Chapter 243 - 14

Chapter 14: Multitude of Confrontations

-84:30:05

"Control to Diablo 1, come in."

"I read you, Control, loud and clear," Lieutenant First Class Ohgi answered in his helmet's earpiece. He and his partner, Lieutenant Third Class Kobayashi, had been patrolling the coast of Japan in their F-15 planes. Pretty quiet so far, but Control sounded a little off at the moment. Maybe they were about to have a little excitement. "What's happening?"

"Fuyuki City police has requested aid for disaster relief." That made his eyes widen beneath his visor, but Control continued. "Both you and Diablo 2 head over there right now. Over."

Ohgi was still puzzled. "Disaster relief? Request order clarification, Control, can you elaborate on the situation? Over." Fuyuki City… He'd heard something about weird stuff going on there these last couple of days, but what kind of crisis could the police of a little city need two fighter jets for? Were terrorists attacking?

For the longest time, he didn't hear anything but the buzz from the radio. Finally came a heavy sigh. "Look… don't laugh, but… a monster has popped up on their river. …Over."

Diablo 1 couldn't stop the snort that escaped him. "A monster? Now that's a good one! I've been waiting to get this kind of order ever since I signed up for the air force." He allowed himself another unprofessional snicker before asking, "No, seriously, Control, what's the situation?"

"You've already been told, Diablo 1," was the cold, humorless answer he got. "Head towards Mion River immediately and report all observations. Over."

"…You're kidding, right?"

"Repeat, your mission is now Mion River." There was now a flicker of impatience in Control's tone. They really didn't want to push this topic.

And from the looks of things, orders were orders, no matter how ridiculous they sounded. So, the Lieutenant First Class sighed in resignation and confirmed, "Roger that, Diablo 1 swinging over towards Mion River now. Over and out." He then adjusted his grip on the controls, the F-15 in turn smoothly adjusting course. "Well, Diablo 2, you heard. Turn back and let's head for Mion River."

"Roger." Kobayashi replied with a less assured tone than usual. Not that Ohgi blamed the kid; this "mission" wasn't exactly what you'd hear in the academy. It wasn't like they were in a video game or a manga.

Still, he was a professional officer. Both planes were now on a straight path for Fuyuki City. With the tech in this aircraft, they'd be at their target in only a couple minutes.

Didn't stop Diablo 1 from counting down in his head. Three… two… one… "Hey…" Diablo 2's voice drifted through his comms. There it is. "If we really run into a monster when we get there, will they give us permission to open fire."

His junior sounded so unsure Ohgi couldn't help but pull his leg a little. "Come on, if this were a monster movie, we'd be the guys who bite it first. We die to show just how dangerous the big scary monster is and why the superheroes are there."

"…Not funny, man."

Ohgi permitted himself one last laugh, he'd take the guy out for drinks afterwards. "Well, we'll see when we get there."

Heroic Spirits technically aren't superheroes, but the ones at the Mion River certainly had their hands full. Saber cut through a collection of tentacles with one swing of her veiled sword and pressed on towards their source. Her frown deepened as the severed appendages promptly regrew behind her, but she didn't stop. She didn't even bother to acknowledge them when they reached for her back. After all, they'd never touch her.

Assassin X hummed in contemplation even while his Lightning Blade severed the slimy things anew. This time, it took them longer to regenerate because of the electricity. But regenerate they did. His Water Clone tossed a spread of paper bombs in the trio's wake as they raced unrelenting towards the Gigantic Horror. A few more steps, and all three came close to drive their weapons into the repugnant creature. Saber leaped high with a battle cry to slice a large part in half while the two shinobi blurred across the river's surface, cutting down multiple tentacles in flashes of lightning.

Further above them, Rider spurred the Gordius Wheel on in a circle of charges and retreats. "Try this on for size!" Divine lightning raged from the tireless bulls and the chariot they carried, burning any flesh that came too close. And every rush knocked down another appendage. Meanwhile, a certain crow fluttered nimbly around the Horror even as it tried to snatch it. Then in a blink, Saber X had taken the bird's place and was driving Harbinger's blade into the wall of putrid meat. He pulled it out, cut another gouge to make a large "X", and fired his weapon's shotgun into the center for good measure. Then he was gone just as a tentacle made to wrap around him, and the crow from before was flying to another spot.

But from where he hung onto his Servant's mount, Waver Velvet could only watch in horror. "Damn it…" he saw how the damage all of these Servants had inflicted disappeared. "It just grows right back together!"

He wasn't the only one who noticed it. Rider, Saber and Assassin X all took in the sealing up of their efforts with heavy expressions. Saber X cawed in irritation while still in his crow form. Lancer at the coast observed with restrained tension even as next to him, Irisviel whispered, "Regeneration at that speed…" Even burns suffered from shotgun blasts or electric attacks healed with little trouble. "But we just might keep it from the coast yet..."

"Hahahaha!" Indeed, a certain number of attacks wereleaving lasting damage.

Berserker X stood tall atop one of the two biggest tentacles no matter how it thrashed about, a delighted smile on his face. His nodachi twitched, and blood sprayed from a large gash next to him. As it writhed, the Servant of Madness bounded along the tentacle before jumping right for the center mass. The next slash went deep into the Gigantic Horror's upper part ("head" wouldn't be the right term) cutting some of the flesh free. With the passive boon of Divinity, those wounds remained open. Kenpachi Zaraki's life as a Soul Reaper served him well against this sort of opponent.

Rider navigated his Wheel down to where his partner would fall; Berserker X couldn't fly like Saber X or stand on the river like Saber or Assassin X. He landed heavily next to the King of Conquerors and their Master who yelped at nearly being crushed. But Berserker X only made an amused sound while his one eye surveyed his work. "Not deep enough…" Then he jumped back off for another lunge.

Lancer had similar thoughts. "The wounds inflicted by Berserker X are too shallow. We can't reach Caster like that, not with so many layers covering him."

The Assassin X that had been hanging back with him and Irisviel scratched his chin, his Sharingan trained on that colossal, unspeakable… thing. "As I thought, Caster's creation is so dense with Magical Energy I can't make him out yet." He had tried to focus on certain fluctuations in the Horror's mana, but its chaotic nature made those abundant. Trying to locate Caster amidst that magical maelstrom was like attempting to pick out a single stroke on a canvas splashed all over with blotches of every color and shade.

Among the mist and revulsive limbs, Saber X went for a different tactic. His crow wings beat a steady pattern as he zeroed in on a slash Berserker X had carved earlier. The halved flesh writhed and trembled, almost screaming despite the lack of a mouth, but it wouldn't join. Deciding to capitalize on that, he changed to human form midflight and drew Harbinger in its scythe mode. The large blade then folded backwards, taking on a war scythe's shape, and the Corvid Reaper pulled the shotgun trigger just as it pierced his target's flesh. The recoil from the barrels' fire augmented his swing, and he spun with his weapon, firing again. The Huntsman and his weapon whirled like a buzzsaw up the length of the Horror, parting flesh like a curtain. Then just as he felt his momentum fading, he gave one final pull on his scythe, tugging it free of the beast, and reactivated his Shapeshift to fly away.

If they'd been less preoccupied, Saber, Assassin X, Lancer and Caster X would've been able to show their prospective opponent more respect for this acrobatic achievement. Kenpachi, hanging by one hand onto a thrashing tentacle, took at least the time to give an impressed smirk. "Not half bad there, birdbrain."

But as Qrow appeared as his scruffy Servant self to grab hold of the Gordius Wheel's rail, he panted in dissatisfaction. "A splendid performance, my friend," Iskandar praised him while spurring his bovines on for another charge. "A shame this creature won't acknowledge that."

The King of Conquerors was sadly correct: the massive gouge Saber X's feat had carved into the side of the Horror only remained open long enough for some blood to spray out before sealing itself (noticeably slower than before) again. "All that… work… and I… only broke… the skin… of that thing…" the knight class Servant huffed out, a little winded from his efforts. He drew in a longer breath before continuing. "I feel like a mosquito trying to take down a Goliath."

And worst of all, the Horror was slowly coming ever closer towards the opposite shore.

Light flared up from that side, drawing the others' attention. A series of fireballs arced high upwards before splitting apart like fireworks to rain down on the creature. Smoke wafted and flesh sizzled from their impacts, their origin even showing enough care not to strike any of the others by mistake, but they ultimately did little to impede its progression.

A black mass shot out into the open, large and heavy, with red wheels scorching the asphalt. Then Berserker sprang out of the front, flipped over to behind his "weapon" with a kind of grace that would've broken all records at the Olympics, and then lifted the entire mass over his head. He released a bloodthirsty howl before tossing the gasoline truck he'd "borrowed" across half the river, his partner simultaneously shooting a large fireball at the payload.

The vehicle smashed into the Horror, and its fuel ignited instantly from Caster X's flame, the resulting explosion knocking even the Gordius Wheel for a brief loop. It was only Rider's Servant reflexes that allowed him to regain control of his ride and catch his nauseous Master from falling into the river. Normally, such an explosion of mundane gasoline wouldn't have scratched a Servant or the like. But empowered through Berserker's Knight of Owner, the truck's detonation had inflicted even greater burns along the side of the spiritual creature.

And it still proved insufficient. From the roof where he and a (only slightly) winded Kariya stood, Caster X pursed his lips at the regeneration from the incendiary damage. This creature may share the same vulnerability to fire and heat as its smaller counterparts, but its sheer size and mass provides greater resistance to any such injuries. Berserker hissed in frustration before taking off again in search of something else he could weaponize.

Down at the river, Saber was discussing the same matter with Assassin X and his clone. "Flame attacks on something that big might as well be lukewarm embers." She noted even while blasting away a tentacle with a swing of her steel.

"Solo attacks aren't doing much at all," the Water Clone countered, hurling shuriken at another. "Even Berserker X is inflicting surface wounds at best." A familiar cackle drew his eyes up and notice a certain detail of that Servant. "…Though to be fair, he's still wearing that eyepatch of this." None of them wanted to comment on how apparently the threat of a giant regenerative monster didn't qualify as serious enough for Kenpachi Zaraki to go all out.

"Either way, we all really need to work together here, not just attack together." Assassin X brought the important matter back on track. "Saber X had the right idea with capitalizing on his partner's efforts, we need to do the same if we want to stop this monster." Lightning Blade surged from his hand into the form of a snarling hound that disabled the remaining tentacles. A flurry of high-pressure waterspouts warded off any more from coming out.

Saber jumped back from where she'd been trying to cut a hole into the main mass and turned to her partner. "Do you have anything particular in mind?" She'd grown familiar enough with Kakashi Hatake to know both his knack for crafty plans and his strong faith in teamwork. In a situation like this, those traits were bound to be priceless.

And from the way he was eyeing Invisible Air, Artoria sensed she'd be proven right soon. "As a matter of fact," Assassin X replied. "Remember when we trapped Caster in the forest?"

"What an absolute catastrophe…" Risei Kotomine muttered, falling wearily back into his chair. He had just been informed of the entire situation at Mion River, and the news weighed down on him like a slab of stone. His head still lowered, he lamented, "There has never been a greater threat to the Holy Grail War's secrecy in all its history."

"Bystanders say and our contacts confirm that a dense fog has washed over the Mion River and its surrounding area," his son reported from where he stood. Lacking Magic Circuits of his own, the overseer of two Grail Wars had only been alerted of the great magical surge through Kirei, just as he now continued to relay the situation. "That has hidden the conflict to some degree, but it's also going to attract even more crowds."

Crowds. Plural. Both men fully understood just how perilous this battle had now become. They needed to act quickly or else the monstrosity that Caster had unleashed would soon be on the evening news. Tomorrow, there'd be headlines of it in every newspaper in Japan. And from there…

It could tear the shroud over the magus community asunder. Maybe worldwide, if they were unlucky enough. And Risei couldn't help but muse with (possibly gallows) humor about a certain Servant in this War who, according to Kirei, tended to make things unlucky in his presence.

He shook his head; this wasn't the time for jokes. They needed to nip this leak in the bud now. But Risei knew it wouldn't be easy. "The church alone cannot resolve this." He scratched his greyed hair. "We'll have to cooperate with the Magus Association." Which is going to mean a lot of political nonsense before, during and after this crisis is averted, he grumbled to himself as his hand drifted down his face.

…If this crisis is averted. Risei then looked up upon remembering another important detail. "Where is sir Tokiomi?"

"My teacher is on his way there," Kirei replied, "with Archer and Lancer X backing him up." That was good news, at least; the Tohsaka head would be every bit as invested in covering up this disaster as the overseer. Yet the younger Kotomine's expression remained troubled. "But… I have no idea where Rider X could be or what he's planning next."

That was very bad news, especially for Risei. That Servant was a far greater danger than Caster, even with what the fallen believer of the Holy Father was currently doing. It was the priest's humble opinion that Rider X had long since overstayed his welcome in this world. Risei's left hand drifted towards his right arm while his eyes narrowed towards his son-

He hummed. Not yet. He couldn't do what he had in mind brazenly, or he'd risk exposing Tokiomi's plans. And regardless, this crisis took precedence. Risei Kotomine had to consider the greater good.

So, his hand fell back to its original position, and he addressed his fellow priest. "Kirei, leave the hushing up of this situation to me. You should leave to aid Tokiomi." Besides, in all the confusion of the battle, there could be a chance to discreetly eliminate that monster…

"I will, father." Kirei, ever his dutiful son, replied before leaving the study. Risei in turn got up and headed for the phone. He was not looking forward to the mountains of work that awaited him, but he told himself it was all part of his own test.

As for his son's, well… He couldn't help but glance at his sleeved arm as its hand picked up the phone.

Kiritsugu Emiya drifted silently among the shadows of Miyama Town. Much as he recognized how credible the threat of Caster's invocation was, there were other matters he needed to concern himself with. The main one being a nagging suspicion he couldn't shake.

Even since he'd woken up this morning (after shaking his mind free of memories unfamiliar and yet simultaneously all too familiar for him), Kiritsugu had gone over every last piece of information concerning the possible rogue Servant alliance. One sentence from Archer X in particular kept reverberating in his head: "He wasn't kidding about you, Mage Killer."

She knew who he was. The reputation he had developed dispatching this world's magi. But who could this "he" be? Kiritsugu doubted it could've been Kayneth; even someone that prideful would've shown a little more caution confronting him if they had been familiar with the Mage Killer's methods. And Lancer didn't appear to have a clue about his identity either. Or for that matter, his status as the real Master of Saber and Assassin X.

That eliminated any first suspicions as to who Archer X's informant could've been. And after quashing his initial panic when the possibility of Kirei Kotomine came up, the most likely answer, in hindsight of all that had transpired since then, became clear: Rider X.

Kirei intercepting Maiya at the Hyatt hotel, along with the words Maiya had relayed to him, affirmed that the priest was aware of him and his dealings. And Assassin X's discovery of his Command Seals left no doubt in Kiritsugu's mind that Kotomine had been the one to summon that foreign tyrant to the Holy Grail War. Those two facts constructed a logical latticework which linked to the idea that Megatron also knew of Kiritsugu's past dealings.

And maybe as a way to make her more open to negotiations, he had in turn passed this information on to Archer X. But that still left a few questions unanswered. Like, when could the two Servants have met for this?

That first battle at the docks, Rider X and Archer X had not interacted with one another in any way. They must've made contact with one another afterwards. In secret, at least where her original fashion had been concerned. Diarmuid Ua Duibhne was too honorable to even entertain the idea of working with something as overtly evil as Megatron. Hell, Kiritsugu himself would've been extremely reluctant (at the very least) to cross that line. Even after all the other ones he'd crossed in his life. As for Kayneth, it seemed doubtful he'd have been let in on these dealings, considering the two's mutual disdain for one another.

Then the two rogues had come in contact with each other at that spot Kiritsugu and Assassin X had located the day before. That must've been the moment where they made their alliance official. And where Archer X had found her new Master.

The Mage Killer's destination was now only a few steps away. Just as his intel had described, the mansion before him had been designed in a Western manner much like others in this part of the town. Broad, a general blue color, and a Bounded Field likely crafted a long time ago. When the Matou family had first settled down here.

Kiritsugu had been mentally kicking himself for not paying better attention to this location than before. He'd foolishly assumed that Kariya Matou would be the extent of that family's participation in the Grail War and focused his efforts on monitoring the drifting Master. But now, there was plenty of reason for the Einzberns' champion to consider if the Matou patriarch was a little more active than originally believed.

He ducked away in an alley just as a dark shape sprang down next to him. "It's all quiet now," a gray ninja dog reported without fanfare. "Nothing high-profile at that place ever since Archer X left." He shook his mohawk-like fur a bit, a possible sign of unease.

Kiritsugu nodded at the information while glancing upward. He'd summoned Shiba earlier today with instructions to monitor the Matou residence. The hound had contacted him via his earpiece almost immediately upon reaching his spot, saying he'd found traces of both Archer X and Caster's scents around the house. And not even an hour ago did Kiritsugu receive another alert that the black-armored Servant had left these premises. Cloaked, of course, but it hadn't fooled Shiba's sinuses.

The Master adjusted the strap on the case he'd slung on his shoulder before readying himself. "You ought to have a clear view of the main part up there," Shiba added as he began to climb up the side of the wall. "A few lights are on at the ground floor, and blinds haven't been drawn over any windows. Makes for a clear view." He shivered slightly in his spot.

Kiritsugu noticed this even while continuing to scale the vertical surface. Applying both od to his shoe's soles and Reinforcement to the rest of his limbs as a countermeasure for gravity pulling him downward was a bit of a chore. "Your summoning time is almost up?"

Animals called forth by the Summoning Jutsu could only stay in the world for a certain period. Shiba confirmed it with a tire huff. "I've been extending it with my own stamina, but the tank's running on empty. Sorry, Kiritsugu."

"You've done enough, Shiba," the Mage Killer told the ninja hound with a hint of warmth in his voice. "Release yourself and get your strength back. I'll manage from here." Shiba gave a quiet but grateful bark and poofed away, leaving Kiritsugu Emiya alone. As he was used to. He quickly quashed down any thoughts of shopping for doggie treats tomorrow, though. Fighting the pull of gravity while walking up a wall was hard enough without taking extra care not to make any noise, he didn't need any distractions.

Besides, Iri had already claimed rights for spoiling the pack.

A few more steps, and he gripped the rails of the house's roof and hoisted himself silently upwards. Near silently; Kiritsugu clicked his tongue at how some shingles crunched underneath his feet. He ceased the flow of magic to his limbs in a conscious effort. I still haven't fully gotten used to jutsu yet, he berated himself while setting up his Walther. These otherworldly techniques remained an unexpectedly welcome edge, but their dissimilarities with the magecraft Kiritsugu was more familiar with tended to hamper his ingrained instincts somewhat. Iri had noted similar frustrations while they'd first learned the basics. Of Assassin X's three "students," Maiya had been the one who'd acclimated the quickest to jutsu.

Still, one couldn't deny it was thanks to the Servant's ability as a teacher that they'd be able to use his lessons for combat. Well, that and the facts that Kiritsugu and Maiya were technically "dabblers" in magecraft while Iri was young and open-minded. If a trained magus like Kayneth or Tokiomi were to try learning jutsu at such speed, it would probably be like having to walk in a manner different from how they had their whole lives: lots of stumbling about and cursing. Instinct, muscle memory, habits… So easily a double-edged sword.

Kiritsugu trained the assembled rifle (with silencer) towards the residence and peered through the scope. He didn't have time to waste on such musings now. Not when he had a chance to throw a wrench in whatever plans Rider X had made.

He could be mistaken, of course. The clues pointing to Zouken Matou's involvement may've been just a coincidence. Or perhaps a ruse, a false trail Archer X had set up to throw him and the rest off her scent. And Megatron was almost positively in charge of this little team of himself, her and Caster; he was clever enough to come up with something this unexpected and too arrogant to ever be fully subservient to another (another question about what relationship he might have with Kirei Kotomine).

So, perhaps Kiritsugu shouldn't be searching for the head of the Matou family in the hopes of putting a .300 Winchester Magnum round through his skull. Not when Caster had instigated a crisis that could threaten the entire city and maybe the Moonlit World.

But better safe than sorry.

His heat scope picked up multiple tiny sources of warmth, likely from the active lights or lingering spots where people had gone. But a major hotspot seemed to be below the house itself. The Bounded Field over the residence couldn't affect the technology of Kiritsugu's surveillance, but it would hamper any strike he made. Better start breaking it down now.

His left hand released hold of the Walther and made for his right; a single clone would suffice to… to…

What was that buzzing sound?

He rolled to the left just as something large swooped down for him. Kiritsugu kneeled closer to the center of the roof now and fired the Walther at whatever attacked him. The shot was clumsy, one-handed, but it went through the dark cloud buzzing to his right.

Even if he'd had the time to aim his rifle properly, it wouldn't have done good. The mass of insects was barely discomforted by the round sailing through it. Insects… the Mage Killer frowned at the collection of hovering, humming, noticeably aggressive creatures before him. He didn't need to peer through the heat scope to know they were twitching with mana. These were of no species natural to this world, they'd been created through magic.

He forced down unpleasant memories arising from prior experiences with that kind of magecraft. The kind that had forced him to sacrifice- Damnit, not now! The swarm was rushing towards him now, and he had little room to maneuver on this roof.

Kiritsugu darted away from the lunge and flicked out a piece of paper he'd prepared earlier today. It erupted in fire, burning away some of the gnashing little beasts, but more came to replace them. Worse, the cloud was spreading out, circling around him. Within seconds, any point to jump off and escape would mean experiencing their stings.

And amidst the growing masses of vicious bugs closing in on him, Kiritsugu's eyes enhanced by magecraft peered one last time towards the Matou residence. It may've been a trick of all the buzzing wings and the moonlight, but he thought he could make out a hairless face staring back at him with a vicious smile.

His mission complete, the Shadow Clone reached inside his coat just as the first Blade Wing Worms enveloped him.

Zouken Matou's hairless brow rose at the sudden explosion where his uninvited guest had been. It incinerated most of his familiars, and what few survived couldn't find any traces of the man amidst the smoke. Only a smoldering wreckage of his rifle remained.

A dark chuckle rippled from the man that traveled through every corner of his house and sent a shiver through its other, far younger occupant. She tossed and turned about in her bed, her dreams filled with horrid nightmares that she would ultimately face again awake.

"You were right about him being a wily one, Archer X," the Matou patriarch mused out loud. "Maybe more than you realize." Not many would've dared to attempt his assassination within his own home. Fewer still would be able to live to tell the tale.

A good thing, then, that he had decided to send Caster a little extra help.

Information splashed into Kiritsugu's brain, but he continued to carefully drive the boat he'd acquired along the Mion River. He'd grown accustomed to such sensations by now.

In fact, of all the tricks he'd learned from Assassin X, the Shadow Clone Jutsu was perhaps the most invaluable. As the Copy Ninja had first explained while demonstrating it, the technique's original conceptualization hadn't been to bolster ranks spontaneously, but for reconnaissance missions. Once a clone dispersed, regardless of by its own will or if another struck it hard enough, its unused energy and its memories and experiences were automatically transferred to the original. What it had seen, heard, smelled, learned… Everything. This same jutsu had even expedited Assassin X's training them. "If both you and one clone train for one hour, then the result will be the equivalent of you alone having trained for two hours," he had said at the time. A statement that had proven true by how much time they'd saved.

And now, Kiritsugu Emiya knew for certain where that dead worm they'd found had come from. Looks like those rumors of the Matou family practicing insect-related magecraft for generations are true, he concluded. And I've got even more reason to suspect he's involved in some way with Rider X's plans.

A wet, disturbing sound brought him back to the present. Speaking of which… Kiritsugu parked his boat close to underneath Fuyuki Bridge. Caster's monstrosity and the Servants battling it were in clear view.

Neither Rider X nor Archer X had appeared yet, but he had a feeling they were out there. Watching this, waiting for the right moment. As foreign Heroic Spirits and given their personalities, they would have little respect for the laws of secrecy this world's magic society abided by. But neither was stupid or crazy enough like Caster to just let something this big, this dangerous rampage about. Not unless it was part of a bigger plan.

And this kind of threat had drawn in nearly every other player in this Grail War. Either because they wanted to save the countless lives that would become fuel for Caster's insanity or because they wanted to prevent the world of magecraft being revealed. This had to be a trap of some kind.

Kiritsugu enhanced his vision to track the movements of a valued tool of his across the water, wondering when this trap might finally be sprung.

Multiple tentacles wrapped around the Gordius Wheel when Rider turned it around again. He hacked at the taller parts with his spatha and a growl, but the rest quickly tightened, trapping it in place. Fortunately, help arrived in the form of Berserker X. The tentacles were collectively split apart with one slash. The King beamed at him. "Much obliged, Kenpachi!" Waver nodded frantically his head in agreement.

Swinging onto the railing, the Servant snorted at him. "Just don't get in my way."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Iskandar assured him as they turned to face the Gigantic Horror. It sported a couple of slashes and burns but remained intact and powerful. "We may need to start getting serious, though…" he eyed the black patch his friend wore-

"Rider!" The Servants and their Master peered over the railing to see Assassin X standing on the water a ways from them. "Can your chariot's lightning be conducted?"

Rider blinked at the odd question. "Conducted? You mean can it travel through metal or water?" He mulled the idea over briefly. Divine though the Gordius Wheel was, the lightning it emanated functioned much the same as the regular kind. It was mostly a byproduct of his charges, so he'd never really considered it. But… "Yes, it ought to!" He finally called down.

"B-but what's the plan?!" Waver cut in, failing to follow the train of thought. "Should we travel along the water in the hopes of shocking it?" The river was too expansive for that, any electrical charge, even from the Wheel, would be stretched too far to injure the Horror.

"Not exactly," the clone replied. "Just be ready to charge when I make my move! And you may want to hold back on your swinging for now, Berserker X!"

The two Servants shared a look. Technically, Assassin X was a rival for the Holy Grail, and that aside, Iskandar, King of Conquerors, taking orders? Kenpachi Zaraki hanging back when there's a fight? Not exactly in each other's nature. But these weren't usual circumstances. So, Berserker X leaned against the railing with a grumble while Rider guided back the Gordius Wheel. Truth be told, the latter and Waver were both curious to see what the Servant of Assassination had in mind.

On the opposite side of the Gigantic Horror, Assassin X had finished molding his Magical Energy. "Ready?"

Saber raised her sword to level with her cheek next to him and pointed the hidden tip towards their foe. "On your mark."

With that, the Copy Ninja's hands blurred between seven different formations. "Fire Style:" he sucked in a deep breath, "Dragon Flame Bomb!"

He swiftly pulled down his mask lest it be incinerated from the torrent of flames that erupted from his mouth. Those quickly shifted into a roaring Dragon, its serpentine body coiling forward. So hot blazed this fire that the Dragon was white in color, and river and mist alike evaporated where it passed.

Even as it raced towards the Horror, Saber made her own move. "Strike Air!" Just like in the forest battle three nights ago, Invisible Air became a billowing gust blowing away the fog before her. It traveled in front of her at speeds that would've shattered the sonic barrier.

And it was when the "Hammer of the Wind King" connected with the burning Dragon that things got interesting.

In Assassin X's world, fire was considered the element naturally superior to air. Blow a strong enough wind at a campfire, and the flames would be carried to burn on elsewhere. Saber and Assassin X's combination attack shared this reaction. Strike Air pushed on the Dragon Flame Bomb from behind, accelerating it far beyond its regular speed, and the flames made the already tremendous winds even deadlier than before. The result was a monstrous fiery cyclone with a Dragon's head put on this Earth to immolate all evil.

At roughly the same time, Assassin X's Water Clone had completed an even larger set of handsigns. But this one led to part of the river's surface bubbling up and shifting into a vertical swirl before him. "Water Style: Giant Vortex Jutsu!" The spiral erupted towards the Horror in a massive fountain of water.

Waver gaped in awe. He'd already received a first-hand demonstration of this ninja's hydrokinetic abilities at the dockyards, but this was far beyond that Dragon then. It was like part of the Mion River had become a horizontal waterfall raging straight for the Horror.

Rider by contrast only laughed in delight. "Kakashi Hatake, you crafty devil!" He understood how his power was meant to come into play, and this unconventional idea was quite a treat!

He snapped the reins, urging his bulls forward, and launched Via Expugnatio onwards with a familiar war cry. "ULULULIIIII!" But instead of smashing against the Gigantic Horror, the "Distant Trampling Domination" traveled along the length of the Giant Vortex Jutsu, so close it was practically running on the waterfall. The godly lightning that radiated from it was attracted to the water just like its natural occurring cousin and pulled along by the great pressure. The result was a tidal wave brimming with enough charge to light up half of Fuyuki City. The Shinto half.

The electrified deluge and the incandescent hurricane struck the Gigantic Horror at roughly the same time. Either combination attack alone would've been equal in destructive power to a B-rank Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, and their target's size meant it received the full effect of both. The Lovecraftian titan shrieked and howled as its lower area was burned on one side and shocked on the other. Tentacles thrashed about in agony, trying futilely to mitigate the damage it was receiving.

High above, Caster X marveled alongside his Master at the splendid teamwork displayed when an idea of his own came to him. He'd been weighing tapping into his true power to stop this monstrosity, but now he could help in a different, slightly less taxing way. The Istar lifted his staff high with both hands while speaking an incantation in the Quenya tongue of his home. The crystal in its crown shined brightly before he slammed its base into the ground.

A white light began to glow beneath the Gigantic Horror, then eldritch mists rose up. But rather than the purple, foul kind caused by Caster's magics, this gave off a pure, cleansing feeling. And when they touched raging fire and voltic stream, the mists carried them higher and began to circle the Horror in a spiral motion. Before long, Caster's abomination was completely trapped in a pillar of alternating stripes of bolt and flame. The damaging elements had been coalesced, further increasing their potency and leaving no room for them to escape.

Those who hadn't participated in this dual assault, Servant or otherwise, were collectively impressed. Saber X settled for swooping down to where Irisviel, Lancer and the second Water Clone stood and landing with a whistle. "Now there's something you don't see every day."

Diarmuid chuckled next to him. "You can say that again, Branwen." Then he paused to spare the Huntsman a look. "…Did you decide to join us because, well…" He didn't know how to voice his thoughts politely.

"Because I was worried about Misfortune mucking it up?" Qrow cut through the subtext with a tired sort of bluntness. "Kinda obvious, I know, but just to be on the safe side…"

Irisviel spared him a sympathetic smile that widened with hope as she returned her gaze to the river. "A sustained attack of that magnitude… collected around its entire mass… even with its healing factor, that thing can't weather it unscathed."

The Einzbern was right. The stench of burning rotten meat was beginning to fill the air even as its shrieks continued to echo through the night. Its tentacles, covered in burn scars, lashed about in an effort to shake off the attack or maybe knock away its attackers, but it was too far away to reach the coast. And Caster X kept the pillar stable despite the distance, with the other four Servants maintaining their respective streams for as long as they could.

Soon, Caster's angered howls mixed in with those of his creation. "CURSE YOU ALL!" In truth, the Demon Marshall was tucked in so deeply amidst the layers of flesh that he'd yet to be injured, but he could still feel the heat and the pain from how his surroundings rippled. He couldn't escape even if he wanted to; that damned monk's machinations had trapped him within his own holy work.

Hell, even Berserker X was content to lean back against the railing and enjoy the show. He'd jump back in the fight soon enough. Waver, though, amidst his amazement, had noticed plenty of people gathering on both sides of the river. A side effect of this blazing spiral the Servants had trapped the Horror in was that its heat was burning much of the fog away. In other words, the bystanders could see to some extent what was going on. Fingers were pointed, pictures were being taken, ideas of a movie possibly being filmed flew about ("That is some awesome CGI!" one guy called out), etc.

But for once in his life, Waver Velvet wasn't focusing on the negatives here. After all, the people weren't really sure what they were seeing, so with a little work from the Church and maybe the Magus Association, they could sweep this site of the supernatural under the rug. And most importantly, their chances of stopping Caster were a lot better now. Victory was practically in sight.

And then the head of Assassin X's clone blew apart into water droplets.

Without him, the Giant Vortex Jutsu couldn't be maintained any longer, and Berserker X suddenly swung his blade towards Rider's head. "Wh-what the hell are y-" Waver's surprised shout was cut off by an odd clang! that came from the nodachi.

A misshapen piece of lead clattered onto the chariot's floor. Kenpachi traded a frown with his partner. "Archer X has finally come out to play."

Another bullet whistled through the air a second before striking Caster X's left shoulder. He stumbled backwards from the impact with a grunt. "Gandalf!" Kariya hurriedly moved to support his friend who conjured a shield to block two more shots and quickly tended to his injury, but the worst damage had been done.

The loss of Assassin X's Water Clone and the disruption of Caster X's concentration caused the spiral to fall apart. Water splashed back into the river, some of which doused the remaining flames. Those left still burned a bit on the Horror, itself almost slumping as its charred flesh tried to heal from the onslaught, but it was still standing. And it would regenerate, given enough time.

The allied Servants knew this, but they couldn't do anything about it. The focus of Archer X's attacks traveled from target to target, forcing Saber X, the remaining clone and a visibly angry Lancer to move into a protective formation around Irisviel. She flinched from the many sniper rounds that either struck the dirt or clanged against her defenders' weapons.

Agent Texas calmly exchanged magazines from her perch far away. Like shooting fish in a bathtub. Her shots wouldn't have killed that white-haired doll even if they'd hit (Zouken had stressed her importance for bringing about the Holy Grail), but they kept those morons too jumpy from interfering with that calamari nightmare's recovery. It rankled her slightly that she hadn't found that Emiya guy yet, though.

That worm pit she now called Master had just reported him popping up at the mansion, and the Freelancer was a little pissed with herself for not realizing sooner that the Mage Killer was the real Master of Assassin X and Saber. That smug look on Megatron's face when he'd told her had almost made Archer X explode. Literally. Even now, one clean shot, and not only would that sword-swinging twerp and her mummed-up lackey lose their mana source, but the most dangerous human in this War wouldn't be a problem. Which is exactly why I've yet to get a bead on Emiya. He knows how a sniper thinks, he won't step out into the open.

And even that frustration paled in comparison to the one she felt when every time she aimed at Lancer, her trigger finger would freeze up for just a second. But hey. Plenty other targets, plenty of bullets.

A few had even sped over to where Saber and Assassin X stood, preventing them from pressing the advantage against the Gigantic Horror. 'Radio tower,' Kiritsugu's voice echoed suddenly in their heads. 'On Iri's side, about four klicks from her position.'

The Sharingan glared out through the night despite the bullets heading his way. 'I see her,' he told his Master and his partner while tilting his head out of another shot's trajectory. Sure enough, he could identify the black soldier lying atop the support beams for the tower's staff. Full view of the battlefield, enough distance to react to any attackers in time… Tactically, a perfect vantage point for a Servant specializing in long range.

Though she couldn't see the blackguard, Saber glared as well towards that spot when her Instinct warned her anew. "Look out!" She yelled even while pushing Kakashi out of the way.

Purple energy bolts strafed the spot in the water where they'd been standing, and a familiar silver shape shrieked past them. Iskandar barely managed to divert the Gordius Wheel from colliding with Rider X in his Alt-Mode Starship. Berserker X swiped after him, but he was already out of the sword's range. Iskandar frowned at his airborne enemy. "Was this your plan all along… Megatron?"

The foreign Servant of the Mount gave no indication that he'd heard his counterpart's words. Instead, he opened fire on those gathered at Miyama's coast. Assassin X's Water Clone was blasted into a puddle before he could react, but Saber X and Lancer were fast enough to evade the energy bolts. Irisviel was held tightly in the former's left arm even as his right returned fire with Harbinger. The shotgun blasts went wide, though, as the alien aircraft headed for the bridge and circled around for another pass.

And with the limbs of Caster's monstrosity rising with renewed vigor, the Battle of Mion River began its next level.

-84:25:22

"What a wretched mess."

This scathing observation of the battlefield came from high above it, roughly level to the tallest points of Fuyuki Bridge. Gilgamesh, oldest hero of this world, now serving as the Archer of the Fourth Holy Grail War, leaned back in his seat with a disdainful huff. He, his partner and his Master had arrived at this spot roughly two minutes ago via a particular treasure from the Gate of Babylon: the Vimana of ancient Babylonian-Indian stories. This sleek, golden contraption surpassed even the most advanced of aircraft in modern day even while hovering idly. One of only a handful of vessels worthy of carrying the King of Heroes.

Right now, though, none of the Vimana's passengers had the inclination to appreciate its splendor. "For once, we agree, Archer." Lancer X stood at the edge, her eyes coldly drifting from the silver fighter flying about to the disgusting Horror lumbering ever towards the coast of Shinto. It wasn't quite the most revolting thing she'd seen (living in Outworld meant such sights appeared on a weekly basis), but it ranked high on that list. Kitana would've joined in tearing it apart by now. "Caster's terror needs to be destroyed as quickly as possible."

Tokiomi Tohsaka noticed a sharpness in her words than her usual cool nature; his Servant of the Spear had seemed on edge ever since he'd called her to join him and Archer. She's probably blaming herself for not finding Caster sooner, the Master figured. He couldn't fault her, either, for feeling anxious. Not when that same feeling came when he saw the crowds of people witnessing this debacle.

A scoff drew his focus to the only one of the trio seated. "I do not refer to the abomination alone," Archer grumbled. "Mongrels the fools fighting down there may be, but they're all supposed to be heroes of great fame, from this world or another. Yet even after shaming themselves by uniting, it only takes two other mongrels to throw them into such disarray?" He summoned a goblet of wine to wash out this taste. "Pitiful." He sneered into his drink at watching her fists tighten. "Come now, we all know this to be true, don't we, Tokiomi?"

The head of the Tohsaka family said nothing while glaring down. But in his thoughts (which Archer hopefully couldn't read), he disagreed with that assessment. That colossal funnel of fire and electrified water had been utter brilliance in his eyes, he was unashamed to admit, and not just because of the balanced power representing the Heroic Spirits' cooperation. Given enough time, its heat would've surely weakened the Horror enough to be finished off with ease… only for the other rogues to come and nip that victory in the bud.

Though they were only two in number, the interlopers were making full use of their respective strengths to throw the battlefield in chaos. Archer X's fire and Rider X's airborne attacks were breaking up formations and keeping the other Servants on their toes. They also changed targets repeatedly and sometimes pooled their efforts; Rider's chariot was already showing mileage, and red energy crackled slightly around Saber X. None of their opponents had died yet, a testament to their abilities, but neither were they given the time to conjure up another attack strong enough to destroy the Horror.

Said abomination had recovered marginally from its near-incineration and was continuing its journey to the coast. Berserker X had apparently decided for once to put business before pleasure; he went back to hacking into the creature, even targeting those burns yet to heal. But of course neither Rider X nor Archer X would let their revolting superweapon be stopped so easily. Even with his partners and Saber and Assassin X watching his back, Kenpachi Zaraki had to deal with sniper shots and strafes while hacking into his prey.

It was a battle against the clock, and the rogues were winning.

'Master, we have to act now before the entire city is drawn in,' Jade's voice rang in his head.

'I'm well aware,' He "replied" testily while grappling with himself mentally. He knew she was concerned about the destruction that would be wrought if Caster reached the shore, but that wasn't his only concern. As the Second Owner of Fuyuki City, appointed by the Magus Association, it was Tokiomi Tohsaka's responsibility to keep the masses safe and unaware of magical dealings. Letting this incident shatter the masquerade would endanger Fuyuki City, compromise the Holy Grail War and stain his family name. Tokiomi refused to become a disgrace like his ancestor Choujirou. He had every reason, official and moral, to put a stop to this mess now. And he had the means to do so right next to him.

The problem was, Lancer X didn't have any technique in her repertoire that could destroy something that massive. Her specialty lay in dispatching single opponents. Jade could wipe out small groups at best and with stealth on her side. So, he could send her to deal with Archer X, maybe Rider X if he'd just hold still. But the biggest threat, the monster Caster had conjured up… that was beyond her talents.

And she knew it, too. It was this knowledge and her discipline that (barely) kept the Edenian warrior from leaping into the fray. Fortunately, Tokiomi had another Servant with far greater power at his disposal.

The problem there was, Archer had yet to feel any motivation. So, Tokiomi drew in a breath and made to try and change that. "Oh, King," he began while turning to face his seated Servant, "Caster has brought about a repugnant blight into your garden. And two more wretched souls are aiding the devastation it wreaks." He bowed his head in fealty. "Surely they should all be wiped out immediately!"

"That task falls within the gardener's duties," was Archer's cold answer to this request. "I hope, Tokiomi, you are not inferring my Noble Phantasm serves no greater purpose than as a gardener's tool?"

Tokiomi quickly made to correct himself when Lancer X spoke up. "How can the gardener perform his duties the way the King expects if the King does not give him the proper means?" The female Servant returned the cold gaze without so much as a flinch. She'd long grown sick of myopic tyrants but still remembered how to converse with them. "If you do not want your garden to be overrun or claimed by another," she inclined her head towards a familiar whine, "you may wish to put a little effort in tending to it."

Archer's eyes sharpened like daggers, but Tokiomi spoke up again, an idea coming to mind. "Lancer X may have a point, my King. Rider X seeks without a doubt your throne," he quickly deepened his bow a little more, "and though he could never hope to match your splendor, this is a prime opportunity to demonstrate your might to him. You could remind all of these inferior spirits scuttling about what it means to be a true hero." A sliver of desperation was creeping in his words. "I beg you, o King of Heroes…"

All that came from Gilgamesh's mouth was an irritated grunt. And the fire in his eyes did not waver. But he flicked his fingers, nonetheless.

Berserker X was dragging his blade through a chunk of the Horror's upper area, blood spraying in his path. A bullet grazed his shoulder, but he paid it no more mind than he would a flea bite. If anything, that just upped the fun factor.

Then his Instinct flared, and bells jingled as the Servant dropped from his perch. A flash of gold blasted through the spot he'd been a second ago, blowing clean through the monster in its entirety. He stabbed his nodachi into a lower spot, the worn blade carving through a bit before his fall ceased. "Watch where you throw your toys, you gold-humping jackass!"

(Archer made a note to himself: discipline that brutish mutt for his mouth later.)

Three more golden meteors shot down to perforate the Horror, one of which nearly striking Rider X hadn't he banked away in time. The raw force in their flights obliterated the disgusting flesh and crashed into the river. The tower of slime, teeth and tentacles now sported four gargantuan holes gaping wide in the wake of Archer's assault.

Archer X didn't have time to register this development like the rest, on account of a fifth projectile speeding straight for her. She barely rolled cursing off of her perch before a trident decorated with bronze and sapphires blew the radio tower's crown to dust. Tex angled her fall to land on the roof of a shorter building and promptly got up to find a new position, grumbling all the while. "Gonna feed that gaudy asshole his kidneys and shove his testicles through his eye sockets…"

Lancer might've been angered about Archer potentially stealing his kill if he weren't busy peering through the mist. Even without Assassin X's special eye, his own sight should've been enough to see if Caster was now exposed through Archer's assault. But alas, no sign of the madman, not so much as a toe. And that meant the knight couldn't throw Gáe Daerg with the surety it would pierce him.

Which sadly meant the bombardment just now had yielded little benefit. "It will not suffice…" Caster X murmured of similar mind.

Sure enough, wounds inflicted with enough force to sunder mountains were beginning to close up again. Archer hadn't put much care into aiming his "arrows", but even if he'd tried to hit vital organs, he wouldn't have found any. This thing doesn't have any skeleton structure or organs at all,Saber X surmised as he flew into one hole and began slicing and blasting, trying to press the advantage somehow. Same as the Grimm, just a big stinking pile of destruction. He quickly vacated the hole lest it seal up around him.

As for the King of Heroes, he'd lost whatever interest he'd had in this debacle. "We're leaving, Tokiomi. I can no longer stomach the sight of that detestable thing."

Lancer X whirled around to face him with indignance. "You can't be serious, Archer! You wish to simply strut away after contributing the barest amount of effort and leaving the rogues free to roam about? Is this how you prove your worth as King?!" A portal flashed open and shot an axe that struck the Servant of the Spear. Were it not for her "Dodging Shadows" technique, it would've split her clean in half. As it was, she staggered a bit from the blow's force but remained standing and uninjured, Edenian Sojourner Staffdrawn.

Tokiomi quickly stepped between the two, his usual mask of dignity giving way to panic. The last thing he needed now was for his Servants to start fighting each other. It would be utterly humiliating. And maybe… he didn't want Jade to be killed. Well, she is the more dependable of the two. "My King, please-"

"You should teach your cur to mind her tongue, Tokiomi." There was a part of Archer that commended his partner for the defiance in her posture. She knew better than any other mongrel in this War what he was capable of; that axe just now was the equivalent of a finger flick. Yet the resolve in the cur's eyes showed not a trace of wavering. It tickled Gilgamesh enough that he held back on her punishment in favor of continuing. "I have no need to 'prove' my worth at anything, outlandish tart. I have graced this battle with five of my swords and spears for the sake of Tokiomi's honor. Four of them have been contaminated by the touch of that filth, thus I shall not retrieve them." He sipped his wine while waving his hand in dismissal. "That farce of an Archer has been dealt with. If the mongrels down there have any sense, they will capitalize on my contributions. You can scurry off and join them with my blessing, but do not test my generosity further."

Tokiomi's deference gave even more away to the panic within. "The other Servants will no doubt be able to handle Rider X and his ally, but you alone are capable of finishing off that beast!" He cast his arm towards the Gigantic Horror. "From what we've seen, its regenerative power is so great, the only way to completely kill it is with one strike of overwhelming might." He was unconsciously walking closer towards the Vimana's owner despite the danger of this. "And only you, O King of Heroes, can unleash such an attack with the Sword of Rupture-"

"How dare you?!"

The goblet struck the craft's floor, wine spilling from it. "Me, draw, Ea, my greatest treasure here?!" Gilgamesh's eyes blazed with such a crimson fury that it was now Lancer X who stood defensively between him and their Master. "Take care with your words as well, Tokiomi! Speaking such foolishness to the King can cost both of you your heads!"

He wouldn't do it. Of course he wouldn't, Tokiomi realized. The King of Heroes would never unveil the "Sword of Rupture," the weapon that split earth apart from heaven at the dawn of creation, the single most powerful and most prized treasure within the Gate of Babylon, against a threat he did not deem worth his time. So, the magus resigned himself to bowing his head in submission and telepathically told Lancer X to do her same. She did so while her knuckles creaked from how tightly they gripped her staff, a frustration he couldn't begrudge.

But while doing so, his turquoise eyes looked down to the markings on his right hand. Then even as he considered his options, something beneath them caught the trio's attention.

Even though the Gigantic Horror was recovering from it, Archer's bombardment had helped Assassin X catch a break despite the surrounding chaos. 'Kiritsugu, I'm about to take a gamble. Will you let me use my secret weapon without interference?'

He nimbly evaded more of Rider X's blasts while awaiting his Master's reply. 'Alright, just don't make me use a Command Seal unless absolutely necessary.'

'That's fine, hopefully it won't come to that.' Privately, Kakashi was a bit warmed that he wasn't questioned further on what he had in mind; looks like Saber wasn't the only one who had developed some faith in him. Speaking of which, he quickly turned his attention to his partner. "Cover me for a bit, I've got something that might work."

The King of Knights nodded and jumped over to his side without a word, her sword at the ready. She didn't demand an explanation or a plan from Assassin X; he had earned her near-absolute trust. Besides, Rider X seemed to be focusing on the duo right now. She warded off his rapid fire with swift swordplay before slashing the air to drive him off, then the airborne tyrant would circle back, and the process repeated itself. Tentacles would spring up from the Mion, but neither flesh nor blast touched the comrade of Artoria Pendragon.

Behind her, the Copy Ninja had settled into a crouch on the water's surface, gathering his Magical Energy. His hands were in a formation similar to the Tiger sign of ninjutsu and positioned in front of his closed left eye. His left eye, a special gift given to him from Obito of the Uchiha clan just before the latter had been crushed to death in a rockslide. A fine ninja, Kakashi Hatake knew him to be, and a better friend than he had deserved. He'd failed to save Obito and later failed again to save their teammate Rin; that bloody failure had awakened the power he was accessing now. He had vowed to never squander the gifts they'd entrusted him.

With that vow in heart, the Man of a Thousand Techniques opened his Sharingan again.

By chance, Saber lunged to bifurcate a collection of tentacles that had erupted to his left. She took a moment to catch her breath afterwards and made eye contact with Assassin X, instantly seeing something had changed. His left eye retained its crimson color, but those three strange dots within his iris had shifted into three triangles, their edges stretched evenly across the red. Their inner curls linked into a circle where the pupil would be, overall giving it the appearance of a sharpened pinwheel. Saber finally realized she'd been staring and gave him a quick apologetic glance before returning to guarding his back.

"It's okay," Assassin X assured her. "I hadn't shown any of you my Mangekyō Sharingan before, after all. Not that I don't trust you, Saber, it's just that I've kept it as a last resort."

That logic, she understood completely. The Once and Future King had yet to show him her own last resort as well. If anything, the change in his eye intrigued her. "Mangekyō… Sharingan?" She repeated out loud while driving her sword through another slimy appendage and twisting. According to the Grail's knowledge, mangekyōmeant "kaleidoscope," and that gave her some manner of idea what this power meant. "It's a stronger form of your regular Sharingan, then?"

"Exactly." Kakashi fixed his changed eye towards the massive, unholy abomination before them. "Activating it taxes my energy even more than usual, but it comes with a boost to the Sharingan's basic abilities." Already he could differentiate the alternating layers of mana surrounding and within the Horror itself, his gaze travelling towards what he'd earlier caught a glimpse of… There you are.

Assassin X got up from his crouch, a glint of determination in his special eye's glare. And, Saber noticed, a swell of mana as well. "And it's only in this state that I can use my final trump card."

Deep within his beautiful invocation, Bluebeard basked in the grand chaos he had invoked before God. He had sequestered himself even further among the layers following that unpleasant swell of heat, making it next to impossible to know what was happening his darling. But he could still feel presences, the sensations travelling along the throbbing walls and to him like the ripples in a pond. He knew he was not alone in this endeavor; valiant souls had come to his aid and were now battling the infidels outside.

Jeanne was out there, as well. Not that he'd expected her to disappear; she would not fall so easily. And the Holy Maiden, the blessed Savior from Orleans would never turn away from such a terrible crime before her. Her presence warmed his heart all the more. "Watch and see, dear Jeanne," he beseeched her, "watch as I and my treasured friends smite the pious fools that have entrapped you with their illusions. Watch as I unveil the greatest banquet before God's eyes!" These skirmishes outside had prolonged the appetizer of this humble meal, and once the coast was reached…

"Watch from your seat in Heaven, Ryuunosuke, as I make the greatest COOO-"

He paused. Something must've dropped into his eyes. Why else would the walls before him be swirling?

Outside, Megatron had broken off leading Rider in a merry chase; another opponent appeared to be up to something. But his attempts to eliminate Assassin X was hampered just like all the others by Saber. He rocketed away from that blasted invisible sword, a chip in his wing; not quite out of reach. And all the while, the mechanical being wondered just what that foreigner was doing to the Horror. It's almost like a magical version of… opening a Space Bridge. 

Others had taken notice of the strange distortions as well. Tokiomi, for instance, had Reinforced his eyes for a better view of what was happening. A small, rotating hole had appeared in the head- well, upper area of the monster, rapidly expanding with each spin. Except… it wasn't really a "hole", he realized, but a point in space that was being warped. Some sort of Bounded Field has been established,the magus in him analyzed. A dimensional rift that is drawing in everything within its vicinity.

Waver's eyes marveled as well at how the monster's flesh was warped within that space. It was some kind of space-time manipulation, but not like the Reality Marble Rider had for a Noble Phantasm. "Who… who's doing this?"

"Assassin X." Iskandar grinned while ramming through a collection of tentacles. He wasn't about to let himself be caught again. "That mask hides more than a crafty mind, doesn't it?" In fact, the sight made him wonder…

Sure enough, nearly everyone recognized that the source of this disturbance in reality was coming from one of the two Servants standing on top of the River. Assassin X focused ever on his target before giving one final push with uttering the name of his final Noble Phantasm. "Kamui!"

Caster screeched loud enough for the entire area to hear as his left arm was ripped from his body and sucked away. The dimensional swirled one final time before sealing up, the Horror and its creator both deprived of appendages. The former's injuries would heal much sooner than the latter's.

Assassin X's knees buckled and he stumbled forward, Saber quickly catching him with her left arm so he wouldn't fall into the water. He could barely stay atop the surface. "Assassin X!" Irisviel called out instinctively, the worry in her voice reflected by her posture. She concentrated, but the Servants were too far away for her healing magecraft to reach.

And even if it could, there was no easy remedy for the kind of fatigue that now gripped the shinobi. Panting in a concerned Saber's arms, Kakashi was covering his left eye with his hand. "Too much… flesh… in between…" he wheezed out. "I missed…"

Other shared his disappointment at Caster still being alive. Tokiomi however noted the Servant's posture as well as his exhaustion. So, that Noble Phantasm is an extension of his eye…

Archer had grown slightly interested in this development before slumping back in his seat. "Quaint for a parlor trick."

Even Kariya had paused in scowling up at the golden aircraft that could only belong to one Servant to watch this odd spectacle. He knew next to nothing about magecraft, but this kind of technique didn't look like anything most magi of this world were capable of. "Was he trying to warp the whole thing away?"

Caster X's beard swayed as he shook his head. "I don't think that's possible." His eyes noted the strain in the Servant's posture, the obvious fatigue. "Assassin X does not have the power to draw in something so massive, nor was he trying to." His gaze shifted towards the greatest danger about. "No, he had sent it like a scalpel into the beast in hopes of catching Caster."

Gandalf the Gray's hypothesis was on the mark. Kakashi gently pulled himself free of his friend's grip and repeated his efforts. I almost had him. He knew Archer had put little effort or interest in his earlier barrage, but the weapons blasting through the Horror had opened massive holes in both its physical and magical structure. For just a brief second, the maelstrom that was its many colors of mana had stilled, and in that one second, Assassin X's Noble Phantasm had seen something that could've been Caster.

That second had passed when the mana resurged to repair the damage, but he had been given an idea of where to look, and even now, his augmented visual prowess could clearly make out a (one-armed) gesticulating human form towards the top.

But finding him was only the first step. They still had to kill Caster or at least destroy his book, and there was a lot of flesh in the way. Not a problem for the mana-negating power of Lancer's red spear, but Rider X wouldn't let him or a Clone get close enough to relay the location of their target. Not to mention Kakashi had noticed a certain increase of tension in his comrade's rival ever since Archer X had made her presence known. Much as he appreciated the chivalry the knights shared, he feared Lancer would break off from the rest and go after his former partner in his rage. Taking his spear with him, of course.

That left Kamui: "The Authority of the Gods" as the most immediate option. But as Assassin X had expected, his gambit had proven risky. For one thing, aiming the dimensional warp was tricky at the best of times; even now, despite knowing where to look, the effort of basically staring open a hole in reality, plus the sheer thickness of the Horror's insides, had knocked off his trajectory slightly. Thus, Caster had only lost his arm, not his entire torso. Not to mention the technique had a limit of how much mass it could warp away, even as a Noble Phantasm.

Then there was the fatigue that followed. Assassin X could only perform Kamui safely twice per day; a third time would knock him out. Which is exactly why he had avoided falling back on the Mangekyō Sharingan's power up till now. But this wasn't a situation where he could afford to hold back. The flesh was starting to close up, he might not get a later chance.

For the second time that night, the Copy Ninja focused his Mystic Eye's dimension-distorting power at the Demon Marshall tucked within his monster. Saber was watching his unsteady stance even while cutting down the tentacles headed their way, but she pushed down any concern. The best way she could help now was by keeping any enemies off her friend so he could do his thing.

Those Servants allied with the two had similar ideas. Lancer stood guard by Irisviel, watching the rooftops for any hint of Archer X. Saber X circled in bird form with the same idea in mind. Berserker X hacked away at the Horror from where he was climbing, dividing its attention (though he hadn't noticed what was going on, he was just having fun).

Rider X streaked downwards, targeting the shinobi. I've underestimated his threat level. His turrets charge up. A mistake easily remedied- One of the Gordius Wheel's bulls dealt him a glancing blow. Nothing major, but it knocked him spinning with a growl. Then the flier was forced to dodge magical lightning from Caster X, forcing him off course. Blast!

Caster had been too distracted by his pain to move away. Cradling his right arm, he howled incoherent curses at the familiar sensation of being twisted and forced around. The walls around him throbbed and thrashed, but this was no attack he or they could've been familiar with. He screeched as the strange force centered on his chest. If he were a little calmer, he might've formulated a twisted prayer of damnation against whatever devilry this was.

That prayer would prove answered as the force suddenly ceased. He blinked in incomprehension at the relief from his tribulation, wondering what had just happened, then accepted it as divine aid and went on to conduct his great orchestra. "Yes! COOOOOLLLL!"

"Assassin X! Kakashi!" Saber was by her partner, trying desperately to help. He was being… strangled, from the looks of it, but there was no one there. No tentacle wrapped around his throat, no invisible presence she could sense or grasp, he was simply grabbing for his throat as though to pry himself free of this suffocating force. "What's happening, who's doing this to you?" Artoria gripped his shoulders, trying desperately to find the source of his distress.

He could barely hear her or Kiritsugu's (mostly) level mental calls. His head was pounding like a drum. He couldn't speak from the sheer pressure crushing his throat. Some kind of intangible… force. No matter how much he or Saber reached for something, anything, they only touched air. Add that of the fatigue from his failed second use of Kamui, and Assassin X could feel his life being crushed away. His Mangekyō Sharingan had already reverted back…

Sharingan. He could see the channels of mana surrounding him, not from him or Saber. Desperately, he fought through the blurring of his senses and followed their trail. There… on the Miyama shore. But his throat was lodged shut, he could only get out a wordless gurgle.

Assassin X summoned all of his dwindling strength into his arm, lifting it and pointing it shakily towards the coast. Saber noticed his efforts, as did Lancer. The spearman's gaze followed the trajectory of Assassin X's indication even while he bounded quickly along the shore. He halted within a second to thrust his red spear and swing his golden one at the source of Assassin X's affliction, hand outstretched and fingers curling around something.

The hooded figure backflipped out of reach, but out on the river, Assassin X finally collapsed coughing into Saber's arms. The blonde knight had little time to be relieved at her comrade's breathing steadying as a large shadow appeared over him. She quickly adjusted her hold on him and jumped away from the tentacle that would've crushed them, sprinting for safety.

Meanwhile, Lancer glared back at golden eyes filled with hatred and fury. "Who are you to interfere with our stopping Caster's madness?"

The hooded man slowly rose from his crouch, a deep hiss escaping him. "Madness… Such a heavy word." Blood trickled from a cut on his right cheek, a gift from Gáe Buidhe. "I suppose I couldn't help myself." He tilted his head underneath his hood. "Caster… I could sense his pain, his anguish. Surely, a hero," that word was spat out with derision, "like you could understand the instinct to try and alleviate a poor fellow's misery?"

It didn't take a genius to recognize the mockery in the stranger's tone. And the knight of Fianna was already agitated enough from Archer X's presence to play along. Instead, his answer was another lunge which the man evaded with speed only a Servant could boast. "My, such aggression…" He ducked under a swing from Gáe Daerg. "Such hatred…"

Diarmuid blocked a punch with his golden spear and hopped over a leg sweep before stabbing again, but the stranger continued to parry his blows with ease. It was almost as he could predict what the next moves would. "How brightly it burns in you."

And worst of all, he wouldn't shut up. "Hmm, but it's not directed at me, no…" He grabbed onto the red lance and pulled, reeling Lancer in for an elbow to the face. Fortunately, a knee in the gut and the yellow tip prevented from any further strikes. "And Caster or his… creation isn't the source, either," the Servant mumbled while slipping out of range. "No, no, the flavor of fury like the one within you comes from personal pain. Someone you knew…" His body shook slightly with a dark chuckle that rankled Lancer. "Someone you trusted, maybe?"

Lancer would feel shame later at how easily his discipline slipped, but at the moment, he only cared about skewering this fiend's heart. He charged forward, teeth bared, one spear aimed at the hooded head, one at the chest over where he was reaching for something-

Red flared before his eyes, and Diarmuid Ua Duibhne realized only at the last second it wasn't his rage.

His right foot kicked up dirt and grass as it forced him to a stop, and he rolled while jabbing with Gáe Daerg. The stranger in turn flipped away with that strange light in his hand. They got to their feet at the same time and glared at each other.

Lancer winced slightly at the burn on his left shoulder. The pauldron strapped there had been sliced clean through; if he'd been just a second slower, the entire arm would have been lost. Then the knight felt mana flowing through him, and his wound was swiftly healed. Even the armor had been repaired. 'My thanks, Lady Sola-Ui,' he sent out of automatic courtesy, but a rustle from his opponent distracted him from hearing her reply.

The stranger's left hand was covering a gash in his side where the red tip had cut him, but the right hand clutched some kind of metallic cylinder tightly. It looked like the handle of a long sword, the image reinforced by the crimson beam of light flowing from one end and the curved metal there. A blade of focused plasma, Lancer deduced, his shoulder still stinging from the burn.

"Invigorating, isn't it?" He straightened as his left hand drifted up towards the hood and flicked it back, revealing a scowling face covered in red and black markings, a ring of sharp horns atop his hairless head, and twin yellow eyes that blazed with barely restrained rage. "The pain, the hatred you feel…" He rolled his shoulders free of his robes, the black cloth sliding to the ground, before snarling, "And you've only scratched the surface, hero."

Lancer settled into a more cautious stance; he couldn't afford to let his emotions run wild. The others would be counting on his spears. "Who are you, Servant, to make such claims of knowing pain?"

The man twirled his sword of light and sank into his own stance. "One of a class birthed in pain. Anguish, vengeance… the darkness is our origin, our lifeblood…" he leaped forward with greater speed than he'd shown before, sword raised above his head, "and our weapon!"

Lancer made to block, but he needn't have bothered. A rush of wind, and his attacker was struck out of the air to skid on his feet away. A familiar blue and silver shape landed next to the knight who smiled in turn. "I suppose you think us even for the forest now, Saber?"

"That was admittedly a side benefit, Lancer." The King of Knights kept her steely gaze on the beastlike spirit before them. "In truth, I wish to repay him for assaulting Assassin X from the shadows." She had ushered her comrade to Irisviel's side, the woman immediately working to nurse him back to health, before heading here. Kakashi had tried to go with her, but he received three separate vetoes; not even Kiritsugu would send him in his weakened state back into the fray. Leaving her with no distractions as her fingers clenched around her sword's hilt. "And that blow just now was only the beginning of your punishment…" her eyes were practically slits now, "coward."

Avenger X only scoffed back at the little girl before him. "Whatever nightmares you chivalric fools could lay before me are blissful dreams compared to what's behind me." Despite the sharpness of his words, he didn't charge in just yet. In truth, he had targeted both of the Servants on the water with his Force Choke. Only the male one had been affected, though; this girl dressed up as a knight hadn't seemed so much as winded. Is it her Magic Resistance?

And just now, his lightsaber had definitely struck her sword, but hidden though it was, he sensed it hadn't suffered so much as a nick from the plasma blade. Must be C-rank, at least… The natures of Noble Phantasms could prove an annoyance.

The clothing of blue and gold with gleaming silver on top, the sword shrouded in winds in her hand, the resolute, righteous look in her eyes…

Maul would've almost mistaken her for a Jedi were it not for the inner turmoil he sensed within her. Most Jedi were better at hiding that, but even without the dark side of The Force, he could practically taste her doubt, her uncertainty, her pain... It only stoked his own fire all the more. He readied Crimson Dawn. "Looks like a wonderful night awaits us."

Lancer slowly moved towards the right while Saber headed left, disgust emanating from the latter. "If you enjoy such turmoil, why only engage us now?"

He lashed towards her, his crimson blade becoming a blur that illuminated the winds of Invisible Air. "Your partner would've put an end to it far too quickly, and the night is still so young." He attacked again, and she parried, then he twisted away from a stab Lancer attempted before swinging his sword at the spearman. An aggressive warrior, Saber surmised while clashing blades with him, but he shows training. And strategy. Like Rider X, his taunts weren't merely a sign of arrogance, but targeted to rile them up. Lancer was noticeably more on edge than usual. Or was that due to Archer X being close by? Maybe both.

But there was something else about this stranger. He seemed to have little trouble parrying her sword despite Invisible Air. It wasn't as though he actually saw her fabled weapon underneath, but he wasn't misjudging its length or shape like others would. Instinct? Or some other Skill?

Either way, neither swordsman had yet to score any injury on the other, and Lancer had given nor taken any himself since the unveiling of that energy sword. The newcomer's side seemed to have healed up, but the cut underneath his eye remained because of Gáe Buidhe's ability. He himself seemed a little perplexed every time their weapons clashed, like he was expecting the plasma of his blade to inflict more damage. The blade even flickered whenever it met Gáe Dearg's tip; of course it would, it was formed of mana. However, he adjusted rapidly.

The two-on-one battle had become a frustrating stalemate for the two. The third on the other hand seemed a mixture between angry and pleased. "Not dispatching me as easily as you'd hoped?" He jeered while pressing that red light against both of their arms. "And all the while you struggle to kill me, Caster's pet drifts ever closer to land…" They pushed him back, but as he circled them, Lancer noticed amidst his glaring no slip in his guard. "But one wrong step…" he rose his weapon towards them, "and I will kill you." The black-and-red man made no threat, but a promise. "What ever will you do, little knights?"

Diarmuid smirked fiercely back at him. "Awfully confident there, considering you're facing two of us…" his spears drifted closer together, "Avenger X." He felt a small bit of triumph at how the Servant snarled. "A class birthed in pain, anguish, vengeance? Plenty of clues to narrow down your class, and there is already a Berserker X in play. And you're most certainly neither Heroic nor a Spirit of this world's history."

Saber kept her face neutral even as she puzzled over this information. An Avenger in this Grail War? She knew little about this irregular class, but one shouldn't normally appear alongside the seven standard Servants. Well, nothing about this War has been regular so far, she huffed to herself before relaying this new information to Kiritsugu and Kakashi. That done, she raised her sword and said, "Whatever you are, the both of us are more than sufficient for handling you, fiend." Then she charged alongside her rival towards him.

Avenger X jumped over a slash from the red spear and barely blocked a slash from Saber's sword that sent him rolling backwards. The two knight classes shared a look before leaping after him. A single sword no matter its color or composition could only parry so much, and he was on the defensive. They kept the pressure on him, Saber going low and Lancer aiming high and then switching and right back. This was the third time they'd shared a battlefield; both knights were completely familiar with each other's movements.

Their opponent suddenly thrust a hand towards them, fingers splayed open. The air rippled as some sort of pressure rushed towards Saber and Lancer, but neither felt more than a stiff breeze. He cursed while stumbling under Gáe Daerg's thrust, flipping his hilt into a reverse grip to stop Gáe Buidhe chopping at his leg, then Invisible Airswooped towards his chest…

And was halted in mid-swing by the crimson energy blade emitted from the hilt's other end.

Saber had little time to process this development as she twisted her head away from a bullet hurtling for the back of her head. Archer X. It only grazed her cheek but still rattled her, and Avenger X spun like a top, his Noble Phantasm a blur of blood-red mana. They had to break away lest they risk losing limbs; the swings were not nearly as careless as they appeared.

Artoria Pendragon sidestepped another shot from above and frowned at the obvious tightening of Lancer's posture. Well, their new friend straightened while twirling his double-bladed weapon before them, this could be harder than I thought.

"Well, come on, heroes…" Avenger X bared his teeth in a savage cross between a snarl and a smirk. Crimson Dawn'sblades hummed eagerly in his hand. "Handle me if you can."