"Rider, what exactly are we doing here?"
"You'll see soon enough."
Without any attempt at stealth, Lelouch and Waver parked the Knightmare openly at the Church's entrance and walked in as if they owned the place.
"Mn?" Risei Kotomine noticed their arrival immediately. Standing in the center of the sanctuary, he asked coolly, "Rider and his Master... what business brings you here?"
He wasn't concerned about an attack. He knew that transferring Command Spells required a specific and willing contract; if they killed him, the spells would simply be lost. To attack the Supervisor was to invite the wrath of every other team in the city. Besides, he was a master of martial arts; even if he couldn't defeat a Heroic Spirit, he could certainly hold out long enough for reinforcements.
"I have something I want to confirm," Waver said, following Lelouch's lead.
"Oh? If it is within my knowledge, I will answer you, Emperor of Britannia," Risei replied, maintaining a dignified facade.
"Regarding the bounty for this siege," Lelouch began. "You intend to issue one Command Spell to every participating Master, correct?"
"Yes... is there a problem with that?" Risei's brow furrowed, his hands clenching behind his back. He felt an inexplicable chill as he looked at the mysterious Emperor.
"Is it possible for a single Master to obtain two Command Spells as a reward?"
"What kind of joke is this? How could that happen?" Risei shook his head. "I may be suspicious of your motives, but as the Supervisor, I do not break the rules of the war."
Risei prided himself on his impartiality. While he was on good terms with Tokiomi Tohsaka and his son was the man's disciple, he had never crossed the line into granting Tokiomi actual 'privileges' with the Command Spells. He felt he had maintained a fair order.
"So, Command Spells can indeed be accumulated in plural," Lelouch noted, a faint, dangerous smile playing on his lips. He had the answer he wanted.
Risei felt a surge of danger and tried to retreat. But Lelouch's eyes were already glowing with a crimson light, an intricate icon appearing within them. The voice he heard next carried the weight of absolute authority.
"In the name of Lelouch vi Britannia... I order you!"
...
"They're slow... why aren't they here yet?"
Saber had been waiting for fifteen minutes, and still, there was no sign of Rider. Kiritsugu checked his watch. With Rider's mobility, there was no reason for such a delay. There was only one explanation.
The young Emperor was making his own moves. BOOM!!
A massive explosion from a nearby house shattered the silence, pulling Kiritsugu's attention back to the battlefield. A teenage girl burst through the front door, dragging a dazed-looking blond youth by his collar.
"What? Saber? You're here too?!"
"Hey! My house! You destroyed my house!"
"Lancer and Caster are together?" Saber and Kiritsugu were stunned. This didn't match their intelligence at all.
"Saber, engage them," Kiritsugu ordered from his rooftop vantage point. "It's highly likely they've formed an alliance. Test their defenses."
"Understood."
Kyoko Sakura glared at Saber. "Are you here to kick us while we're down too?" she snarled. She hadn't forgotten the trouble Saber had caused her earlier. "Jonouchi, it looks like we're not getting out of here without a fight."
"Heh. You take Saber. Leave Assassin to me," Jonouchi said, standing up and brushing dust from his clothes.
"Idiot. How can you still laugh at a time like this?"
"I can't exactly go into battle crying, can I?"
The two stood back-to-back, their conversation carrying a surprising amount of leisure despite the circumstances. "Don't die!" they whispered in unison before splitting apart.
"If it's a swordsman you want... I have just the person!" Jonouchi slapped a card onto his disk. "Go! Flame Swordsman!"
A robust warrior clad in heavy armor and a helmet manifested, an orange-red blade wreathed in roaring flames gripped in his hand.
Kenshin narrowed his eyes. He wouldn't underestimate any of Caster's summons. He felt the scorching heat of the blade even from a distance. 'A sword of fire,' he noted silently. This was an opponent worth his time.
"Then let us begin," Kenshin whispered. He had his own orders from Kirei: provoke a conflict, but don't finish it. He was ready to play his part in this chaotic 'performance.'
Clang!! Bang! On the other side, Saber and Kyoko had already engaged. "This... is for Sola!" Kyoko shouted, her spear segments lashing out with renewed ferocity.
Saber parried the blow, her armor groaning under the impact. She didn't bother responding to the accusation of revenge. Master and Servant were one; she would accept the consequences of Kiritsugu's actions.
"Hmph. Mongrels. Always so lacking in style," a voice rang out from above.
Gilgamesh stood atop a streetlight, his golden armor gleaming. "Starting the festivities without the guest of honor? This disrespectful crime can only be atoned for with death."
Behind him, on the roof of a much taller building, stood the pitch-black figure of Berserker. "Tonight..." Gilgamesh laughed, his red eyes reflecting the chaos below. "Is bound to be a night of blood and storms!"