Saber's wrist twitched on the handlebars, the Yamaha V-Max accelerating even more. She ducked underneath a lobbed grenade just before it exploded a couple of feet behind her. Two more duplicates of Archer X were speeding along the street of Shinto's western outskirt, each piloting a Suzuki LT500 "quadzilla." She'd encountered them near the Civic Center in Shinto, one trying to blast it and its panicking occupants apart with a rocket launcher, and given chase.
The ATVs rumbled smoothly along despite their riders' weight; under normal circumstances, their max speed of a little over 130 km/h wouldn't have been enough to outpace the inhuman speeds of Saber's motorcycle. But upon pilfering them and some very high-quality fuel tanks, Texas had performed a few of her own modifications with her Engineer Skill, turbocharging the Suzuki's to far beyond their regular performance. Granted, a few minutes of that kind of driving would melt the engines down to slag, but, well, they were rentals.
Besides, the rockets, grenades and other nasty surprises they dropped behind themselves also hampered Saber somewhat. The mountain wall on her right suddenly blew apart, and heavy chunks of rock began raining down towards her. Keeping her left hand on its handle, the King of Knights drew her sword and swiftly sliced them to pebbles. The dust cloud generated in the process, though, obscured her sight, and it was only her Instinct that allowed her to dodge the next rocket.
Saber gritted her teeth as it whistled past her and struck the road. At least five cars and one truck had already been wrecked during this chase despite her best efforts. She had to put an end to this. She willed her blade away and engaged the Yamaha's throttle, her speed increasing within seconds as she tore down the road. The sudden acceleration made the bike's front wheel jump upwards and with her slim build and weight, she might've been thrown off. Instead, Saber kept an iron grip on the handles, and a quick application of Mana Burst kept both wheels turning on the asphalt. Soon, she began closing the distance to her prey, which wasn't lost on the latter two. The Tex Drone not lugging a rocket launcher with her summoned an SMG and leaned back to let loose. Bullets zipped past Saber, one tearing part of her suit's left shoulder, another grazing her cheek, and a few coming dangerously close to her ride's engine. She reluctantly reduced speed slightly to dodge the rapid fire, widening the gap again.
The SMG soon began emitting a clicking sound, indicating it was empty, but then the other Archer X swung around herarmament and fired one-handed. The rocket blasted the road behind them apart, almost throwing Saber and the Yamaha over the side. She sucked in a breath, swung her entire bike around in midair with Mana Burst, the momentum behind her swing carrying her back, and smoothly drove on the moment both wheels touched the ground.
A metallic creaking slipped out, barely noticeable over the surrounding noises, but Saber's ears picked it up, nonetheless. She spared a glance at her ride: there were a few scratches in the chassis from Archer X's bullets, but the real damage was self-inflicted, she realized. Even if the motorcycle can reach higher velocities than a regular model, it's still comprised of average materials. It can't handle me driving this fast at a sustained duration. But, she rounded a corner without slowing, if I decelerate, they will escape me.
Artoria Pendragon would wonder later if the next idea would've been inspired by her partner's knack for out-of-the-box thinking. But at the moment, she settled for concentrating.
One of the Tex Drones glanced behind her Suzuki just in time to see a glow surround Saber. "The hell…?" Fierce winds seemed to shroud the blonde woman's bike, solidifying into sleek silver metal that wrapped itself around the front, back and sides of the vehicle.
Saber noted pleased the creaking had stopped, hence her gambit had paid off. She had never tried adorning anything or anyone other than herself in her armor before but using Invisible Air as a buffer had aided the process a great deal. And unlike any ordinary reinforcement, this did nothing to impede the Yamaha's speed, quite the contrary. Now she could go full throttle without worrying about it being shredded apart by the velocity.
And as a bonus, it also rendered the motorcycle impervious to the freshly reloaded SMG's rounds. The Drone emptied its entire magazine before cursing at it doing absolutely nothing. The silver blur drew closer once again, and this time, it didn't seem like blowing up the road would make a difference.
As copies of "Archer X," both Tex Drones shared her aggression and hatred for that blonde little Heroic Spirit. So, them promptly forcing their Suzuki's into screeching U-turns that would render them junk within the next minute came as no surprise. But for the moment, both bikes were still functional, and that was all they needed. "Let's crush her!" One snarled.
"Hell, yeah!" Both gunned their ATVs and drew forth new guns as they barreled down on Saber.
Despite this, the corner of her lip twitched. "Challenging the King of Knights to a jousting match? Brave of you." She revved her engine anew. "Foolish, but brave."
The Yamaha in its current state easily outpaced the ravaged bikes, allowing Saber to split one alongside its passenger in half with one swing of her sword while passing her. That Drone didn't even get the chance to pull her rifle's trigger.
The other one, by contrast, swung her Suzuki cursing around and opened fire with her minigun, but Saber crouched low and swerved into a smooth U-turn, rounds flying over her, then charged forward. Once in range, she thrust her veiled steel forward like a short lance. With her current speed, it blasted straight through the heavy gun and the Archer X's torso.
Artoria shifted left and came to a graceful stop, surveying her handiwork. Both duplicates faded away as she watched, and their vehicles were… no longer vehicles. She looked back at the road and winced a little at the damage her pursuit had left in its wake. Fortunately, it didn't seem like any civilian vehicles were close by, thus no more witnesses or casualties caused. Still, the chase had taken her a fair distance from the city, and she needed to head back. Quickly. Saber started up her engine and began speeding back, maintaining her beloved ride's protective casing in the process. It cost more mana, but her speed was well worth it.
What would be a good name for this combination? Part of her mind wondered idly despite her driving and the situation. Saber Motored Cuirassier… Yes, that has a certain ring to it.
-56:29:24
Kariya Matou ducked out of sight as something bounced off of Caster X's magical shield with a high-pitched sound. A misshapen lump of metal clattered to the ground. And here I thought being pinned down by sniper fire only happened in the damn movies, the Master sighed to himself as two more Archer X's approached them.
The Matou Master's team had been heading for the house he'd called home long, long ago as soon as the sun had gone down. But then the bombings happened, they sensed Archer X's presence, and two of the Servant attacked their car. Berserker and Gandalf dealt with them quickly enough, but the latter insisted they stop the real one before they sunder all of Fuyuki. Kariya had been admittedly reluctant to pass up the opportunity, but he knew Sakura, Rin and Aoi would never look at him the same way if he let a crazy Servant destroy their city just because it was less convenient. And he mightn't be able to look at himself in the mirror.
Assassin X had passed through and hurriedly elaborated on the situation before following some weird dog, leaving them with enough knowledge about Archer X's duplicates and explosives. Gandalf managed to track down another one of each and summoned a barrier to contain the latter's explosion while Berserker snapped the former's neck, then their trail had taken them to Fuyuki's resident sacred mountain.
And home to one of the evocation points for the Holy Grail, but it didn't seem like Archer X knew or cared about that fact. Rather, her doppelgangers' aim, the wizard and knight discerned quickly and much to their concern, had been to set off a series of explosions along Enzou's side and cause a rockslide that would crush multiple homes and countless people.
Luck was on the team's side, though: the mountain's Bounded Field continued to prevent Servants of any kind or origin from moving around on it except for the path to Ryuudou Temple. That apparently included second-rate knockoffs, seeing as Kariya and Gandalf had stumbled upon a group of three cursing up a storm as they tried and failed to climb up through Enzou's forest. They confronted the trio only to find there was a fourth a fair distance away with a sniper rifle at the ready. Gandalf's hat sacrificed itself to alert them to the latter fact.
Now, the Grey Wizard had enveloped himself and his Master inside a white bubble as two of the Archer X's advanced on them while firing their handguns and the third was running up the path stairs, a sling of explosives by her side. None of the bullets had broken through the shield yet, but it kept them pinned to the spot. Still, neither Kariya nor Caster X were worried. There was a reason only the two were there, after all.
On a rooftop two kilometers away, a Tex Drone was exchanging an empty clip on her rifle for a fresh one. Her actions were so ingrained she could perform them even while taking her surroundings into account. Almost two hours had gone by, and the city wasn't even half as damaged as their estimations had gone. Even that bastard Assassin X couldn't have found and stopped so many of the bombs on his own. What the hell was going on-?
Too late did the Drone realize while sliding in her new clip that she had company. One precise blow to the back of her neck shattered it, and a gauntlet shrouded in darkness reached over her vanishing body for the fallen rifle.
A second later, a bullet sped through the air and pierced its target.
"What the-" One Tex Drone swore as her partner collapsed onto the sidewalk with a smoking hole in her head. But before she could react, Caster X dispersed his shield and cut her down with Glamdring.
At the same time on Mt. Enzou, the final Drone had stopped climbing the stairs halfway. She had been testing the Bounded Field for any holes or gaps and come up short, but a new idea struck her. Okay, she loosened the sling of explosives around her torso, even if this stupid barrier doesn't let Servants walk around, maybe it'll still let their equipment slip through. She hefted the collection her original had plundered from that asshole's garage. Especially if it's man-made.
She primed the charges and began whirling the whole set around like a lasso. Even with her proportionately lesser strength, the Tex Drone could easily reach a nice rocky outcropping on the right side. The stones there were bound to make a lovely avalanche.
The mountain's many trees and Bounded Field made it hard for a certain black-armored sniper to find his final target, and he finally caught a bead and pulled the trigger just as the Tex Drone released her grip on the payload. The sniper round went clean through her throat, but the explosives flew nonetheless through the air.
Gandalf's eyes could see far more clearly than those of any human, and his widened upon seeing what was headed for the mountainside's largest outcropping. He raised his staff and hoped his range would suffice when something dark sped through the air and penetrated all of the explosives in one swift move. They detonated in midair, far from the rocks and thereby preventing any avalanche. The Istar joined his Master in staring in disbelief for a moment before turning his head with a relieved smile. 'Well done, Sir.'
Further away, Berserker lowered his new rifle with an almost modest tilt of his head. 'Please, it was- Gandalf, watch out!'
Red flashed over his partner and friend.
Assassin X leaped and rolled while dropping a few smoke pellets, making his airborne attacker's shots go wide. He flipped to a crouching position in time to see Rider X's aerial mode veer back around for another run. But the Archer X rushing towards him left him little chance to do anything. The battle atop the roofs of Mount Miyama would've made an engaging scene for any onlookers, but the shopping district was thankfully bare.
The shinobi ducked under a burst from her assault rifle before leaning away just as its butt would've struck his chin, kunai spinning in his right fingertips. That's when his earpiece crackled before Ūhei's voice filtered through. "Kakashi, I found the bomb and disarmed it. Wasn't easy, but it shouldn't be a problem no more."
"Good work, Ūhei," he whispered back while sinking one kunai into his opponent's right arm and slashing her shoulder with another. Maiya's suggestion that the boys could try to disable the explosives as well as find them had gone a long way in making the search easier. She kind of has a knack for out-of-the-box thinking given the chance.Granted, they had never dealt with such devices back home, but with a little coaching from Maiya and Kiritsugu's clones (hurried though the lessons had been), they managed to have some success. Never underestimate the dexterity of a dog's fangs.
A bullet grazed his leg, cutting off his thoughts. The Archer X adjusted her left-handed aim to his head. "Okay, seeing as you're not going Poof from that scratch, I guess I've got me the real deal here." The next shot blasted Assassin X's blade from his hands. "Lucky me."
The Copy Ninja's eyes briefly traveled to his right, then he said, "If you say so." before flipping backwards. The Tex Drone had no time to react as Rider X barreled down on them, blowing her and the roof to pieces with his blasters. Assassin X landed on one of the Chinese restaurant's remaining solid spots, watching it fade away. Looks like I don't share her luck. His Sharingan tracked the other attacker's flight path, and he hurled a spread of shuriken carrying paper bombs just as it made to turn again. Rider X isn't showing much care for his allies. Are relations between them getting tenser?
Either way, even with the bomb out of commission, the robotic Servant had more than enough power to level the district, and he certainly wouldn't care about casualties any more than Archer X did. I don't have much od in my current state, Assassin X readied his Lightning Blade, but I'll just have to make do.
The silver aircraft soared slightly singed out of the smoke cloud, but then it suddenly decelerated to turn. Before Assassin X could react, Rider X increased his thrusters again, heading east. What's he up to now?
Avenger X adjusted his grip with a sneer, pushing Crimson Dawn with more strength down onto his prey. Caster X grunted as he took a step backwards, his staff pressed against Glamdring to try and hold off the red beam. His reflexes are better than expected, but he cannot beat me in a match of strength.
Then the wizard suddenly shifted his hold on his staff, causing the wood to spin around and strike against the Sith's knee. Its cybernetic nature prevented the blow from inflicting pain, but it still forced the joint to ben slightly, allowing Caster X to slip away from the lock and counterattack with his sword. Maul quickly compensated for his imbalance, though, and used his lightsaber to parry the slash before swinging its other blade upwards. Caster X shifted away from the humming crimson energy even as it incinerated some hairs of his beard, then narrowly countered three more slashes with Glamdring before thrusting his staff at a gap.
Avenger X leaped over the wood while slashing yet again, then landed on his feet to spin Crimson Dawn. Four bullets melted away under his precise slashes. He rolled chuckling his shoulders, swinging his weapon to behind him. "You're a capable warrior…" He tilted his head out of the way of another shot, "for a Caster." He took a step towards his panting enemy while idly twirling the lightsaber. "But I sense Berserker is the better combatant between the two of you," the bloodred blur intercepted more bullets, "and by the time he gets here, it will be far too late, wizard." The fallen Sith stretched out his free hand, fingers curling.
Gandalf the Gray sensed the mana swelling before him and swiftly raised his staff to counter. Twin invisible pressures clashed in the space between the Servants, warping the air until it burst like a bubble. Kariya Matou, the Master who could do little more than watch and try to keep up with the battle, was nearly thrown off his feet. Both combatants staggered back from the release, a wooden staff planting on the ground for its wielder to find purchase. Caster X shuffled over to in front of his kneeling Master, neither taking their eyes off of their assailant. "You should not be too hasty with such assumptions, dark one," the wizard retorted as he readied his weapons. "Your Master should have warned you I am not so easy to kill."
Master… Kariya's eyes narrowed at the connections. Of course! Zouken must've set all of this up to give his Servants a shot at killing Gandalf and tormenting me!
"Oh, so you know whom I call Master, do you?" Darth Maul settled back into a crouch, both hands wrapping around his Noble Phantasm's hilt. He should've known The Forcewould not be so potent against a Servant specializing in sorcery, but the anger and agitation from that crippled worm of a Master spurred him on. "You should've chosen your enemies more wisely, old one. And your allies." The ground shattered beneath his feet as he pounced, both hands snapping up to summon a small whirlwind of debris and metal around Caster X.
His staff's glowed as he warded off the attack, but he realized it had been a feint. Avenger X landed behind him and in front of Kariya, stabbing his energy blade down-
Only for a flash of green energy to appear.
Avenger X halted his thrust to parry the glowing rod that nearly struck his nose, but he couldn't stop the kick to his midsection. He staggered cursing backwards and almost let himself be run through by Caster X's sword in the process. Another leap carried him away from the two, but the newcomer -Lancer X- followed him to clash her staff against Crimson Dawn's blades. He pushed her off just before a bullet sliced open his temple.
Lancer X landed on the ground simultaneously with Berserker appearing before his Master, smoke wafting from his new sniper rifle. The female Servant spared him a glance, but he made no move against her, so she turned back to where Avenger X crouched. "It seems Caster X chose his allies better than you give him credit for."
The Servant of Vengeance snarled at the lot of them, furious that Kariya Matou had escaped death. That would've left Berserker without a Master, and he would've left this world or become a tentative ally. Or so Avenger X had believed. Now, though, he sensed far less rage within the black knight than he had the night before. Or rather, it was still there with his madness, but he was somehow suppressing it now. He, or…
The Son of Dathomir's glare focused on the old one that had joined his Master's side. Zouken should have never let that being live this long. But it was too late to lament, and Darth Maul had always relished battle. "Then one by one," Crimson Dawn was a blur, "you shall all fall."
"Well, I should tell you," Lancer X replied with an audible smirk, "I was merely the fastest to arrive."
A blaze of mana surged down upon Avenger X, and he barely turned in time to a demon bathed in golden energy hurtling towards him with a sword as feral as its smile.
The collision released a shockwave powerful enough to make even the watching Servants back away. Kariya would've fallen over again if his Servants weren't holding him steady. "What the… was that… Berserker X?" He mumbled in shock.
A crack of lightning preempted any response he might've received. "Good to see you again, Mithrandir!" The Master turned around to see Rider's chariot swooping down to land beside him and the others, its pilot raising a hand in greeting. "A shame that circumstances are such tense, or else I would invite you and your partner for another round of wine!"
Gandalf returned his smile while bowing his head. "The offer is well appreciated, Iskandar King," he answered graciously, "as is your partner's assistance." He turned a bit to where the only female present stood. "I assume Lancer X told you both of our current struggle?"
"Well, I was already on my way to meet with you three," Jade explained, "but then my Master sensed Avenger X's presence nearing yours, so I decided a quick detour was in order." She bowed her head as well to the chariot. "You, Berserker X and your Master have my thanks as well, King of Conquerors." The Servant's title aside, she could tell this one was a far less malicious soul than Shao Kahn.
"No need for thanks…" Waver Velvet muttered while swaying into view. I think my stomach's getting used to the constant take-offs and landings of this typhoon on two wheels. Not that's a good thing, though…
Rider laughed, slapping his Master on the back. "Indeed, we are the one who should be grateful to you, Lancer X! After all," his red eyes gleamed with a promise for violence, "that Servant killed a good friend and drinking partner of mine."
"Yeah, thanks. Now go on and get outta here." Berserker X's voice rumbled from the crater he'd made. The dust finally cleared to reveal the brutish Servant pushing his shorter, clearly unhappy opponent to one knee, sparks flying from their locked blades. "We've got some unfinished business with hornhead here, and you lot will only get in the way."
The other Berserker bristled from the comment, or rather, pretended to. Ever since Gandalf had deactivated his Mad Enhancement, he wasn't quite so quick to throw himself at his enemies (or his King), but Lancelot had decided to keep up appearances. He stood a better chance of surprising their enemies if they still believed him to be unreasonable, after all.
The Gordius Wheel rumbled past them towards the crater before Rider hopped off, drawing his sword as well. Waver remained at his spot but watched attentively. "As Kenpachi says, this is our battle now," the King of Conquerors agreed. "I'm certain that you all have more important matter s to deal with, such as Archer X's antics." He stopped briefly to glance over his shoulder, his tone lowering to a more respectful one. "You most of all, Mithrandir."
The Grey Wizard acknowledged this with a nod and a grateful smile. "All paths of a King inherently carry flaws," he noted while accepting his retrieved hat from Kariya, "but welcoming Qrow Branwen in your quest was certainly not one of them, King of Conquerors."
The proud Servant's grin softened slightly, then he turned towards where Avenger X had slipped away from Kenpachi's steel and was obviously aiming to strike him in the back. That wouldn't do.
The rogue was given no time to regain his position as Rider slashed at him, forcing him to dodge instinctively. The Sword of the Kupriotes was no Noble Phantasm, Avenger X realized with a glance, so his lightsaber would make short work of it. But before he could make that a reality, Berserker X was already swinging at him too.
As another shockwave rippled out from the battle, those not involved did as they'd been advised and strode away. Kariya said, "Come, Berserker," while Caster X nodded to his partner, a quick act for his supposed madness that knight continued with a rattle of his armor and a growl. Best to keep up appearances, even if they were on amicable terms with Lancer X and Rider's team.
Once they'd reached their car, Kariya addressed the only Servant presently not affiliated with him. "You said you had a message for us, Lancer X?"
"From Tokiomi, yes." Jade noticed a slight tightening in the human's jaw, but that seemed to be the extent of his irritation. He's also in a bit better shape than usual despite having to keep up with his Servants… "I would ask that we discuss it in private."
"Of course, milady." Caster X opened the passenger for her and Kariya before nodding to Berserker who made for the driver's seat. The latter didn't possess Riding, but his Noble Phantasm still served as a surrogate well enough, especially now that he wasn't quite so… enthusiastic. Once inside, the wizard cast a spell over their car to prevent others from seeing or listening to what was inside the car.
As the Toyota drove off, another Servant stepped out of nowhere, twirling a black cap on his finger. "Hmm… an interesting development." Gilgamesh mumbled with a quizzical tilt. "Though I should have expected such surprises from you, Olórin. Perhaps you can even make Tokiomi a little less boring." His lips curled even while turning toward the sounds of battle.
Irisviel huddled nervously over her husband. "Can you do it, Kiritsugu?"
"I think I'm getting closer," the Mage Killer muttered through gritted teeth, trying not to take out his frustration on her. "Archer X really outdid herself with this one." He fiddled with a few wires, trying not to set off a failsafe and accidentally triggering a booby trap in the process. They were at an oil refinery right on the very outskirts south of Shinto. The complex itself wasn't very big, but the petroleum stored here was the main source of fuel for the entire city. All it would take to make the whole thing go up in flames was a sizable combustion in the right spot, and naturally Archer X knew just how to do it.
The Servant had planted a slightly larger version of her usual explosives onto the main fuel tank; if it were to detonate, the flames would instantly spread to the other reserves and blow the entire refinery off of Fuyuki's map. And as a bonus, she had made this one's workings even more complex than the others. Kiritsugu had already accidentally triggered it twice now, and seeing as he wasn't a Shadow Clone, there'd be no learning from the experience if third time was the charm.
He worked his way carefully around another booby trap, years of experience helping him suppress any anxiety when he glanced at the timer. 00:27. "I was hoping this wouldn't turn into a race-against-the-clock action cliché," Kiritsugu grumbled to himself.
It was just loud enough that Iri could hear it, though, and she couldn't help but giggle. "You mean like that one we watched on our fourth anniversary, the one that played in Germany with the ambassadors and the American special agent who was just on vacation?"
A smile crept on his face despite the tension. "That's the one. But this explosion won't be nearly as cheesy as the one Agent Steel prevented." He could still remember his exasperation back then when Iri had persisted in calling him that for the next couple of weeks. He'd welcomed it back then, though; nothing symbolized how far the homunculus had grown as a real person than a sense of humor.
He almost slapped himself as his clippers almost cut through the red wire. Damnit, I just determined that one to be a trap! Stupid, sentimental fool… The timer was reading 00:14, and he still wasn't sure if blue or yellow was for the trigger. His hands kept shifting between the two, he could already smell the petroleum burning, the explosion was bound to cripple the city for months, he'd lose his chance at the Holy Grail, sweat was gathering on his brow…
Then a cloth was against his skin, absorbing the moisture there. Kiritsugu spared a second to glance at Iri crouching next to him. She was showing her nerves more than he was, but she still gave him a little smile that silently said, "I believe in you."
The Mage Killer drew in a long breath before returning her smile, then returned to the explosive. 00:09. Okay, I know the yellow runs through there and connects to… But the blue warps around a dummy lead… Somehow, his mind shifted back to the right function. The machine that is Kiritsugu Emiya steadily worked through every step of the internal workings, rechecking every observation he had catalogued, cross-referencing it against those he and his released clones had already tampered with. 00:05. Even as his inner eye gazed at the blueprints spread out before it, the clippers were already sliding into position.
A twitch, and the wire was cut. Kiritsugu and Irisviel braced themselves for the final moment…
But no explosion came, and the timer shut off at 00:01 with a slight whirr. Kiritsugu finally let his shoulders slump. "Almost cut the yellow one."
His wife's giggles sounded just a little bit panicked, but she seemed otherwise alright. "A good thing you're not color-blind-" Her head jerked from a sudden impact.
"Iri!" Kiritsugu called out, his arms reaching out by reflex to catch her dead body when it disappeared with a Poof! Right, he told himself, she was just a Shadow Clone. Not the real one…
"Should've figured we'd find you here," Archer X (or rather, one of her) stepped into view, "Mage Killer." She took her left hand off of the smoking assault rifle to grab Kiritsugu by his coat's collar and hurl him away from the fuel tank. He landed with his shoulder first onto the asphalt with a grunt. "Well, look at that," the pseudo-Servant sneered as she sauntered, "you're not going Poof from just a little love tap, so that must mean you're the real deal."
Kiritsugu hauled himself groaning onto one knee, his hand reaching into his coat. "Lucky you."
"Lucky us." Two more shimmered into view behind him, cracking their knuckles. "We've got something special in mind just for you, pal." One growled down at him.
The other snagged hold of his right arm, stopping him from drawing the Contender. "If you had never summoned that Saber bitch and her pet," she snarled, "Lancer would still be alive."
He knew it was stupid to antagonize them, but Kiritsugu still scoffed. "You mean, alive and with you? Don't kid yourself." He glared at the three. "Sorry, yourselves. Lancer was doomed from the moment you abandoned him. If it hadn't been my Servants who had dealt with him, then another. One who probably wouldn't have bothered giving him a 'dignified' send-off."
The one on his left cracked him against the jaw, making lights dance before his eyes. He could barely make out a blurry orange visor in front of him while gloved hands gripped his face. "We're to bring you to the chief alive," the visor spat out, "but nobody said anything about bringing you in mint condition. Or in one piece, so if you're smart, you'll keep your trap shut."
Another stepped into his field of vision. "And look at that, you actually managed to disarm our special. Not bad, Mage Killer," she aimed a gun at the tank, "but you of all people ought to know there's more than one way to trigger an explosion."
"You should've lead with that…" Now both of Kiritsugu's arms were caught in iron grips. There was no way for him to make handsigns like this, and he didn't know any magecraft that could slip him free, either. Blood was trickling down his lip, but by some miracle his jaw was still intact, and his mind had cleared again.
He already knew he wasn't going to like what would happen next. "From one professional to another, the simple solutions are usually the best."
The Tex Drone scoffed at the jackass while readying her rocket launcher. "Way to state the-"
As has been previously noted, all of the Drones shared the original's temperament and thought process, which meant they all had all gotten so caught up with capturing Emiya and blowing up the refinery they'd failed to notice he was distracting them from a new arrival.
An engine's rumble was the first sign they had company before Saber burst out from the trees, the Yamaha's speed carrying her over the refinery's fence. The faux-Archer X was cut down by her sword while she was turning around. Both halves of the rocket launcher cluttered to the asphalt.
No sooner did the motorcycle's wheels touch were Saber already leaping off of it towards the other two. Kiritsugu ducked as his Servant crashed into them, the momentum pushing all three through the metal fence and back out of the woods. Smart, the Master acknowledged a little grudgingly while wiping some blood from his lips, she's taking the fight away from the refinery to minimize the risk.
Saber flipped gracefully to her feet in her armored dress to face her opponents. One Archer X now sported a bloody cut across her chest but was still eager to fight judging from how she squared her shoulders. She darted right before charging at her, knife glinting in the moonlight, while her partner summoned an assault rifle and fired at Saber. The blonde Servant dodged the bullets and slashed at the closer one who rolled under her swing and made for a jab. It glanced off of Saber's armor, and she cracked her invisible sword's hilt against her helmet, downing the bigger Servant before she sliced through more bullets. The other Tex Drone kept firing with one hand while materializing a grenade in her other, but as she made to yank out the pin with her thumb, something struck her shoulder hard enough to make her spin slightly with a "Fuck!" Saber didn't bother questioning it as she charged.
Kiritsugu snapped the Thompson Contender to the side to clear its smoke and eject the spent cartridge. So, the Rounds can work on a Servant. Or at least, an artificial one.
The Tex Drone bit back a scream as she dropped her weapons from the pain. She'd been shot before and knew such injuries could be a bitch, but this was different. She could feel the hole was sealed up again, and there wasn't any blood, but it was still… wrong. Her arm's nerves and blood vessels weren't working anymore. It was like some quack had popped out of nowhere to patch her up and botched the job! "What the hell did he shoot me wi-" Shunk.
Saber understood fully well that they couldn't afford to play around with these terrorists, and they had already spat upon honor with their destructive undertakings. She didn't need any "encouragement" from her Master to sink her sword through the clone's chest while she was distracted. She didn't even have words to spare while making to pull her blade out.
An arm in black armor snaked around her head and pulled her into the bleeding chest, however. "What?!" Saber tried to push herself free, but another weight crashed against her back, trapping her between the two masses. The other Archer X?! I thought she was down!
The Tex Drone glared down at the smaller Servant through her mangled helmet while pulling her "sister" into a tight hug. "The boss already told you…"
The other finished as mana danced about them. "Like hell am I going down that easy!"
Artoria was technically stronger than the two of them together, but they'd sandwiched her in such a way that she couldn't use her strength right. She squirmed and struggled between the Drones, her eyes widening upon registering the multiple grenades falling around them. A suicide move to take me with them?! Her struggles doubled; she didn't want to test her armor against so many point-blank explosions. But the knight still couldn't get loose even as pins clattered to the grass…
Watching from afar, Kiritsugu's eyes narrowed.
The King of Knights blinked in surprise. One moment, she had been struggling against the two Archer X's restraining her, then mana had surged about her…
And now she stood near Kiritsugu Emiya who had pocketed his gun and was walking back towards the fuel tank. Part of the forest exploded, making her spin around, but it was far enough from the refinery to not cause any trouble. She turned back to her Master and adjusted her gaze to see one of the Command Seals on his right hand had faded. Did he just… save my life?
Kiritsugu Emiya busied himself with pulling the detonator loose from the bomb before him, then finally met her perplexed face with a cold gaze. "We still have a lot of work ahead," was all that came from his mouth.
But Saber understood the message in those dark eyes perfectly: "Don't make me regret this."
She nodded once and replied in an even tone, "Then let's not waste time." This was about the best cooperation the King of Knights and the Mage Killer could hope for with each other… but perhaps it may be enough.
-55:51:37
Agent Texas was not in a good mood. More than Two hourshad passed since she'd started her attack, and the city was still standing! Only about twenty percent of the bombs she'd painstakingly put together and hidden all over both districts had gone off, and none of the damn enemy Servants were dead yet. In fact, she was running low on Tex Drones. She couldn't see or hear through them, but she did have an innate sense of how many were active at a time and when one was taken out. And after all the trouble I put into bringing them out!
100 Tex Battle was the weapon in Archer X's arsenal she hated using the most. Sure, it was great for boosting numbers, and even tapping into just a fraction of it helped her stop the Mage Killer's demolition effort (how ironic that she'd finish the job herself three nights later), but the damn clones were so much weaker than her. Sure, they had access to all of her knowledge, Skills and Weapons of War, but Archer X's other Noble Phantasm didn't actually increase in storage, so she was forced to share her guns with them even while fighting alongside them. In the end, they were just a big heap of cheap knockoffs. Useless imitations.
And to top it off, she was running out of time. That old bastard of a Master's charity might've given her a little more breathing room, but maintaining all of the Drones, let alone making them spread out through the city, was burning through her mana like cheap gas. Tex could feel her life slipping away. She only had an hour left, if that, before those self-righteous bastards won by default-
NO. Like hell were they going to get a victory that easy. She had come too far, put too much on the line just to fade away like a bad memory. She will win the Holy Grail.
She will make her wish.
She will be free.
Okay. She shut off her cloaking and turned to the two Drones standing by, suppressing the urge to hit them. Instead, she walked past them towards the heavy vehicle parked before her. Looks like it's time for the big finale.
Irisviel von Einzbern noticed her friend slightly tenser. "Maiya, are you alright?"
"Fine," the mercenary assured her despite the umpteenth bomb sitting in front of her. The energy of a Shadow Clone had just returned to her, along with its memory of an Archer X snapping its neck. Fortunately, there wasn't a bomb involved there, which could be a good sign. "Besides this one, I haven't heard of the boys finding any more traps," she noted while inspecting the wires. Most of the Servant's bombs had run on timers, but she, Kiritsugu, and the hounds had stumbled upon models like this one that didn't come with one, meaning it was set to an external detonator. Tricky things; they'd have to be careful that one of Archer X's clones didn't find them and trigger it.
"Neither have I," Irisviel agreed, smiling a little while she applied more mana to the Bounded Field. "Maybe we are finally nearing the end of them. Archer X couldn't have made an infinite number by herself, and we've been working nonstop for two hours."
"Two and a half, to be exact." Both women looked up to see Assassin X sitting on the edge of the building. He gave them a tired wave while glancing up at the Miyama water tower. "Say what you want about Archer X, she isn't lacking in creativity or persistence." He sighed. "My boys and I have been bouncing all across the city, and we haven't always been fast enough."
"The same applies for all of us," Irisviel tried to assure him even as she shuddered. "Experiencing the various deaths of my clones has been… disconcerting." She could recall being shot, stabbed, her neck snapped, crushed against something… Archer X truly was creative, especially when angry. That said, her Shadow Clones' demises had the net positive outcome of helping her… prepare herself. After all, her own time would be coming soon…
Maiya continued to inspect the wiring, it seeming a little more complicated than usual. "At least we've managed to reduce damage to the city and the population." There had been a few screwups, but Miyama Town and Shinto were for the most part in one piece. "What about Kiritsugu?"
"Just got word that he and Saber are heading in from the oil refinery," Assassin X confirmed, inwardly relieved that the two could at least travel together without complaining. Thank Kami they're both professionals… Still, he didn't relax his guard just yet. Among all of the Archer X's he or his clones had eliminated, the real one had yet to show herself. She must still be out there, as was Rider X. And who knew what sort of surprises they had-
He stiffened. There was a rumble in the air, but not anything natural like thunder. No, this was the kind of sound made by a motor. A powerful one by the sound of it, he noted while scanning the streets. Maiya heard it, too, and felt the vibrations through the metal beams her hand was touching. Something very big and very heavy, and the sound was kind of familiar.
Her eyes went wide as she bolted up from the bomb and headed to the ledge. "Miss Maiya?" Irisviel exclaimed in surprise, but she focused on the streets until her sight locked onto it just as Kakashi's did: The tanker…
There on Miyama's main street rumbled the oil tanker, nearly taking up both ways with its sheer size, yet moving at a steady pace forward. And as Assassin X realized in growing worry, forward meant headed straight for Fuyuki Bridge. If that thing detonates, it could wipe out the entire structure!
The veteran shinobi hurriedly told his friends, "Stay here!" before launching himself from the ledge at the truck. It was already less than four blocks from the bridge and not losing any speed. Any cars in its path were nonchalantly battered aside, thankfully without passengers.
The two stared after the Servant for a moment, then Maiya forced herself to look away and return to the bomb. "W-why the bridge?" Irisviel whispered behind her. "It doesn't connect to the city's leylines in any notable way…"
"It's a landmark and the connection between Fuyuki's districts. Destroying it causes mass panic in the short term and isolation in the long." The dark-haired woman concentrated on the bomb even while explaining. "Archer X isn't a magus, Ma'am. She isn't considering leylines or hotspots for the Grail to emerge, she's doing what a soldier would in enemy territory: take out crucial points of the city, soften her enemies up right before wiping them out."
"But… Kiritsugu and Saber… and the other teams… they're nowhere near the bridge…"
"Maybe, but Archer X is unstable and no doubt angry at the lack of results her clones have to show at this point. So, she's falling back on what she knows and crossing her fingers that it will all somehow go the way she wants it to." Maiya could feel the look the innocent woman was giving her. "I have a lot of experience with her personality type."
Irisviel noted from her tone that topic was better left alone and settled for turning back towards the bridge. "Is there anything we can do to help?" But she already knew the answer.
As did Maiya, who had isolated the main mechanism. "The best we can do is deal with this bomb and not get in the way." Simple logic, yet it didn't diminish her own anxiety any more than it did the other woman's.
Assassin X sprinted with every bit of strength in his legs, his mind racing through the options. Launching any kind of attack could ignite the oil inside the tanker, and putting up a wall would only lead to a crash and the same result. There was one trick that might work, but the drawbacks could be problematic after wards. Alright, I guess the best option is to stop it, he decided. That means neutralizing the driver.He put more strength into his next jump and managed to reach the tanker's rear, anchoring his feet with od to the metal. He briskly began stepping along the length when a gunshot rang out, and he narrowly avoided a bullet.
"Should've figured it wouldn't be this easy…" He grumbled as a quad-bike pulled up to the side of the trailer, its driver's right hand aiming a rifle at him. His Sharingan narrowed at the damage in her armor, then at her mana: This was the real Archer X.
Said Servant ejected the spent shell one-handed and ratcheted a new one before training it atop the trailer. "I've never liked hitchhikers."
Assassin X rolled just as he heard the next shot, but it still grazed his back. Then more rounds started flying, Archer X having apparently exchanged her gun for one with more firing speed. A few metallic pings could be heard from bullets glancing against the truck, but she was taking care not to blow her weapon in her own face, much less before it reached the bridge. Which was now just one block away.
Time was running out for all participants, so Assassin X retaliated with a spread of shuriken that promptly multiplied, the dozens of stars forcing Archer X to pull away from the truck. She continued firing, but the swerving threw off her aim, and he swiftly reached the front of the trailer…
Where the clone in the passenger seat was waiting for him with a primed shotgun. "Great…"
The blast blew apart the windshield, and Kakashi barely managed to grab ahold of the driver's side, blood trickling down his arm. His new position kept him safe from the shotgun but almost left him open for a knife in his eye when the driver jabbed at him. With a grunt, he found purchase on the foothold for his right foot and swung himself forward again, hands blurring against each other. Assassin X landed crouching on the truck's grill and thrust both of his hands forward. "Lightning Style: Thunderbolt!" Both Tex Drones twitched uncontrollably as they were electrocuted, their screams fading away along with their bodies.
Assassin X wasted no time in climbing through the broken windshield; he didn't have the Riding Skill, but with a little luck, he could stop the- The truck shook violently, and he tumbled back out the front. Archer X growled before ramming her Suzuki against its side again, making it veer dangerously close to the side. They'd just reached the foot of the bridge, so the explosion wouldn't cause as much damage as if it were in the front, but Tex would take what she could get. Besides, her modifications to the explosives might make it qualify as Servant-made enough to get rid of the masked bastard always getting in her way.
As for the masked bastard, he fell against the bridge's pavement and rolled grunting onto his back just in time to see the whole truck flipping over and onto him. His eyes narrowed, one shifting slightly…
Archer X brought her battered ATV to a halt a fair distance away and turned to watch the fireworks… only to see a weird twisting thing in the air. "What the-?!"
The spiral expanded to encompass the entire trailer even as the fuel inside began to ignite, then it promptly sealed itself, leaving no trace behind. Assassin X slumped onto his knees, the Mangekyō Sharingan glaring up at the spot where it had been. That was too close for comfort.
Using Kamui without any preparation sapped his strength even more than usual, but as a furious scream rippled through the air, he knew he wasn't going to get a chance to catch his breath. "THAT'S IT!" Archer X raced straight at Assassin X, unloading her SMG, but he threw himself to the side before bullet or ATV reached him and threw a kunai at the front wheel. It blew apart, and the bike flipped forward, throwing its rider off in the process.
Archer X crashed onto the foot of the bridge and rolled to her feet, spinning around with the ferocity of a rabid animal. "I've had enough of you, your magic ninja bullshit, and that fucking partner of yours!" She materialized her missile pod and fired, the projectile narrowly missing a ducking Assassin X and blowing up a car behind him. I need to lead her away from the bridge and any civilians, he thought while retaliating with kunai and shuriken. Then he spun on his heel and jumped for a nearby ally, the irate Servant hot on his trail. "Hold still!"
He didn't listen to her request, no matter how sweetly spoken, and raced for a nearby alley in Miyama. Better keep the fight in a nice and narrow space. Another missile soared over his head. Good thing she hates me so much, otherwise she wouldn't follow me so easily.
Sure enough, Texas was so utterly fed up with the Servant she hated the most that she charged raging after him, spewing profanity and missiles all along the way. His ninja training helped evade all of those, though, and he swiftly climbed into the shadows of the alley's walls. It was a little bigger than he'd hoped for, but he could work with it.
The former ace of Project Freelancer stormed into the alley three seconds after him, reloading her pod. "Get out here and quit screwing around, Assassin X. I'm through playing games with you."
"Really?" he called from seemingly nowhere. "As I recall, you were the one who decided tonight's game would be hide-and-seek. It's not very sporting of you to just try and quit when you're not winning, is it?" While the Servant of the Shadows spoke, he felt a slight tingling over his body and his earlier wounds healing. Irisviel.
"Shut up!" The shout from Archer X resonated along the walls until they reached a certain Mercedes parked near the other end.
Its loving owner, standing close enough that she could see what was happening inside there, ceased concentrating after another second and smiled tiredly to her driver. "He's alright. I've restored as much of his mana as I could." Maiya nodded in response and shifted her position in front of Irisviel. It was her job to protect the latter even when she insisted on straying so close to the action.
"I will win!" The Servant of the Bow continued to rant, whirling in every direction to try and find her target. "As soon as I'm done with you, I'm going after Saber next, and I'll shove that invisible pig-sticker of hers right up her skinny ass for what she took from me!"
"I truly regret that Lancer had to die, and Saber regrets cutting him down even more, but I wasn't aware he was 'yours,' Archer X." Assassin X slipped down to another shadow, preparing his next move. "You're the one who killed El-Melloi and severed ties with him, after all. And don't go pinning the blame on me or Saber for that, those were your choices."
"I-I did it for him, too!" The pod's grips began to creak from her grip. "Lancer was too gullible… He thought this was all just a friendly little contest where everyone would play by the rules and that jackass of a Master was someone he could count on. Archibald killed himself by letting his guard down around somebody known as the goddamn Mage Killer!"
"It's curious that you know that name when neither your Master nor your partner did. It sounds to me like you had a little inside information. Maybe it was a gift from someone who wanted you on his side?" She remained silent. "Let me guess… Rider X approached you, didn't he? He offered you what, a seat at his table? A chance to put your skills to use with someone who could actually appreciate them? Did he tell you he wouldn't lay a finger on Lancer if you cooperated? Did you really believe betraying him would protect him?"
"Don't pretend you understand why I did what I did! I don't need a lecture about right and wrong from a Servant who specializes in backstabbing. C'mon, what would you do to protect your partner and get your wish?"
A pause, then, "A fair number of things if I saw no other choice," Assassin X admitted. "But I wouldn't ask her not to resent me if I betrayed her. And seeing as you brought it up, what kind of wish would be worth putting your honor and your relationship with the Servant who trusted you more than any other on the line? What wish could justify outright terrorism?"
She growled. "I don't need to explain a damn thing to you-"
"If not to me, how about Diarmuid? Didn't he deserve to know the reason you stabbed him in the back? Even after he trusted you…" He noticed her flinch, "…and you loved him?" Another flinch as she hunched over, grumbling something he couldn't hear. "If that wasn't enough to stay loyal to him, what are you really after? Power? Recognition for your strength and talents? Maybe you sought world domination like Rider X-"
"I wanted a normal life!"
The outburst stopped his words inside his throat. Irisviel and even Maiya paused at this, too.
"I just want to be free…" Texas' voice had dropped to a harsh whisper, but she continued to scan the area for signs of him. "All throughout my existence -yeah, existence, not a life- I was just a soldier… a weapon to show up and take down all of the other losers and clean up the messes everybody else made. They strung me along like a puppet, made me think I was a person when the truth was, I was just made off the memory of someone else who had died!"
Assassin X absorbed these words knowing, laced as they were with bitterness and rage, they weren't any lies. Despite his long animosity with this ruthless woman, he made no attempt to interrupt her; Saber had continued to show her opponent Lancer courtesy up to the end. It was only right he try and do the same even if Archer X would never reciprocate.
"So yeah, that's my wish… to just be a normal person having a normal life with the people I… care for, with no galactic war and special Freelancer programs where you get sent on harsh missions all the time. No idiots or Directors or memories who show up and drag you into their shit regardless of whether you think or want, just so you can take on all the things they couldn't handle!" She squeezed the trigger in her fury, and a missile shot out to obliterate a nearby dumpster. A waste of ammo.
Beta shook her head in fury and no small amount of exhaustion. "Just a simple life… a real one…" Her shoulders buckled a moment from the pod's weight before she lifted it again. "That's all I wanted when I was first summoned to this damn War. Is that so wrong?"
"Not at all," Assassin X admitted from his perch, smoothly evading the missile that blasted near him, "and aside from needing to get my own wish granted, I don't have a problem with yours per say." He tossed a pair of shuriken over her head that made her fire again and slipped a little closer. "But a wish for a normal life doesn't justify you betraying your Master and partner and terrorizing a city. And for all of your hatred of me and Saber, you didn't do Lancer any favors with your methods either. I know what it means to prioritize victory-"
"Oh please, big noble heroes like you and that dress-up King of yours have no idea what it's like to fail at everythingwhen it counts the most! To push yourself time and time again, to put every last scrap of energy you have into completing the mission, into trying to save someone you care about, just to trip and fall on your face right at the last fucking step!"
The sudden tirade had rattled Assassin X a little bit, yet it didn't take him long to find his voice again. "…You'd be surprised."
Archer X scoffed before lowering her voice. "Yeah right. As if a guy like you who's just amazing at anything he does could understand losing everything…" Her left hand drifted away from the pod… before clenching around a freshly summoned flashbang. "Like this fight!" She pulled out the pin and tossed it straight up, the magnesium-aluminium compound inside lighting up the entire alley. She hefted the missile pod and searched for him.
"Yes," his voice rippled underneath the flashbang… right behind her. "I can."
She threw herself forward to avoid the literal backstabbing, accidentally firing another missile that flew way off course, and tripped over chains stretched out in front of her. A swearing Archer X fell down, barely blocking the fireball launched at her with her gun… and realizing too late that was a bad move. The flames ignited its payload and blasted her into the alley's walls, bricks raining down onto her.
Assassin X approached the newly formed pile warily, electricity dancing around his kunai to finish the job, when his hearing picked up more cracking sounds. He looked up to see that last rocket had struck the right wall's roof. Pieces had broken loose and were falling down towards Maiya and Irisviel. He quickly clasped his hands together for a new jutsu.
Irisviel desperately raised her hands in an attempt to shield herself and Maiya from the rubble, unsure if she could channel her mana properly, when she heard, "Water Style: Severing Wave!" Thin streams of water sliced through the rocks and bricks, creating a pocket where they rained harmlessly around the women. Irisviel sighed in relief, idly wondering she could ever have the chance to learn techniques like that.
Her sigh was reciprocated by Kakashi, who then turned to hear a rumble from the pile. Maiya focused on it, readying her Calico as Archer X burst free with a new gun, bullets and bricks flying all over the place. She was almost concussed by a brick the size of her skull, quickly moving Irisviel back for the alley's exit. "Ma'am, we need to-"
"Maiya, look out!"
She barely registered the shout before something slammed hard into her chest.
Then she heard the telltale shots of a semiautomatic.
Maiya crashed into something soft with a grunt echoed by said something. No, someone, she realized, followed by recognizing Miss Irisviel's overcoat. The two women sprawled on the ground, the darker one instinctively reaching to cover her from more shots. She noticed only while moving to do so that she didn't feel any blood or injuries from her.
Her head shifted back towards where the armored woman stood among bricks, her SMG still aimed straight ahead with smoke wafting from the barrel…
Then her eyes shifted down, and Maiya could've sworn her heart stopped.
Kakashi Hatake lay between them and Archer X face-first on the asphalt. Blood poured from a dozen holes in the back of his vest, the crimson drops pooling together into a growing puddle around his midsection. His right hand still lay outstretched before him, the fingers reaching towards her.
"Dumbass." Archer X began to walk slowly towards them, a slight limp in her right steps. She had no trouble ejecting her gun's clip and slapping in a new one, though. "He could've stopped me shooting if he hadn't been distracted by your damsels in distress."
Maiya raised her Calico on reflex and pulled the trigger, unleashing all fifty Parabellum rounds within seconds. They flew straight through Archer X, not leaving so much as a scratch. The Servant barked a laugh. "Nice aim, but that kind of weapon can't touch me."
She didn't even bother replying, throwing aside the Calico to draw her Glock and train it on her enemy… the one who shot him…
Archer X stared down at the woman's hand shaking, then tilted up slightly to see a fire in those otherwise cold eyes that she recognized. "Hurts, doesn't it? Watching the people you'd do anything for die right in front of you and unable to do a damn thing to save them."
The Glock fired twice, but the bullets just passed through her head. She sighed at that blazing glare before aiming her own gun. "I need the doll behind you to get the Grail and make Saber and her jackass Master pay, but in your case, it's nothing personal," she promised. Her thumb curled around the trigger…
That's when Assassin X's head jerked up, his left eye locked onto Texas' back. "Kamui!"
A familiar spiral appeared, warping the space before it with its rotations. Even Archer X couldn't stop a pained cry from escaping. It felt like she was being pulled back-first into some kind of whirlpool, and the sensation was boring into her body despite her armor. Then before she could even think of turning around, the spiral snapped shut again, sucking up most of her torso in the process.
Across Fuyuki City, whether they were battling Saber or Lancer or Caster X and Berserker or trying to set up new explosives, the remaining Tex Drones suddenly flickered and disappeared into embers of mana.
The heavy Servant stood swaying at the spot, then she fell backwards to the asphalt, blood splashed from the large gaping hole in her midsection. The last of her strength began fading away, no matter how she tried to get up and fight again, for the Holy Grail, for Lancer, for a real life, for Carolina and Alpha…
"Only… one real… difference… between us," Assassin X wheezed out as he forced himself onto one elbow, his left eye returning to normal. "I'm not… alone."
Those were the last words Beta, aka Agent Texas, Servant Archer X of Fuyuki's Fourth Holy Grail War heard before her passing. Well… shit…
Maiya Hisau stood glaring at the spot where the Servant had lain just a second ago, then she started at Kakashi collapsing onto his face again. She bolted to his side and gently flipped him over, Irisviel hurrying over to the other side. "Sorry about… the drama…" the ninja coughed up underneath his mask. "A-any… injuries?"
Something lodged itself inside her throat, forcing her to swallow before she could reply. "W-we're fine…" Maiya whispered as she cradled his head. "Worry about yourself, damn you…"
"Kind of… moot… point… now…" He gasped out before giving them that odd smile with his eyes. "Glad you're… alright…" He tried to push himself up but fell right back to the ground. "Please say… sorry… to… Ar-Artoria… and… Ki-Ki-Kiri…tsugu… for me…"
"You can apologize to them yourself," Maiya snapped despite herself, pressing one hand over his perforated chest next to Irisviel's. She knew this was futile; she only knew the basics about first aid, and after spending a lifetime in warzones, it was blatantly obvious there was no way to heal these wounds.
This wasn't the first man to die in front of the woman calling herself "Maiya Hisau." Death had long since been her companion, and her heart shouldn't have wavered while in its presence. So, why was it beating so erratically right now? Why was her vision blurring? Why did she keep hearing a little voice in the back of her mind: Don't die… Please don't die…
Her nostrils flared and her fingers curled against the fabric, and for some reason, she looked over at the homunculus who had claimed once the only heart she had cared for- "Ma'am… I-isn't there anything…?"
Irisviel stared back, stunned at the bare concern and desperation in the other woman's eyes. Tears welled up in her own because she knew she couldn't counter these emotions. The homunculus could sense Assassin X's life force wavering as clearly as she could Saber's hurried approach; no doubt she too sensed something had happened to her comrade. She glanced hesitantly back down to the Servant's bullet-ridden, bloodstained chest. One could've perforated his spirit core, Iri thought as her body trembled. If that was the case, then her friend was doomed like Saber X.
No. There was something she could do.
She blinked the tears away and focused within. A gentle light began to gather in her center, then she released Kakashi to hold her hands before her chest. Something blue and golden began to emerge before Maiya's stunned eyes. Slowly but surely, the light solidified into a clear form similar to that of a blade but with no edges. It gave off a warm, calming sensation that even soothed her heart just a little. She'd never seen this object before but still knew its name. "Avalon…"
Irisviel opened her eyes with a slight gasp, weakness washing over her body. She nearly fell over but caught herself, shaking off Maiya's steadying hand. She sensed her material form already beginning to degrade quicker now that King Arthur's fabled sheath no longer resided inside her, but the woman knew the risks and didn't regret her decision. She placed Avalon without hesitation onto Kakashi, the Heroic Spirit's body slowly absorbing "The Everdistant Utopia" by her will. There was no trace of it within seconds.
"Irisviel!" She looked up to see Saber running towards them, emerald eyes lighting up with concern as she came closer. "Kakashi!" The King of Knights dropped to her knees beside Maiya who hadn't taken her gaze off of the downed Servant. "What happened to him?"
"He saved us…" Irisviel gasped out, noting Kiritsugu arrive as well. "Archer X is dead…"
Her husband nodded subconsciously at that, his dark eyes trained on the rapidly healing chest of his familiar. Then they shifted to her wilting form, but her own eyes met them doggedly. "This was my choice," she stated quietly but clearly: Her body would've continued to break down as the War neared its end. Having Avalon wring out a few more hours of life for the homunculus was worth little if it meant letting the man who had done so much for her, Saber, Kiritsugu and Maiya die when he could be saved.
A gasp drew the group's attention, and Kakashi Hatake bolted into a sitting position with a "Whoa!" Maiya's arms instinctively reached around to hold him steady as he panted. "What in the world…?" he mumbled but didn't shake her grip loose.
"Easy," a smiling Artoria Pendragon squeezed her comrade's shoulder, eyes shimmering a little, "you've been through quite an ordeal tonight."
The Man of a Thousand Techniques slowly patted his chest; not a single hole was left there or in his back, and he could tell the bullets lodged in between were gone, too. Aside from his mangled, bloodstained clothes, it was as if he hadn't been injured at all tonight. "…We all have," he finally muttered as he patted Maiya's arm, realizing just what had pulled him back from the Throne of Heroes. So, this is the power of Avalon…? A little chuckle escaped the shinobi. "And to think all I have to offer this team is a hand jab and a friend's eye."
Relieved laughter bubbled up from Saber before she slapped his chest. "Liar," she playfully scolded this infuriatingly humble friend of theirs. Irisviel was giggling, too, even as she slumped on the pavement, now all the more certain she'd made the right decision.
Even Maiya briefly gave a tiny smile just before she released Assassin X, but despite her usual stoic expression, she continued to watch him attentively as he got up from the ground. A familiar question rippled inside her brain, one that kept popping up in the presence of this person: What the hell's wrong with me? Then she brushed it aside to help him gently lift Irisviel up as well. Well, it probably doesn't matter…
As for Kiritsugu Emiya, he simply reached over to support his wife as well. Internally, he was satisfied that one more Servant had been taken out of the equation, concerned about Iri's health without Avalon, wary about the lack of other rogues' sightings throughout the night…
…And taking just a little solace in the fact that Assassin X wasn't gone just yet.
-55:39:28
Avenger X soared above the roofs of Shinto, hand pressing over the large cut in his chest. He flipped around in midair and angled himself to land against a larger building's side, cracks erupting beneath his feet at the point of impact. To think I'd find an even wilder beast than Savage, he mused, grinning despite the danger. No, because of the danger.
Windows and concrete burst apart as he pushed off, Crimson Dawn blazing in his hands as he thrust it forward. The plasma struck metal, and normally it would've melted clean through. But this blade, worn and chipped along its entire length, was charged with such mana that it actually pushed back the lightsaber, just as it had in the last dozen clashes. The two swordsmen landed simultaneously on a new roof, mana rippling from them.
"Not bad," Berserker X smirked. "You can put up a pretty good fight when you're not scrambling away like a little red chicken." He raised his sword to the side. "I'd be pissed if Qrow had gotten himself killed by some coward with a glowing sword."
Avenger X scoffed back. "And you are but a beast with more power than sanity. A Berserker true to form." His lightsaber danced about him before he settled into a classic Jar'Kai stance. He snapped out his hand and curled it towards him, The Force pulling the one-eyed brute over where he waited with Crimson Dawn. But instead of fighting against the pull, Berserker X went with the flow, allowing the plasma blade to burn his shoulder even as he attacked.
Maul flipped away, a new cut precariously close to his eye. Perhaps he had grown too accustomed to facing noble warriors with refined swordplay in life and as a Servant, thereby shaken by this one's savage fighting style. But savagery alone couldn't defeat him. He roared and swung his lightsaber anew, the brute parrying the slash before swinging his own sword in a rising arc that blasted Avenger X and most of the roof into the air. Such power…!
If it weren't for his obligation to hunt down the wizard, he would've relished this battle a little more.
Alas, the Berserker wasn't alone, as Avenger X was reminded in the form of two bulls slamming into him in midair. He barely held onto the creatures' horns to glare at a grinning Rider. "Don't forget that the man you killed had more than one partner! Yah!" He snapped the reins to make his Wheel's bulls buck their heads and throw the rogue anew. A cursing Avenger X launched his weapon at them, but Rider swiftly ducked his head and that of his Master's under the scarlet wheel.
While hanging onto the bars, Waver's eyes drifted down to the streets. It's a good thing everyone's in hiding because of the bombings. There's no way a normal Bounded Field would be able to hide these guys fighting all over the place, you'd have to place one over half the city.
Crimson Dawn returned to its master's hand in time to block another strike from Berserker X, but the force behind it blasted him straight for the Shinto street below-
And then a silver blur intercepted him just before he hit the pavement. 'Recall your Servant, Zouken,' Rider X told his new passenger and his Master over the telepathic link. 'I'm certain you can find a better use for him elsewhere, and I have my own business to attend to.' His "tone" left no room for a discussion. Avenger X growled atop the spaceship that was his alleged ally but disappeared all the same.
Iskandar hoisted his partner up onto the Gordius Wheelbefore frowning at how his rival rose to equal height, hovered in place, and then heading slowly north. "We're being invited."
"Well, let's not stand it up," Kenpachi replied while sheathing his blade. "He owes us a fight for butting into our business with that horned bastard."
"Aye." Waver gave no comment to his Servants' usual eagerness; his earlier activities had done him wonders in letting him keep up with their battling across the city. He was feeling a little tired but not enough that he'd keel over from another two minutes of Rider and Berserker X cutting loose. Besides, the young man glanced down at the markings on his hands, if need be, I can power them up or call them off.
He still had a bad feeling about this, though…
Before long, they had followed Rider X over to Fuyuki Bridge. Their guide had already assumed his true form and was waiting calmly for them in its center. Arms crossed behind his back, sharp leer at them as they descended, the Decepticon appeared as he was in complete control of the situation. "How good of you to accept my summons," he bowed mockingly to them, "Iskandar."
"You seem to have much free time, Megatron." The King of Conquerors hadn't failed to notice the other Rider's absence throughout Archer X's rampage, quite unlike his behavior from last night. "Shall I take your refusal to stand with your ally as a sign of a falling out?"
Rider X waved his hand in dismissal. "Archer X dug her own grave when she attempted to drag you all into her little game. I have no more use for her," his optics focused on his rival, "especially seeing as you and I still have a most important matter to settle. I trust you remember the promise I gave you at your banquet?"
Iskandar flashed a tight grin. "I have forgotten nothing," he promised with a thump to his chest, "and my determination to defend my title has not wavered in the slightest!"
"How delightful." That metallic grin of his own widened.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, rustbucket," Berserker X interjected while stepping up to his friend's side. "You and me still have a dance to finish, and I'm not big on just being part of the audience." Waver inched slowly off of the Wheel, wondering if he should duck in cover before the sparks started flying. But just as he thought he couldn't be more nervous, his mind registered something that nearly made his heart stop.
"You're all getting ahead of yourselves." The three Servants and one human started as yet another Servant joined their gathering on Fuyuki Bridge.
Archer approached them in sharp strides and with a sharper expression. "I do not recall giving you lot permission to tear each other apart." His smile widened slightly. "I reserve that pleasure for myself."