"Hmm, it's pretty quiet," I mutter. In the anime I remember Lancer waiting for Artoria and Irisviel right in the middle of this industrial yard. "Are they not here?"
The moment we step inside the factory grounds, I definitely feel a small bounded field wash over us-a basic detection barrier. Because of that, I figured Lancer would already be waiting for us out in the open.
"No, he's here. I can sense Lancer's presence," Artoria says quietly, her eyes locking onto a specific direction deep in the shadows of the building.
I look toward where she is staring, but I don't see anyone. Is he just hiding in spirit form? I focus a little harder and immediately feel a familiar trace of prana in the air. That's definitely my own mana from when I wake him up two days ago.
"Saber, and the young lady. I didn't expect you two to come here. What can I do for you both?" Lancer's voice suddenly echoes out to greet us.
He deliberately projects his voice to make it sound like it's coming from every direction at once, trying to hide his exact location. But because I can sense my mana inside him, I know exactly where he is actually standing.
"Lancer, sorry for the sudden arrival!" I call out to him. "But we came here to make a deal with you and Kayneth."
"A deal?"
From his tone, he sounds genuinely surprised. He probably thought we came here to pick a fight or something.
But the basic rule of the Holy Grail War is that battles between Servants are supposed to happen during the night so normal people won't find out about the existence of magic.
Showing up in broad daylight is definitely an unusual move.
A few seconds later, I watch him materialize exactly in the direction Artoria and I were looking. He steps out of spirit form his brow furrowing as he looks between Artoria and me, clearly trying to figure out what is going on.
"What kind of deal do you two want to offer, Saber? Young lady?" Lancer walks toward us without holding his spears, stopping a respectful distance away.
"Also, did you become her Servant, Saber? What happened to the young woman from a few days ago?"
"Much has happened since that night. That is also one of the reasons we came here, Lancer," Artoria answers him, never taking her eyes off him.
"I see. Let me hear what you have to say, then." Hearing Artoria's response makes Lancer even more curious, and he nods in my direction, gesturing for me to start.
"First things first, I want to ask for your cooperation, Lancer. There is..."
I start explaining the exact same thing I told Kiritsugu this morning about the true nature of this Holy Grail War. I tell him how the Grail is actually corrupted, that someone is trying to use it to hatch a Beast, and exactly how bad things are going to get for the city if we don't stop them.
"So basically, that's why I'm asking for your help," I finish. "The more Servants we have, the better chance we have to actually win this."
Ugh, talking this much makes my throat so dry. I should really start bringing a water bottle with me.
Lancer's eyes widen slightly at my offer. For a moment, a look of genuine hope crosses his face, but it quickly darkens into frustration.
"That is a generous offer, young lady. I would gladly accept it to see Lord El-Melloi healed," Lancer says, his grip tightening on nothing. "Unfortunately, my... my former Master disappeared sometime last night. I have searched the surrounding area entirely, but I cannot find a single trace of him."
Disappeared? Wait, am I too late?
My mind races to remember the anime timeline. In the original story, Kayneth went to the church to ask Kotomine Risei for an extra Command Spell.
But that was only offered as a reward for killing Caster's giant tentacle monster. Since that monster never existed here, Kayneth has literally no reason to go to the church at all. So where the hell did he go?
"If your master is missing, then who holds your contract now, Lancer?" Artoria asks, her guard immediately going up. If a Servant is still anchored to the world, someone else must be supplying their mana.
"I am his Master now."
A cold, haughty voice echoes from inside the dark factory. From the shadows behind Lancer, a woman steps into the dim afternoon light.
It's Sola-Ui. Her red hair is perfectly kept, but her face looks pale and oddly strained.
She doesn't even look at Artoria or me. Her eyes immediately lock onto Lancer. She steps unusually close to him, her gaze trailing right up his chest and lingering directly on his face-specifically near the love spot under his eye. Her cold expression melts into something uncomfortably soft and possessive.
"He belongs to me now," Sola-Ui says, her voice dropping into a sickeningly sweet tone as she reaches out and gently presses her hand flat against his chest. "Isn't that right, Diarmuid?"
Beside her Diarmuid's entire body goes shiver. He grits his teeth, looking away in quiet misery as his Master touches him, but he doesn't dare pull away from the woman holding him.
"My Lady, please!" Lancer immediately calls out, throwing a hand out toward her in a pleading gesture. "They came to speak with us under a banner of truce-"
"I heard every single word!" Sola-Ui cuts him off sharply.
Her sickeningly sweet expression vanishes in an instant, replaced by a twisted, paranoid glare.
She yanks her gaze away from Lancer and glares venomously at Artoria. Sola-Ui's eyes trace up and down Artoria's figure, taking in her striking features and presence as a woman.
"Do you think I am a fool? I stood right there in the shadows and listened to you spin that ridiculous tale," Sola-Ui sneers, her voice trembling with jealous rage.
"You walk in here acting like a beautiful, noble knight with your pretty words about saving the city. I know exactly what you are plotting. You don't care about an alliance or stopping some disaster. You just want to trick me so you can steal him away for yourselves!"
"We have no such intentions, Master of Lancer," Artoria answers firmly, her stance shifting slightly as she prepares for the worst. "We came here solely to negotiate a deal and prevent a destruction that threatens this entire city. We hold no desire for your Servant, nor do we have any reason to take him from you."
I just stare at Sola-Ui. What the hell is this woman actually talking about? I'm literally still a child in this body. Why would a kid want to steal a grown man for romance? How insanely paranoid does someone have to be to think like that?
"[It seems that woman's mind is entirely consumed by the curse of his love spot,]" Lady Ava's voice suddenly echoes in my head through our Master-Servant connection. "[She cannot see reason anymore. Every word you speak will just sound like a threat to her twisted affection.]"
"[Yeah, I know,]" I answer her silently. "[I knew the curse was bad, but I didn't think it would make her this completely delusional.]"
"My Lady, you must listen to reason," Lancer begs, stepping between us to physically block her view of Artoria, hoping to calm her down. "Saber is an honorable knight who does not lie, and the young lady speaks the truth about the danger to this city. Please, I implore you, do not do this."
Sola-Ui's expression completely shatters. She looks at Lancer as if he just drove his own spear right through her chest.
"You are defending them?" Sola-Ui whispers, stepping away from him like he burned her skin. "I gave you everything, and you still prefer them over me?"
"No, Master, you misunderstand! That is not what I-"
"Quiet!" she shrieks. She raises her right hand high into the air, putting the bright red Command Spells she stole from Kayneth on full display.
Lancer's eyes go wide in sheer horror, realizing exactly what she is about to force him to do. "No! Master, stop!"
"By my Command Spell, I order you," Sola-Ui screams, her eyes wild with pure, jealous madness. "Kill them both, Diarmuid!"
~~~
~~~
~~~
The bright red light of the Command Spell flashes on Sola-Ui's hand. Lancer's face twists in pure anguish as he tries to fight the order, but his body betrays him. He can't do anything except follow the command.
In a flash of light, both of his spears materialize in his grip-the crimson Gáe Dearg and the shorter, golden Gáe Buidhe.
Driven by the sheer force of the Command Spell and his ridiculously high agility, Lancer rushes forward, aiming straight for Artoria and me.
Artoria immediately steps in front of me. "Stay back, Rikka!" she says sharply.
As she steps forward, her black suit dissolves in a sudden, sharp burst of wind, instantly replaced by her familiar silver and blue armor.
The second her armor forms, i can feels like a sudden, weird tug pulls right in the center of my chest. I've used my own mana plenty of times, but this is completely different. I'm not casting anything-Artoria is just pulling gulps of my Mana straight through our connection to power her movements.
She raises Excalibur, still cloaked in the swirling currents of Invisible Air, just in time to meet his initial charge.
Clang!
I can actually track the very first strike. Artoria forcefully deflects the powerful thrust of his red spear, sending a massive shockwave of dust sweeping across the ground.
There is a split-second delay as Lancer's momentum shifts. Using that tiny opening, his other hand thrusts the golden spear straight toward her.
Artoria fluidly adjusts her footing and parries the second attack just as fast. The yellow spear grinds hard against the swirling barrier of Invisible Air, shrieking with friction before getting smacked off course.
But right after that second parry, they both kick into full speed, and the fight completely leaves my vision.
Honestly, I can't even see what happens next.
To my eyes, Lancer suddenly turns into a blur, and Artoria is just a streak of silver and blue holding her ground. I have to raise an arm to shield my face as violent gusts of wind and concrete dust blow straight toward me.
The only way I even know they are still fighting is the deafening sound of metal repeatedly crashing together, the shockwaves shaking the floor under my feet.
'Damn, should I ask Gilgamesh for help?' I think to myself. With Gilgamesh stepping in, it should be incredibly easy to stop Lancer's movements, or at least restrict him long enough for me to do something.
But knowing Gilgamesh, she probably isn't going to want to help with this. To her, this is just a trivial scuffle that I should be able to deal with on my own.
What about Lady Ava, then? No, she is basically useless in direct combat. I could have her buff Artoria from the sidelines instead...
But if I do that, what if Artoria accidentally kills him? Her current parameters are already way beyond her usual self from the anime now that she has my mana supply.
If she stacks her Mana Burst on top of that, and Lady Ava buffs her even further, she is probably going to completely overpower Lancer way too fast, even with his ridiculous agility.
I turn my attention away from the high-speed blur of the fight and look further ahead. Sola-Ui is standing safely in the distance, watching the duel between Lancer and Artoria with this blissful expression, like she can't wait for him to finish killing us so they can be alone.
I focus my vision and activate my Mystic Eyes. Immediately, jagged, dark lines sprawl across Sola-Ui's entire body, showing exactly where she can be killed. But among them, there is one specific line that doesn't belong to her actual body.
It sits completely separate, much more distinct and visible than the rest of the lines tracing her skin.
The love spot curse. Compared to the incredibly complex curses Lady Ava showed me during my training, the concept of this magical charm is actually really weak.
If I can just cut that specific line, I should be able to kill the curse itself, and Sola-Ui will return to normal.
"[Artoria, I'm going to deal with Lancer's Master. You need to keep Lancer company for now,]" I tell her silently through our mental connection.
"[Understood, Master. Leave Lancer to me,]" Artoria manages to answer back, perfectly calm even in the middle of her lightning-fast clash with him.
Now I just need to deal with Sola-Ui. "Dissipate..." With a quiet murmur, I use my magecraft to drop my physical presence to a bare minimum, effectively fading away from this place.