He released his grip on the Walther, letting it clatter against the metal. Keeping the pistol to his head, the black Servant pulled it closer with his left hand and brought his foot down hard. The rifle snapped clean in half like a dry branch.
"Shame about the warranty for that one," the Mage Killer mumbled in a deadpan. "It was brand new."
"Just be glad that wasn't your spine. Yet." The silencer was pushed harder against his skull. "Keep your hands where I can see them. Backs to me." Kiritsugu continued to glare at his captor even as he followed his instructions.
The Servant scoffed at the bare flesh displayed before him. "So you're just some hired gun that chick down there brought along with her, huh? And there's another one scurrying around? Pretty smart, I'll give her that." Both hands tightened around the gun. "Wish I could say the same about that stuck-up Ello-Mellow fuckwit I've got for a Master."
"Not happy with the hand fate dealt you, huh?" Kiritsugu didn't say that. This time, it was his assailant who froze.
Assassin X stood behind the Servant, blade aimed at a spot in his throat between the armor pads. "You're not half bad at Presence Concealment," the shinobi commented, forcing him with a little more pressure behind his kunai to back off from the other man, "but it's nothing compared to a real Assassin." He glanced down at the firearm. "Archer X, I take it?"
The helmet shifted slightly as though to eye him from the side. "Technically, I'm of Gunner class, but yeah, that's what I am in this stupidly convoluted War. And by the way…"
A black elbow slammed into Assassin X's stomach with lightning speed, making him buckle with a pained grunt. Then that same arm was suddenly around his neck and the handgun fired silently twice into his chest.
It hadn't even taken four seconds.
Archer X forced the wide-heterochromatic eyed doomed Servant to look up at his visor before finishing his prior statement. "I was waiting for you to show up." The handgun traveled back to its original target who had tried to move but stiffened again. "Looks like your boss put too much into getting a Saber and then had to scrape from the bottom of the barrel."
Kiritsugu just smirked. "Is that right?"
Po-poof! A burst of smoke suddenly erupted from Assassin X's body right before the man followed suit, disorienting the enemy Servant. He fired blindly into the cloud, then had to shift to the right as three metal things flashed out towards him. Archer X watched them whiz by his helmet only to realize that they had been a diversion. A hand gripped the wrist of his gun-holding arm while another thrust a knife straight for his throat.
The black-armored man knocked it to the side an instant too late, sparks flying from the spot at his helmet the knife had struck. Kunai, he corrected himself, registering the shape of the weapon and cross-referencing it to information provided by the Grail while kicking out. But the shape let go and jumped out of reach. The pistol rose to fire another round, but the kunai was suddenly stuck inside the barrel a millisecond before the trigger was squeezed, forcing Archer X to toss the exploding firearm away.
The armored spirit sent a cold glare through his visor towards the new person crouching on the container. "A decoy, huh?" The voice was garbled; the knife thrust had damaged the voice synthesizer in his helmet.
Assassin X simply pulled out a fresh kunai as his own eyes assessed his opponent. "Have to do my class proud, you know." He simultaneously sent out a telepathic message. 'Looks like the jig's up with me, Kiritsugu. I'd hoped we could keep it going a bit longer.'
'That's fine,' the one true Master of Saber and Assassin X replied as he silently crept along one of the northern containers, keeping his own Walther close to his chest. This part of the plan had gone quite well, actually. Thanks to Assassin X's Transformation Jutsu and acting ability, he had taken Kiritsugu's place right after they became aware of Lancer's call for battle. The Servant even created what he called a "Shadow Clone", a near-perfect copy that not even a Servant's senses could differentiate from the original (Kiritsugu and Saber had tested that thoroughly).
Then, while Assassin X and Maiya headed for the dock alongside his doppelganger, the real Mage Killer had quietly slipped in from the north, listening in on the radio. No sooner did "Kiritsugu" relay Kayneth's location to Maiya (and to him) was he on the move for an optimal sniping point: his current spot, unnoticed by all. 'Which Servant are you up against?'
'Archer X. From the sound of it, his and Lancer's Master is that Kayneth El-Melloi fellow you told us about. And he's far from happy with the arrangement. Careful, though. He knows someone's up here.'
Kiritsugu nodded at the information and stopped close to the container's edge. 'Do whatever you can to keep Archer X off us. If he decides to aid Lancer, intervene at your own discretion.' He set up the rifle's tripod and aimed slightly to his left. 'I'll handle Kayneth as planned.'
'Roger that.' The moonlight glinted along the kunai in Kakashi's hand as he shifted backwards. His opponent was currently smacking the side of his helmet as though to fix the damage he'd caused, but that didn't mean he wasn't on guard.
"Ah, fuck it," Archer X finally gave up and just shut off the synthesizer, allowing Assassin X to hear the Servant's actual voice. 'By the way, my mistake: Archer X is a she.'
'…Ironic, I suppose.'
'I know, right?'
Then she lunged towards him, throwing a punch at his mask. Assassin X blocked it and the following left hook before jabbing with his kunai three times. The blade bounced harmlessly against her armor even as he threw a roundhouse kick faster than one would expect from someone with that size and mass. But he easily ducked under the limb, grabbed it with both hands, and used the remaining momentum to hurl her across the crane walk. Archer X bounced against the metal but rolled to her feet and attacked again.
Kiritsugu in the meantime was about to take the shot when his target started shifting. He was turning his head as though trying to look for something. Clicking his tongue, the freelancer ducked out of sight. Archer X must've warned her Master, and he wouldn't put it past El-Melloi to have some long-range attacks. Kiritsugu activated his radio and whispered, "Maiya, I've got a lock on the other Master, but he's on guard. And Assassin X is currently engaging Archer X."
"I can partially see the two," his ally confirmed. "It looks like an even fight for now, but can Assassin X keep this up against a Servant that specializes in combat?"
"He can take care of himself," Kiritsugu assured her with more confidence than he would've had when he first summoned the duo. But Assassin X had proven his worth to the team long since then. In more ways than one.
His Presence Concealment allowed him to avoid detection from even the sharpest senses, the Sharingan simplified discerning magical obstacles and perhaps other Servants' identities, he knew a couple of unusual ways for tracking missions, the "jutsu" he had already displayed (and that was allegedly just a fraction of the full extent) would've easily qualified him as a Caster, and judging by the mock battles with Saber, he could very well hold his own in direct combat with knight-class Servants.
In fact, there was a way for Assassin X to perform all of these missions simultaneously.
In the end, Kiritsugu concluded putting some measure of faith into his unexpected familiar wasn't unwarranted. So he said, "Just stay low and keep watching the other Assassin. We'll strike when we have a window for opportunity."
"Affirmative." He snuck a peek out towards his target; El-Melloi was still on guard but hadn't realized where he was yet. A glance towards the fight between Saber and Lancer showed neither was aware of the situation yet. Most importantly, Iri was still unharmed.
He took a breath to relax and remind himself that the situation was still within manageable levels… then his brow furrowed. What's that sound?
It was faint, but he could hear a slight whine, like a machine or a- Kiritsugu snapped the Walther upwards while maintaining his hiding spot. Or a plane.
It took a while even with the thermal and night-vision scopes, but he finally spotted something big flitting through the clouds above. Judging from the altitude, just high enough to avoid detection from the senses of any Servant while still capable of monitoring the area. Yet another complication. 'Assassin X, I think there's yet another Servant here, up in the sky.'
The Copy Ninja stumbled back from a shoulder-check before replying. 'Got it, but I can't do much like this. If I break away from this fight, Archer X could try to hunt you and Maiya down or attack the others below.' He bought himself some distance with a two-handed chest strike. The human snipers needed to lay low for their own sake in this situation.
'Right. Just watch yourself out there and if you see an opportunity, don't hesitate.'
'I'll do my best.' Not that Assassin X had received many opportunities so far, even after multiple exchanges; Archer X knew what she was doing. She had the advantage in physical strength, aggression, and defenses thanks to that armor, but she wasn't some back-alley brawler. Her actions showed definite combat training.
She turned a brief grapple into an attempt to pull him into a headlock, but Assassin X managed to slip free with a high kick to her chin and then grabbed both of her wrists to plant both feet against her helmet. She almost stumbled off the walkway while he backflipped to a safe distance.
Archer X grabbed onto a bar and stopped her fall, straightening back on the metal. "You're not bad after all," she admitted, keeping her guard up as she moved closer. Then came a scoff at his raised eyebrow. "What, gonna say something like 'same to you, for a girl'?"
Assassin X shrugged but kept a knife at the ready. "Don't see why your gender would matter in a fight." He thumbed downwards. "My partner's female, and she's much stronger than I am. If anything, I'm curious that a Servant whose class usually focuses on long-range attacks would attempt to close the distance."
"I'm not your usual Archer. Just like you're not your usual Assassin, I'd bet." Archer X was actually impressed; despite her armor and decision to make the fight close-combat, this man had so far managed to fight evenly with her. He was tougher than he looked too, and a little faster than her. He'd only taken a couple of light blows and evaded anything that would've done serious injury.
In fact, it's almost like he's not just reading my movements, but he knows in advance what I'm about to do. He sees right through feints, even my cloaking hasn't worked on him.
Fine. Time to change the game. Archer X opened both fists as mana began to gather in them. "But if you want to see range that bad…" Dual SMGs materialized, aimed at her opponent. "Chew on this."
"Me and my big mouth," Assassin X quipped, jumping to the side as she opened fire. The metal when he had stood was shredded by the high-speed bullets, the projectiles being of a far greater power and speed than their regular counterparts. Archer X turned after him, the rounds right on the faster Servant's tail.
Saber and Lancer briefly paused in their battle at the gunshots sounding above them, Irisviel looking up in concern. Lancer's eyes narrowed, something Saber picked up on; he knew who was responsible. 'Assassin X, are you alright?'
'So far,' was his slightly hurried reply. 'Can't talk now, busy dodging.'
Saber quickly brought her sword up to parry a series of jabs from Lancer. 'I understand, talk later.'
And as the "X" Servants battled high above their partners, the Hassan took notice and watched them as well, as instructed by his Master.
"Something's happening at the warehouse by the Mion River's estuary," Kirei reported from within one of Fuyuki Church's secret rooms. "It looks like the first battle is happening." He spoke into an old-fashioned phonograph's horn.
"The first?" Tokiomi's voice echoed from the antique slightly distorted, but clearly amused. "Technically, it's the second, Kirei."
"The third, if you choose to count Berserker X's rebellion." Lancer X could be heard as well, followed by a little laugh from her Master. Both were actually in the workshop of the Tohsaka mansion, but thanks to a jewel-mana conductor the family had designed long ago, they could communicate as easily with the priest as though they all shared a room.
"There appear to be two separate battles," Kirei continued his briefing with nary any humor. "A Saber and the other Lancer are clashing in the open yard, while two more fight each other above them. I suspect them to be Assassin X and Archer X."
"You're basing this off the stats of the Servants as Assassin sees them?" Tokiomi asked.
"Yes." One of the things his mentor had taught Kirei was "shared perception": the ability to share senses and experiences with the Servants he had formed a contract with. Right now, even though he was fifteen kilometers away from the docks, the Master could see the myriad of figures clashing weapons with one another, hear the ringing of steel against steel, feel the wind against his face. The catch was that the connection needed to be mutually agreed upon. Rider X and Archer, for example, had both refused such a trick, while Lancer X left it as an ambiguous possibility. No matter, Assassin had agreed, and that made full use of Hundred-Faces Hassan's spy network. And Rider X was also in the area as his own observer.
"Saber's parameters and Skills are particularly high, most of them A-rank. Interestingly, Assassin X's are a bit higher than usual for his type, only a step away from rivalling her fellow knight classes."
"I see. The former I'd expect as the strongest Servant class, but the latter… Curious. Those two seem to be bigger trouble than Archer X or Lancer."
Over in his workshop, Tokiomi leaned back in his chair, confidently eyeing his contraption. Lancer X stood to his side, ready in case she was needed. "Can you see the Masters?" he asked his secret apprentice.
"Aside from the Servants, there's only one person I can make out. A woman with silver hair."
The Tohsaka patriarch scoffed. "So Lancer's Master is intelligent enough to remain out of sight. He's not a novice unaware of how the Holy Grail War is to be played." Lancer X on the other hand frowned behind her mask. Was it really that simple? Or was this woman part of a larger tactic?
Tokiomi's next inquiry cut through her thoughts. "Wait, silver hair? You're sure?"
"Positive. Caucasian, silver hair and red eyes."
Kirei had closed his eyes to increase the shared perception for better details. "There's something inhuman about her."
"…A homunculus of the Einzberns?" Tokiomi finally wondered out loud. "They're still cooking up artificial Masters, then. And I had thought Kiritsugu Emiya was the extent of Jubstacheit's pawns. My mistake, I suppose."
Kirei's empty eyes opened at the revelation. "So, this woman is the Master for the Einzberns?" Something new swelled up inside him, an emotion that he had never truly felt before in his life: disappointment.
Why, though? Why did the thought of this woman instead of the Mage Killer standing before him as an enemy cause him slight pain? Logically, it was a good thing. So, why…?
Swords scraped against each other. Fists slammed into metal. The battlefield raged around the two titans at war with one another-
"Regardless," Tokiomi's voice from the phonograph cut through the strange vision the priest had just now, "she's a figure of top importance for how the Grail War will turn out. Do not let her out of your sight, Kirei."
"Very well. One of them will trail her at all times." But even as Kirei acknowledged his tasks, his thoughts were elsewhere. What was that? That scene just now?
And why did it resonate with him more than the battles his Servant was currently watching? Especially when Emiya came to mind?
-154:03:11
Out on the open field, Saber and Lancer stood a few paces separate from one another. The area around them had been ravaged. Torn asphalt, severely damaged containers, one groaned loudly before collapsing under its own weight, a swirl of dust erupting from its landing.
The Servants, by contrast, were barely injured or so much as tired. In fact, their excitement couldn't be greater. "There is no honor in a battle without announcing your names," Lancer smiled, "but I'm impressed nevertheless with how great a fight a woman can give me without a drop of sweat."
Saber returned his smile. "No need for modesty, Lancer. Even without knowing your name, I can't help but acknowledge your skill with those spears. You have my thanks."
The battle on the western containers, by contrast, was slightly less respectful. "Come on out, Assassin X," Archer X prowled the top of a storage unit, simultaneously reloading both of her guns within a second, "stop hiding and make this easy on yourself."
Her opponent was crouching by the dark side of the container, quietly observing her. A little od, not enough to be sensed by Archer X, crackled beneath his sandals to replicate the effect of magnetism and climb up smooth surfaces without using his hands. Those firearms were Noble Phantasms, he was positive about it, and potent ones, too. A few light tears in his right sleeve could attest to that. Were it not for the Sharingan, he'd have probably been riddled with holes by now. And Archer X had a noticeable temper, but she wasn't spraying ammunition blindly. She was trying to corner him.
She wouldn't have been the first to fail at that.
Then a new voice echoed over the area. "Enough playing around, Lancer."
Irisviel looked around in search of its origin. "Lancer's Master." It had to be. Those Servants familiar with the proud, haughty voice remained as they stood (though Archer X muttered something nasty underneath her helmet), while the other two tried and failed to pin it down.
"Dragging out this battle is of no use," El-Melloi continued, glancing around his perch. He showed no concern, though. "Saber is a powerful adversary, and Archer X has so far proven incapable of dispatching her partner. There may be even a few other rats scurrying about, so stop dallying." Saber's eyes narrowed at the implications; not only did the enemy have an idea of their side's broader strategy, but she sensed that things were now going to get serious. "You may reveal your Noble Phantasm."
Lancer's posture shifted even as he kept his smile. "Very well, my lord." Then he simply dropped the spear in his left hand and grabbed hold of the right one with both.
Saber's gaze didn't trail from him for a minute. The long spear is his Noble Phantasm, then. The cloth then began to unravel by itself and fade into nothing, revealing the ornate crimson spear beneath. A pattern akin to vines run along its entire handle, while Nordic runes were etched beneath the blade. An elegant weapon, befitting that of a Noble Phantasm.
Yet Saber couldn't be sure which weapon it was or to whom it belonged in legends.
The Servant of the Spear spun his weapon behind himself in a cocky manner. "Well, then, now it's a matter of life or death. Saber, it doesn't matter if you continue to hide your weapon with wind magic. It's meant to conceal your sword because seeing it would give away your True Name instantly, correct?"
The confidence set Saber on guard, but she had no fear. "It's a pity, Lancer, but you will never see the true form of my sword." Said weapon was positioned next to her head. "You will die first."
"We'll see." Lancer began to walk towards her like he had all the time in the world. "I shall learn your sword's name now, Saber." Then he jumped forward for a direct thrust.
Saber parried and was shocked. As the weapons clashed, Invisible Air was dispersed into a violent gale, showing indeed the true Sword of Promised Victory beneath. What…?
Meanwhile, Archer X tuned out the sounds below as she tried to get a bead on Assassin X. Much as her Master ticked her off, he was right. She'd wasted enough time trying to hit this guy, and there were other targets out there. She needed to support Lancer no matter- wait, what?
She shook her head and refocused. Okay, if this Assassin doesn't want to come out, either I ought to change these,Archer X eyed the SMGs, for bigger guns, or…
She peered over the side at the white-wearing Master standing wide open. Like a sitting duck. Maybe I just need to change targets.
Something glinted in the moonlight, making the Servant lift the right gun and fire off a volley. Broken shards of metal fell onto the container. Those kunai were thrown from an angle, to keep the point of origin vague. Archer X stepped towards the center, slowly turning a full 360 degrees. Where the hell is he?
Then she heard something and whirled to the left. Eight old-fashioned shuriken were flying her way. She was almost insulted as she began to pull the trigger.
From his hiding spot, Assassin X performed eight signs with his hands. "Ninja Art," he whispered, "Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu."
And that's when eight became eighty. Though caught off guard, Archer X quickly rallied to shoot the projectiles out of midair. Most of them vanished upon being struck by the bullets. Her arms moved up, down, left, right to spread the line of fire, successfully neutralizing the attack. The armored Servant scoffed to herself as smoke wafted from the muzzles. Not bad, but it's just a cheap trick.
Then Assassin X suddenly sprang out from where the shuriken had come, new knife at the ready. Archer X brought her guns up to fire, but both merely clicked before the right one was knocked out of her grip and the left was cut in half with two sweeps of the vibrating kunai.
Her opponent had not been sitting idly. He had noticed earlier that neither weapon carried an endless supply of ammunition. Despite being Noble Phantasms, the guns operated with the same limitations as the ones Kiritsugu used. She had constantly reloaded them in between shooting at him or his projectiles. And by forcing her to empty the guns with his shuriken jutsu and striking before she could reload, Assassin X had the initiative.
But Archer X wasn't about to let him win. The SMGs dispersed into particles again as a long combat knife appeared in her left hand to parry the stab for her neck. Assassin X then had to smack away her right hand as it tried to grab hold of him and blocked her own knife jab. Both drew additional blades before beginning to slash and stab at one another, clashing no less than thirty times in five seconds. Assassin X grunted as his left shoulder was cut while Archer X snarled at the kunai that stabbed into her right leg as she tried to kick him. Then the spot between her left shoulder and chest was sliced, drawing more blood. Dammit, he's figured out where the soft spots in my armor are.
Both Heroic Spirits slammed their knives against each other and pushed, grunting at the effort. Then the ground beneath them trembled.
Saber had been pushed onto the defensive, warding off multiple strikes from a grinning Lancer. And with each clash of their weapons, that red spear dispersed the wind sheathe of her sword, revealing every last one of its details. This development rattled her, but fortunately, her InstinctSkill kept the Servant of the Sword from faltering.
Backed against a wall of containers, Saber had struck the ground to create a brief smokescreen and fall back. Lancer pursued her through the cloud, but she ran up the steel wall and evaded his slash with a backflip like the one Assassin X had used in their first meeting. The metal screeched and buckled with the carve into its surface, destabilizing its cousins atop. She landed gracefully further behind the Servant of the Spear who added a few more artistic twirls with his class's weapon. That red spear keeps cutting through Invisible Air.
And Lancer was all the happier for it. "Now that I know exactly how long your blade is, you won't be able to fool me again!" He proclaimed before charging towards her, spear in front.
Saber's "Master" watched in concern at how the Servant on her side was steadily forced back by the Lancer's combos. Saber herself, though, kept a level head. There's still a way around the spear, she thought while getting some more room as Lancer prepared for another charge. Her Instinctguided her towards victory, allowed her to envision the next steps; Lancer would attempt to rush her, Saber would bring up her sword for a both-handed swing, she'd twist her hip slightly as the spear reached her, clanging off her chest armor, then she'd cut him down. I just need to weather a light strike…
But just as she made to lift her sword, an explosion sounded from above, making them stop.
The containers of the dockyard had suffered greatly from the clash of Servants, and Lancer's slash against one particular specimen just then proved to be the first domino knocking over for a heavy collision. It had namely been supporting the dueling ground of Assassin X and Archer X, rattling them both for a moment. Both Servants broke away to regain some balance and had the exact same thought at the exact same time. Can't let him/her get away!
The Servant of the Bow (or Gun) dropped her right knife and summoned something small into her free grip while the Servant of Assassination pulled something from his pouch and tied it to the ring of his right kunai. They threw in the same second before realizing their mistake.
A metal ball with a handle that flew off collided in midair with a kunai that had a burning piece of paper strung up behind it. Shit/Oops.
The resulting blast sent both tumbling through the air, but trained reflexes allowed Assassin X to flip and land into a semi-silent crouch and Archer X to perform a three-point landing that cracked the asphalt beneath her.
Only problem? He landed next to Lancer, and she landed next to Saber.
Assassin X twisted away from the tip meant for his back and gave it an additional kick. Lancer adjusted quickly to the tremor in his weapon courtesy of Mind's Eye (True) and spun it around his back for another lunge, but he'd given his new target time to make a certain set of handsigns that ended with his right hand cupped in front of his mouth. The spearman uttered an old Celtic swear as fire erupted in front of him.
Archer X barely got her remaining knife up before Saber's hidden sword sliced it cleanly in half. Noting pleased how Invisible Air still seemed to be working perfectly well against other weapons, she made to follow her fresh adversary but had underestimated her speed. Archer X materialized a rifle and fired it point-blank. Saber brought up the flat side of her blade but hissed; it was a shotgun that had just blasted at her, and some of the pellets had travelled past her defense. No magic in that weapon, she noted, simply a Servant-grade gun.
Assassin X put more power behind his Fire Ball attack while jumping backwards, but then the spear suddenly surged through the flames; it was almost as if a hole had opened in them just wide enough for it to enter. The shinobi barely managed to turn what would've been a piercing of his chest into a nasty cut by his right side before rolling out of reach. Blood splashed on the ground in his wake. Lancer's attempt to follow him was hampered by a trio of shuriken and two kunai. Some he succeeded in deflecting, others not so much.