A group of four "Darkened" soldiers stumbled towards the one they'd followed as their King, their spears nearly impaling Bucephalus' neck, but he evaded the tainted tips and kicked them away with his front legs. However, even the horse of Alexander the Great released a mournful whinny at what he had to do. And though his hooves had shattered bone, the soldiers rose to fight again.
"This is the truth of conquest," Megatron continued amused as he watched the desperate struggle between the living and the undead. By now, roughly half of the Ionioi Hetairoiwere under his command. Under normal circumstances, he would have lacked the necessary mana to corrupt so many individuals, let alone the Reality Marble itself. But his connection to that Reactor Archer X had so kindly provided him with remained strong even in this false world. Whatever energy he expended was just as swiftly replenished. "We conquerors rise up above the masses and bend their souls to our will. Those who oppose us, we crush beneath our heels as we march on past them. We plunder what resources they have, strip them of their power, their will, their very hopes and dreams. We supplant their individuality and reduce their idols and homes to rubble so they can turn to only us for guidance. We give new meaning to their mundane lives by serving us. And once all we survey is under our might, we look on to the horizon and search for more to conquer. And so we carve out history in the blood of the fallen."
"How dare you!" Rider roared as he rallied his uninfected troops into more cohesive formations. "You tarnish the noble ideals of conquest and pervert my comrades into these broken forms merely to prove your point?! Your mind is more twisted than I thought. To win without destroying, to dominate without humiliating, such is the way of a trueconqueror!"
But Rider X only laughed at his outrage. "Noble ideals? Win without destroying, dominate without humiliating? Oh, Iskandar, you are truly as naively mistaken as that child of a Saber." The Dark Energon's touch spread ever further, crystals shooting up from the ground that impaled more soldiers, some even multiple simultaneously. "Do you truly wish to pretend you inflicted no suffering during your campaigns? You only laid waste to battlefields, never the homes of civilian bystanders? Didn't you force the defeated to make a choice: join or die?" He laughed again. "No need to be ashamed, I did so as well in my time."
"There is a vast sea of differences between us!" Rider led a company into a mass that would've surrounded more of his men, reluctantly slicing apart the soldiers warped by Dark Energon. "I honored those who had fallen during the battles I led, friend and foe alike! The countries I annexed into my territory kept their religions and customs, I even incorporated some into my own beliefs!" Such was the origin of Alexander's alias, Iskandar. "No soul was forced to join my armies, they all did so willingly!"
"Did they?" Rider X countered. "Was there truly a choice for them in the matter? Could any of them have resisted the sheer charisma you exuded or were their fates sealed from the moment they met you? Look around." He pointed a single finger at his enemy. "I may have unleashed Dark Energon upon this world, but you are the one who led these brave souls to oppose me, Iskandar. In a way, you are equally to blame for their torment as I am."
The King of Conqueror's blood boiled so much inside him, he could only see red. That isn't true… He thrashed and hacked about him, the Sword of the Kupriotes nearly striking some of his still-untainted followers in his rage. He barely noticed, however, tugging on Bucephalus' reins to steer him towards the main structure. Yes. He would shove his sword through that smug grin, crush those teeth, beat his way of conquest through that despicable-
"You're wrong!"
He froze and looked down in shock, surprised at who had just shouted those two words. Even Rider X was taken aback by the interjection.
Truth be told, Waver Velvet was more terrified than he had even been in his young life. More than when Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald had threatened him, more than in the presence of Kenpachi's killing intent, more than even the nauseating horror show Caster had instigated in the sewers. Everywhere he turned, the living were fighting for their lives against twisted mockeries of the loyal warriors they were supposed to be. The sands had turned black and violet, sharp crystals stood tall like pillars of evil, even the sky was trapped in darkness. He doubted he would ever forget a single detail of this nightmarish scene until the day he died.
And yet he still raised his voice with nary a tremor, all to defend his Servant. "Rider isn't you, and he didn't send his army to their doom." He snapped his arms out to gesture at the warriors standing and fighting around Bucephalus. "All of these men are here not because Rider forced them to, but because they believe in him! They aren't slaves or puppets or tools to be discarded, not to him and not to themselves. Maybe they're all a bunch of idiots, but they chose to follow this King. They chose to follow because they knew he cared for them and he would stand by their sides just like they stand by his. No matter in times good or bad, even if it meant sacrificing their lives!" He glanced over his shoulder. "Every one of us."
Rider simply sat in his saddle, staring down at this foolish Master as he processed these words. It may have been a hallucination, but he could've sworn the fighting around them was slowing as well. Almost as if even the Darkened soldiers were listening.
The young man didn't notice even as he continued to speak his mind. "This isn't a battle, it's a freakshow! You haven't conquered this world or the Hetairoi, you're just polluting it with your own power," he yelled defiantly at the metallic monster leering down at him. "All you've done is defile a beautiful dream that united thousands of souls together! You claim you're a conqueror, Rider X, but what you really are is a cruel monster who wants to drag everything down into the darkness with him!"
Waver spat in defiance at the being who could eviscerate him in a fraction of a second. "You failed to conquer Cybertron in life, Megatron, and you'll fail to claim the title you seek! Why? Because there's not a single soul in this Reality Marble who'll let it happen!"
That statement swept through the Servants and the masses gathered here to fight. Rider's men had begun to despair at their situation. To be forced to cut down their own soldiers or risk turning against their King themselves… such thoughts certainly left little room for vigor. But in the face of this boy, no, this man riding on the King's steed… their newest member…
Waver Velvet's words was bolstered by a new, almighty cheer starting with one and carrying on with every last living member of the Ionioi Hetairoi. In fact, the undead ones might've contributed as well, it was impossible to pick out any individual voices in this mighty roar.
For a while, Megatron glared silently down at the cheering crowds, the noise stirring old memories at him. Then his flaming optics focused on the wretched human responsible… and he chuckled again. "My, my. How far the King of Conquerors has fallen if he needs a sniveling whelp to prop himself up against me."
Waver made to refute that insult, but Rider spoke first. "I suppose I have." He turned around in his seat in shock, but both the tone of those words and the Servant's expression was calm. As a matter of fact, he was staring down at the boy in pride. "I must be losing my touch if a young fool can counter a direct challenge to me faster than I can." He patted that small shoulder, Waver for once not keeling over, before aiming a new glare at his nemesis. The hatred remained in his red eyes, but they were much more tempered than before.
"Seeing as you've referred so much to your words from the banquet, I too shall allude to what I said then," Iskandar, King of Conquerors, called evenly to Megatron. "You have immersed yourself completely in darkness," he waved with his sword at the ravaged landscape, "and I do not mean this… 'Dark Energon' you use to pollute my dream. You may have walked away from the mines you were kept in upon birth, but their shadows remained with you throughout your battles as a gladiator, a revolutionary and eventually a tyrant. Even now, they linger inside your core."
He took a long breath, then continued before the other Rider could interrupt. "You are correct about there being more similarities between us than I'd care to admit, Megatron." His followers shuffled at these words, but he didn't stop. "Countless lives have changed and indeed ended because of either of us. We have in turn supplanted others' hopes to further our own goals." He locked gazes with those violet orbs. "But there remains one crucial difference between us:
"In you, there is only darkness that can never be sated no matter how much you conquer." Iskandar tapped his chest. "But in me, there is a brilliant dream I share with all who choose to follow me. A dream that inspires us to pursue it while holding true to ourselves." His eyes narrowed. "And we will not tolerate you defiling it any further!" His declaration was punctuated by a triumphant whinny from Bucephalus and another cheer from his army, though only the living members this time.
The other half was suddenly spurred on to attack them again. And the cause for that was Rider X issuing a mental command. "How very inspiring," he rumbled while straightening his posture. "It's become obvious neither of us can be swayed to accept the other's beliefs, no matter how many speeches we make." He rolled his shoulders, his smirk returning. "Ultimately, there remains only one way to determine who is right and who is wrong."
"On that, we agree," Rider replied before sliding off of his horse. Waver blinked at the motion, more so when he wasn't pulled off either, then a series of soldiers still loyal joined them, spears and shields out in a phalanx at a wordless signal from their King. He had one final matter to settle before confronting his nemesis, and it required privacy.
"Waver." Hearing his name stunned the boy already, but the words that followed and the sincerity they carried left him completely frozen. "Thank you for defending me. And because of the passion behind your words, I remembered a question I had for you:
"Waver Velvet, would you serve me as my vassal?"
It might've seemed like a foolish question for a Servant to ask of his Master. Given the circumstances, it was seemingly inappropriate for the Servant to divert his attention on something so nonsensical. However, tears welled up inside Waver's eyes as he heard Rider address him by his name and not just "boy," and glancing at the men surrounding them, the fealty they exuded… The offer laid before him seemed too good to be true. An unreachable dream.
He didn't think about the ramifications, he didn't even need to. "You…" They both knew the answer he would give even before he voiced it. "You are my King," Waver fought to keep his tone even, Saber X's "soprano" comment swimming into his head. "I will serve you and devote all I have to you. Please… show me the way. Share your dream with me."
A kind smile drifted across Rider's face. "Very well." A high-pitched whine forced them to look up and see Rider X had taken to his aircraft form and was firing upon the battlefield. The defensive phalanx around King and servant held for now, but both could hear dying cries from outside. This is no longer a battle of words. But, the King looked again at his newest vassal, enough has been said.
Rider nodded to himself before speaking again. "Then stay atop Bucephalus for now. I shall engage Megatron," he hefted his sword, "through other means." With a swing and a crack of lightning, the Gordius Wheel appeared in the hastily cleared space. Its wielder swiftly boarded it; never before had Iskandar wielded both of his Noble Phantasms simultaneously, but the three Command Seals' magic invigorated him to try deeds beyond the possible. Besides, he needed every advantage available to slay his hated nemesis. I will never forgive you, Megatron, for tainting my dream and violating my comrades!
He shelved his fury aside, though, to address Waver. "As the King, it is my duty to inspire others to dream and to defend the dream with all my might. And as my vassal, it is your duty to live on, see the dream through, and pass it down through the generations to come."
Waver stared at him silently, dimly noting that between his seating and where Rider stood, he was for once seeing eye-to-eye with him. The King of Conquerors shifted briefly to his horse. "Keep him safe, old friend. This is bound to be one wild night." Bucephalus whinnied in return, a wordless affirmation, then Iskandar smiled again at the one who had brought him to this incredible time. "Live on, Waver. Survive this battle, witness it to the end no matter the outcome, and then tell this tale. Tell the tale of your King, of how Iskandar fought for the right to his crown!"
Waver turned slightly away as he began to cry again, but he acknowledged his King's decree with a nod. With that, Rider snapped his chariot's reins, "Yah!" and the Gordius Wheel charged forward. A dozen of his men turned ghouls were run down by Via Expugnatio, but he solemnly closed his eyes and steered upwards. Forgive me, my friends. I shan't let you suffer a minute longer than necessary. He tracked the flight path of Megatron, the would-be usurper moving far faster than normal (Another of his darkness' boons, no doubt) and moved to meet him head-on, as was the King of Conquerors' way.
On the sands, the war between conquerors began in full earnest even as Waver held tightly onto Bucephalus' reins. His ride was carrying him through the tainted sands to the area yet untouched, but the youngest disciple of the King made sure to watch he could while on the move. Regardless of which side prevailing, he would never forget this battle.
Berserker X patted the bare spot over his right eye, then clicked his tongue in annoyance. Both eyes shot an irritated glare at his enemy. "You dumbass," the Shinigami spat out. "I thought I told you, that Eyepatch Seal was the only thing keeping my full power locked up. Without it, I can't hold back that good anymore." He glanced around the golden sand, one of the few areas still unblemished by Rider X's freaky shit. "And now I can't find it," he grunted while searching, "so I can't fix your damn mistake, either."
"No… mistake…"
Those two words made him pause and turn back to Archer. The King of Heroes was hunched over, heavy pants coming from his mouth, while his blood was splashed out on the sand before him. The scarlet liquid mixed with the broken pieces of armor and Noble Phantasms scattered about. His legs didn't tremble, however, despite the obvious pain he was in, raising Kenpachi's respect for him marginally.
Archer slowly straightened a little, the motion revealing the vicious, bloody slash on his midsection. It began at his left shoulder, the pauldron there obliterated, and went diagonally across his torso. His armor's anti-thaumaturgic enchantments had been unable to withstand the full-power blow of Berserker X's sword, and if the Gate of Babylonhadn't summoned a defensive array of Noble Phantasms just before it had connected, it might've bisected the Servant completely. Some treasures inside the Gatecould've completely absorbed the attack, but it had been so swift, Archer was left with no time to access them specifically. A nearly fatal miscalculation that irked him all the more.
But the proud Heroic Spirit's glare didn't diminish amidst his gasps for air. "I made… no mistake… ripping that… obscenity… off of… you," he growled as a portal appeared above his left hand and deposited a small diamond vial into his grip. He ripped the stopper loose and splashed the vial's contents onto his rent chest, steam wafting from the wounded area before it began to seal up. After ten seconds, the wound is completely closed; after thirty, the only trace of Berserker X's attack was the gash in his breastplate and the bloodstains.
Archer rose to his full height seemingly in perfect health again, but his blazing crimson eyes told a different story. "You scold me for letting my mind wander, and yet you continue to face me while still wearing those ridiculous bells and that revolting thing you call an eyepatch?" His fists clenched. "You believe yourself so mighty you can kill me without discarding the shackles you stifle your power with?! Do not mock me, mongrel!"
Seven weapons streaked through the distance between the Servants, the air burning from their velocity. Mana blazed around Berserker X for a moment before he slashed, and all seven were knocked out of the sky. The Servant of Madness seemed confused, though. "The hell are you talking about? I'm not mocking you at all. I just like to hold back when I fight, especially when I'm up against strong opponents." He raised his left hand and flexed his fingers while glancing down at them. "Besides, the kid's Seals are giving me one hell of a power-up, so it's not like I've been swinging my sword that half-assed."
Archer made to snarl something else, but then one part of the brute's nonsense repeated itself in his mind: "…especially when I'm up against strong opponents." Didn't he… acknowledge the power of the King of Heroes just now? "You know I am strong…" he questioned vocally, "but you still choose not to face me with your full strength? What sort of madness rots inside your brain, or did you have enough sense to realize victory was unobtainable against me?"
Kenpachi Zaraki leaned his sword against his shoulder with an easygoing shrug. "I'm a Berserker, remember? Madness is kinda natural for my class." Archer practically felt a physical blow against his skull from the brute's bluntness, but what he said next surprised him. "Sure, I knew you were strong from the start. Why do you think I riled you up so much back when all this started, Goldy?"
He smirked. "Every Servant on this world or another likes to make some big statement about why they're fighting in this Grail War, what the big special reason is. Me? I fight because I like to fight. That's the only reason I've ever needed. And the tougher the fight, the better."
Archer continued to glare at him, but his anger was slowly ebbing So… it truly was that simple with this one. There were no lies in this savage's words or body. He cared for nothing but how much he could enjoy a battle, even if it meant sealing away his full strength. His strength… He finally scoffed. "I wonder how feeble the denizens of your world must have been if they needed your handicaps to survive your presence." Gilgamesh snapped his arm out. "But worry not, Berserker X. You needn't restrain yourself against me, for even at your best, you stand no chance of matching me."
The proclamation stoked the Shinigami's own fire. As much as he preferred him and his opponents just hacking each other to bits, he wasn't half bad when it came to reading others. And this guy wasn't just running his mouth to look tough, he hadn't before, and he wasn't now. Goldy really believed he was the toughest bastard around.
Well, so far, it had been kinda fun. But the fight could be more exciting. "Big talk," Berserker X countered, "for a high-and-mighty prick who lets his magic toy box do all the hard work."
Archer's smile fell away as he crossed his arms. "And you presume yourself an expert on combat when your swordsmanship is no better than that of an ape swinging a rock about, mongrel?"
Berserker X by comparison took the insult in stride. "Oh, I don't care about that 'formal' bullshit, but come on, when's the last time you actually used one of those things? Hell, do you even know how to use them?" He sneered. "Or are you just a lazy little one-trick pony?"
The rage had returned in full force to Goldy's posture, and Kenpachi sensed it was because he was onto something. "You can't fight for shit yourself, can you? But then, why would you need to? Your fancy gate can just give you an answer for any problem, so you never had to put in any effort to get what you wanted." His blood boiled at the prospect before him. "Well, guess what, princess, you can't do a half-baked job if you want to put me in the ground." He laughed a little. "Hell, between the two of us, I've been the one having all the fun here."
Once again, the King of Heroes was trembling in rage. There was now a brand new goal before him: crushing this bastard mongrel so thoroughly even he couldn't hope to find any enjoyment in it. He would happily dredge the depths of the Gate of Babylon to achieve this goal and inflict the greatest agony conceivable. Oh, how they would tell tales of this beast's demise for generations to come…
Such was the King's prerogative. And he thought he could feel the corners of his mouth twitching. Interesting…
"If you keep spouting off crap that you're the Number 1 Servant around, you gotta expect somebody will come along to try and knock you down the food chain! Now, bring it on!" Sand burst into a wave behind Kenpachi from the swing of his nodachi. "Show me how a King of Heroes really fights!"
This time, Gilgamesh clearly felt the form his mouth was shifting into, but he did nothing to stop it. He couldn't be in dire straits if he was smiling, after all. "Well, seeing as you have asked so nicely…" Once again, an array of portals materialized around him, only this time, he reached into one and withdrew Durandal. "Who am I to deny a mad dog his annihilation?"
Further away, thousands of individuals were tearing into each other at the behest of two very different conquerors. Here at this spot, there were only two combatants.
Yet when they clashed, it felt as though the impact shook the entire Reality Marble.
Zouken Matou sat alone in his study, black eyes glaring out the window. Avenger X had returned safely even though it had cost a Command Seal and was patrolling the grounds fully restored again. Rider X had intervened just in time before those testosterone-pumped brutes could've inflicted permanent damage to his remaining Servant.
But that right there was the big problem: with Archer X dead, he only had one Servant left, and only one Command Seal. Not so good when there were ten other Servants still in the game, two of which were in a tentative alliance with him that could fall apart any day now.
And two more were still loyally aiding that useless spawn of his, Kariya…
His grip tightened on his cane. He'd let Archer X run amok and put the whole city at risk, even helping her to do so, and all for nothing! Not a single Servant had perished due to her, Fuyuki City had now garnered a hefty bit of attention both in magical and mundane eyes, and worst of all, Caster X still wasn't dead! How hard can it be to destroy one single shriveled-up wizard of a familiar?! The Matou patriarach struck his cane's head against his desk, causing the artifacts it carried to rattle about.
His nostrils flared as he panted from the rage, trying to calm down again. Avenger X had reported a rather disturbing detail about his attempt on the wretched Heroic Spirit's life: He had been stopped, not just by Rider and Berserker X, but Lancer X had been the one to lead that duo to the battle. His flyers had confirmed the Sith's report and added that the female had apparently engaged in discussion with Kariya's team while Avenger X was being chased off.
Zouken leaned back in his chair, frowning at this knowledge. During the battle at Mion River, Kariya and Tokiomi confronted each other with Caster X and Lancer X, respectively. My worms couldn't learn what they discussed,his jaw clenched, because of Caster X, but they apparently never came to blows. And now Kariya willingly agreed to a meeting with the Servant contracted to the man he hates more than any other person? Well, he sneered briefly, maybe except for me, of course. Then the sneer faded. It makes no sense. Unless…
The ancient magus bolted upright. Could it be that Kariya had told Tokiomi about Sakura's current… living conditions? Were they building an alliance? No, that couldn't be it. Tokiomi was too right-wing of a magus to ever trust the word of a pathetic deserter like Kariya. And Kariya had made it repeatedly clear he blamed Tokiomi for Sakura becoming a Matou. Those two made oil and water look like the easiest liquids to be mixed together.
…Still, he had already reinforced the Bounded Field, and he would instruct Avenger X to keep watch. Maybe it would be better to speed up his latest experiments as well. Zouken couldn't afford to be careless in a War this utterly chaotic. He hadn't considered the Tohsaka family a particularly great threat in the past: oh, they were certainly skilled in magecraft and carried a certain guile, but each member tended to overestimate their own cleverness. Choujirou Tohsaka had been a prime example in the past. In his case, he remained a sore spot for the family and the butt of joke among magi to this day.
And young Tokiomi was exhibiting much of the same qualities. So confident in the grand strategy he'd set up in advance he hadn't even considered it going off the rails. If he had any real brains, he would've had Rider X destroyed the very instant he met the Servant. Zouken Matou hadn't stepped on the battle in a long time, but he didn't fear the uppity twit in the least.
And best of all, he was the only Master who knew the truth of the Holy Grail War's prize. He'd known something was off about this War from the moment Servants like Caster and Rider X, Heroic Spirits with extremely unheroic personalities, were called forth, and Maul had confirmed his suspicions both through his summoning and in their conversation. Oh, how it would break all of those young fools scurrying about if they knew what slumbered inside the Grail, waiting for a worthy candidate.
It would be most prudent to purge the evil within before making any wish, Zouken considered before rising from his seat. He hobbled out of the room towards the basement; his experiments awaited. But then, wouldn't it be more amusing to watch the despair of the victors? I was planning on waiting for the Fifth Grail War anyway…
Regardless, there was still a fair bit of work to do if he wished to enjoy himself. Besides, tainted Grail or not, Caster X needed to die. Zouken Matou couldn't be satisfied otherwise.
-54:13:56
The war of the Riders had been raging inside Ionioi Hetairoifor over an hour now, and it showed little sign of ending. Under normal circumstances, the Reality Marble couldn't have been sustained for more than a few minutes at a time, but two external factors – the power of three Command Seals and the Prismatrix Reactor- made this impossibility possible.
Its occupants fought without pause against each other, those yet untouched by Dark Energon standing valiantly against what seemed a hopeless choice: death or corruption. The soldiers yet to face this choice fought without hesitation, some with tears in their eyes or screams in their throats at who they were cutting down, but not one ran from this danger. It pained them to fight their brothers but leaving them in this perversion of death would be far worse. Many who suffered mortal wounds proceeded to turn their weapons on themselves in their dying moments, seeking to make their corpses as useless as possible.
Living, dead or otherwise, they would serve only their King.
Even Bucephalus contributed to the efforts, kicking and trampling whatever ghouls approached him. It was maybe his way of compensating for his passenger's combative inability. Even if Waver couldn't fight, though, he still continued to watch this back-and-forth as much as he could, just as he had been commanded to. Nausea swept through him, but he refused to shut his eyes. No matter how this struggle ends, I have to see this through.
In the process, he began to notice a few details about their enemy. Those who had become ghouls felt no fear or pain whatsoever, but they weren't quite as agile as they had been before, and they seemed to lack independent thought. More than once, a group had charged-well, lurched headlong into traps rather obvious and then routed. Waver watched as three soldiers were seemingly surrounded, only for the tables to promptly turn as cavalrymen rode down the ghouls. He remembered then that each living being here was technically a Heroic Spirit well-versed in war. They could think; the dead could not.
Of course, not, thinking is Rider X's job, the student realized. This Dark Energon he's used to enslave them has sapped them so completely of their individuality they have nothing left inside them. He winced as a ghoul whose legs had been severed crawled snarling up a soldier and dragged him down. Nothing but an urge to destroy. He glared up at a silver streak far above. They're basically a bunch of rabid animals without someone telling them what to do.
And that someone was preoccupied with his own battle. Rider X in his aerial form had been clashing with the Gordius Wheel far above everyone's heads, either transport descending periodically to aid their respective side during a crucial step or because the other tried to pin it down. Blue lightning and purple plasma crackled across the heavens, neither conqueror letting up for a second in their clashes. Rider wouldn't be satisfied until he'd crushed his rival's body into scrap metal.
However, even he was forced to acknowledge Rider X held the upper hand. For one, Dark Energon was primarily an Anti-Unit (Self) Noble Phantasm that passively increased his parameters, allowing him to fly at even greater speeds than usual. Alt-Mode Starship also held the advantage in long range with its blasters while the Gordius Wheel's mode of attack was usually just "rush at the enemy in hope of trampling him."
Moreover, Iskandar had been a tyrant and conqueror of Europe three hundred years BC, a primitive era where battlefields only had two dimensions. He wasn't accustomed to adding up and down to his calculations, whereas Megatron had faced his enemies on lands of metal and rock, in seas, across the skies and even amidst space itself. The Wheel had already lost one of its side blades, and the bulls sported multiple scorching injuries that would've killed them (or worse) were it not for their divine natures.
As they passed one another, Rider X nimbly twisted himself out of reach of Rider's spatha, then he suddenly returned to robot form and slashed with his own blade. It sliced through the King's cloak and left shoulder, but Rider was able to lean out of the way just enough for it to only be a surface wound. He glared at the smirk his nemesis shot at him just before he reversed his transformation, and the two vessels turned in arcs to face each other once again.
Back on terra firma, the situation could be classified as "somewhere between tricky and precarious." While Rider's forces were slowly managing to corral Rider X's with a little tactical thinking, the battlefield wasn't helping matters at all. The spread of Dark Energon had halted again when Megatron took to the skies; apparently, he needed to be actively touching the ground or his crystals for the Darkening to continue. Still, that left a sizable number of crystals both large and small, solid and brittle, but equally jagged scattered across the dark terrain. Even receiving a light nick from one let you with the risk of turning into a ghoul, and the blasted things were everywhere.
Worst of all, it seemed the Reality Marble itself was beginning to strain under its defilement, or perhaps it was simply beginning to reach its limit, additional Magical Energy or not. Or maybe the source of its instability was Berserker X and Archer's destructive battle from afar. No soul living or undead dared to draw too close to that lest they risked utter annihilation. No matter the cause, the ground quaked often and created sinkholes and gaping cracks, both of which had claimed more than a few on both sides.
Waver held onto his ride as it made for the ground's rim between tainted and still clean sand, even Bucephalus treading lightly amidst the area. He watched anxiously how one of the Wheel's bulls managed to land a glancing blow against Rider X, the impact trailing with as it sent the metal form briefly spiraling out of control. The brief splash of hope he felt stilled, though, when that aircraft realigned itself just before crashing and sped along the ground.
Some soldiers had seen this development as well and tried to capitalize on it by shooting him down, but Rider X was too fast for their arrows and spears (and one throwing axe). He transformed in midflight and skidded feet-first to a stop, sand whirling about him, before striking his left hand into the ground.
Rider had been guiding his chariot in pursuit of his counterpart, but a cluster of massive crystals surged from around Megatron. They appeared so quickly at least ten of the Ionioi Hetairoi were impaled just by being too close to him. They hung limply from the tips, Dark Energon seeping into their bodies, then pulled themselves free. A deep crevice split open near the base of Rider X's crystal construction, traveling along the length of the battlefield.
Waver's eyes widened upon it drawing closer to him, and he nudged his ride's sides with his feet. "We need to-" A sudden tremor rattled him, and the horse's reins slipped through his numb fingers. A panicked cry escaped Waver as he slipped from the saddle, Bucephalus echoing the sound while his head tired and failed to reach him. The chasm awaited…
But then a slim arm wrapped around his midsection, and the boy was promptly hurtling backwards. Eyes blinking to clear the tears away, he found himself being safely carried and deposited back onto Bucephalus, who quickly continued to gallop away from the abyss. Waver realized a second that his savior was heading in another direction and tried to see who he was… and gasped at a short red cape fluttering in the wind.
A head with greying black hair reminiscent of a bird's feathers turned towards him just for a second, and he could make out eyes of a faded red and a familiar smirk.
As for Rider, the violet uprising had snagged one of his wheels, and even more branched off of them through their master's guidance to trap the rest. His bovines had luckily avoided any injuries, but for their strength, they couldn't pull the chariot free. Rider hacked at the crystals with his sword but only managed to chip off a few shards. Meanwhile, the newly Darkened soldiers were slowly climbing up the crystals' sides, ready to plunge their blades into their former King at their corrupter's behest.
Rider X smirked at this irony from where he stood, then changed into Alt-Mode Starship and blasted off into the skies. He flew into an arc that led back towards his enemy and could clearly make out the scowl sent his way. It looks like our little game ends here, he chortled to himself, his blasters priming themselves with violet energy.
Iskandar saw the energy bolts zipping towards him, but the first of the ghouls had already grabbed hold of the rails. He turned about at his spot, eyes darting from one threat to-
Something whirled through the air before it smashed through one crystal, then its arc continued straight through the others, freeing the Wheel. Rider had little time to process this development as violet energy bolts soared towards his spot. But they never reached him.
First, something small and black darted in from the corner of his sight, then a human-sized shape appeared before Rider X's strafe, absorbing the hit. The power of those blasts tore his body to shreds, but Rider remained unscathed. What struck the King of Conquerors, though, was the shock of registering the red cape over the grey tailcoat, the black pants, the massive silver blade in one hand before it faded into spirit particles…
"Qrow," Iskandar whispered before a grateful smile spread across his face. It seems Ionioi Hetairoi was capable of more than even its wielder had realized. Not bad for a "bad luck charm," he praised his old friend and partner. Not bad at all.
Megatron didn't have time to see what had intercepted his attack, and he barely managed to veer away from a collision with those two lightning-charged bulls. Sparks flashed from his chassis as Rider's sword scraped against it, drawing his ire. The damage was mostly cosmetic, but it seemed as though Iskandar wasn't ready to relinquish his crown just yet.
Then I'll just have to help him along to this decision, Rider X swore to himself as he soared onward. He'd been saving his final Noble Phantasm for Saber or Archer, but if the Reality Marble continued to deteriorate or Rider continued to have strokes of luck, or even if Berserker X suddenly jumped in… Decisions, decisions.
Rider X needn't have worried about Berserker X interfering, though, for the Shinigami Heroic Spirit was having the fight of his life and relishing in every second of it.
He bounded across the sands, ducking his head under four different weapons that sundered the area behind him. Normally, he might've taken the impacts with little concern for his life, but Goldy had slinging some pretty powerful shit at him in the last hour, some of which had left its mark. Like it or not, he had to do a little dodging or else this fight might be over too quickly.
Archer met him with a silver scythe in hand, the blade swinging in from the left. Berserker X parried it and counterattacked, the golden Servant quickly stepping out of range as five portals appeared behind Berserker X. Two swords nicked slightly his back, the mana throwing off their attack, but he turned around to smash aside the axe, spear and sword. Archer capitalized on the opening and swung his scythe at his back. The blade went clean through the Mana Burst defense and into Berserker X's side… but there was no entry wound or splash of blood.
Kenpachi grunted unimpressed at the attack and swung his sword anew, only to find his slash somewhat lacking. "Huh…?"
A summoned shield defended Archer from the blow, and he smirked upon hefting his scythe anew, the chain attached to its handle rattling slightly. "This blade cuts not through flesh but mana, mad dog. And there is no evading it." He promptly made another slash…
Only for the blade to be caught by Berserker X's hand. "So, I won't bother dodging," he retorted to Gilgamesh's shocked face. "Simple as that." With that, he sliced clean through the handle and cut him again, the King of Heroes now sporting X-shaped damage on his armor. Archer grunted in pain and fell back, blood splashing from his injury, and Berserker X crashed the scythe's remnant with a stomp.
By now, both Servants were sporting a fair bit of mileage after an hour of fighting. Berserker X's sleeves had been shredded, and his bloodstained haori barely clung to his body, slashes and pierce marks adorning his skin. He hadn't reclaimed his eyepatch, leaving nothing to cover the three separate cuts across his face, trails of blood across them as well. Yet he was still smiling broadly, and neither his mana nor the light in his eyes had dimmed.
Archer by comparison had received no time to replace his damaged armor, leaving the breastplate a carved-up a mess, his right pauldron still missing, a large gash along his right thigh, and a hole in his left gauntlet where that blasted blade had nearly speared him. He still sported the cut underneath his right eye and a new one underneath the left side of his lip that ran down his chin. Healing potions had stopped the bleeding, but he was not a happy King.
It wasn't just the fact that he'd received this damage in the first place, though that certainly contributed. No, what really set him off was how this uncouth beast's expression kept shifting between elation and another emotion. Not fear or frustration, mind you, but… Boredom.
Kenpachi sighed at the scrap metal beneath his sandal, grumbling, "I wasn't expecting you to be Qrow with that thing, but come on, a baby could use any of these weapons better than you." He rolled his shoulders and readied his blade again. "This is getting embarrassing."
There it was. That infuriatingly dry tone that grated inside Gilgamesh's ears and made him want to sunder an entire kingdom. He drew in a sharp breath and released it through his nostrils before sneering at the Servant of Madness. "Oh? If anything, I should feel embarrassment at having wasted my time with a half-dead beast begging to be slaughtered." His smirk widened. "Let us end this charade."
More portals emerged around Berserker X, making him roll his eyes. Wonder what he's gonna shoot at me this time, a giant sword? A castle? But what sprang out of the golden circles was… chains.
A golden chain of apparently infinite length wound itself around the tall Servant at a speed greater than lightning, emerging from one portal and leading into another over and over again. Before he could react, the many segments grew taut and forced his arms and legs to the side. A surprised Berserker X's head was forced back from the links under his chin. He tugged against them but could barely move, let alone get free. "The hell is this thing?"
Gilgamesh watched his prey's struggling smugly while sauntering towards him. If there was any Noble Phantasm he could count on above all, it was the one named after his only friend. "Resistance is futile," he taunted, retrieving a special sword from "The King's Treasury." "This chain captured the Bull of Heaven itself and is designed to bind beings with divine essence." The King of Heroes barked a laugh at the sound of heavy rattling. "Though such a trait appearing inside a savage animal like you is among the highest of comedy."
Gram's tip was aimed at Berserker X's bare chest, the demonic blade humming with anticipation. Perhaps it sensed the familiar bloodlust inside its target. The Captain of the Soul Society's most feared Division began to glow yellow as his struggling continued. Archer closed his eyes, scoffing at the fiery aura burning inside Enkidu. "I told you, there is no-"
Jingle. His eyes snapped open to his chains' hold… ever-so-slightly loose. "Impossible!"
Berserker X tugged his arms again, his entire body alight with feral power. He smirked at the lesser resistance, then at the Servant in front of him. "What're you gawping at, King?" Another pull with all of his limbs, a little more leeway. "You think a savage animal would appreciate getting chained up?"
The greater the captive's Divinity, the stronger and more durable Enkidu became… but as a Shinigami turned Heroic Spirit, Kenpachi Zaraki carried this Skill at merely D-rank. And his Magical Energy was so great, he himself had trouble containing it at the best of times.
Cursing to himself as he discerned these two facts, Archer quickly grabbed Gram with both hands and made to shove it right through Berserker X's chest, but he was too slow.
Jingle. Once again, all of his sight lighted up yellow as Kenpachi slipped his right arm free of the now slack chains and struck Gram out of his grip. "I sure as hell don't!" "Dawn of Ruin" went spinning through the air, a slight whine coming from its steel. A lament at its lost chance to taste blood? Either way, the other blade ran right through Gilgamesh.
He just barely bit back an agonized howl as the worn edge grated along his ribs. Ever-reliable Enkidu managed to pull Berserker X back before his stab could finish the journey, allowing Archer to pull himself off the blade and stagger out of reach. Temporary reach, though, as Kenpachi succeeded in slipping completely free of his bonds and leaped high. Archer tensed, one hand over his wound, as that spiked shadow descended upon him-
Only to land a couple meters behind him. The dune was crushed flat by Berserker X's sandals before he turned his head to side-eye Archer. "Seriously?" He scoffed. "You get me all wrapped up in those pretty chains and still can't kill me? And by the way, I don't know a single guy who's got a lousier grip on his sword. One good smack and it went flying."
"You're… a fine one… to talk… about holding… a sword… properly," Archer shot back amidst his panting. He placed a sort of shimmering dust on his wound, breathed out and straightened. "One can swing a sword harder with both hands than with just one…" he growled. "I know that much about combat. Just as I know that throughout all of your battles in this War, mongrel, you have never placed both hands upon your sword's handle."
"So what?" The Eleventh Kenpachi shifted in his to face him completely. "I'm not a fan of all that formal crap, and I don't want to finish my fights too quickly."
That made the King of Heroes chuckle bitterly. "Yes… That's the great reason behind your ridiculous habit of burdening yourself with countless handicaps. You draw out your battles so much it beggars belief, and even now, knowing what power I have at my disposal, you ignore chances to strike me down." He tapped his chest. "I do not enjoy repeating myself, mad dog: There is no need to hold back against me."
Berserker X scoffed. "Look who's talking. You can't fight worth shit, and aside from that leash of yours, you've still been slinging stuff you couldn't care less about." An eager hunger danced in his eyes. "You've got one more trick hidden away in that toy chest, don't you?"
The King of Heroes glared back at him. Does he know of Ea? Or is it simply instinct? He couldn't tell which, another irritating little detail about this brute. But unleash something so great… against him? A ridiculous concept, especially when the Gate of Babylon provided plenty other ordinances- "If you want me to take you seriously," the brute's growling cut through his thoughts, "you might wanna do the same. Of course, I can always start chopping off body parts." Kenpachi's fingers danced against his sword's hilt. "One way or another, I'm getting the fight you promised me, pal."
…Oh?
A calm and very cruel smile emerged. "…Very well. Let us see, mongrel…" Archer lifted his left arm, palm up, and a small portal materialized above it. A small, oddly shaped dagger with a broad labyrinthian guard settled into his grip. Despite its blade, this object was no weapon to be used in the conventional manner, yet it was in its own way far deadlier. This was Bab-ilu, the key which unlocked the deepest areas of "The King's Treasure" where its absolute greatest secrets lay: the treasures the King of Heroes held dearest in his heart.
"…How your savage strength stands…" He twisted his wrist slightly, and the "Key of the King's Law" began to shift starting from its guard. A series of thin red lines spread up from the blade's rectangular tip and into the sky, a massive pattern of lines that branched out and intersected in multiple directions. Beads of light shimmered along its surface, then one particularly bright sphere began to travel from where the very top of the lines began. It sped down along its path before all of the lines' edges suddenly faded away. They swiftly retracted into Bab-ilu, and it in turn transformed into an orb hovering before Archer. It reminded Berserker X a little of a miniature sun. Is he gonna shoot that thing at me now…?
But what Gilgamesh had in mind was something far more destructive than simply hurling a condensed star about. "…In the face of true power," he finished as the orb traveled upwards to reveal a new weapon. "Behold, the mightiest sword you shall ever lay eyes upon."
His right hand now clutched a handle over which there was a conical guard, but the weapon could hardly be considered a "sword." Berserker X scoffed. All that big flash and pomp for some weird toy? It didn't even look like a sword but a big round pole with red markings all over. And the tip looked blunt as hell. What's he gonna do, try and bash me upside the head with that… thing?
He finally noticed something weird in that moment: a tingling in his fingers. The wildest fighter in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads raised his right hand with a frown and saw the fingers wrapped so tightly around his sword's handle it was starting to creak. And that wasn't the end of it. When he lifted his left to try and pry them loose, the fingers there were twitching like crazy, as if they wanted to grab… something?
Berserker X could feel his hairs slowly stiffening, even more than they were in their usual style. His throat had turned all dry now. His heartbeat had suddenly kicked it up a notch and was hammering like crazy in his chest. All of a sudden, the whole world seemed slower now, or maybe it was just that his senses had kicked themselves into overdrive.
"The hell…?" He'd never felt this way before, not even in life. No, wait… Not true. He looked back at the smug golden bastard and the weird weapon he'd conjured up, and his eyes saw in one moment her again. That moment in the rain where she had shrugged off him stabbing her and slashed at him. The first time something hadn't died immediately after his blade went into it. The first time something had challenged him, where his instincts had screamed at him to keep going, he needed to put all of his strength into this fight!
His first brush with death. That single, wonderful moment…
Gilgamesh frowned. His ultimate treasure had been unveiled, he has about to strike down two birds with one stone: destroy this blighted world and finish off this unruly dog… victory was his, as he had known from the beginning. Even Kenpachi seemed to be growing aware of this fact.
"Heh…"
So, why?
"Hehehaha…"
Why was that fool not cowering in the face of his might?
The Kenpachi from Zaraki threw his head back, blood gushing from his many injuries, and released a sound that would echo across every corner of Ionoi Hetairoi:
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The laughter rumbled inside Rider's ears even while he furiously steered the Gordius Wheel around for another charge, and despite the fury pounding inside his heart, a happy smile briefly crossed his face. At least one of us is having a good time, Kenpachi.
Archer could only stare in shocked outrage as the other Servant howled in seemingly endless laughter. Has the unveiling of Ea finally shattered the last of his sanity? His teeth ground against one another as he trembled in rising indignation. What is the matter with this blasted dog?! Does he not realize I hold something that can erase him from this plane of existence?! "Why are you STILL LAUGHING?!" The King all but screamed at the fool before him.
Then that head snapped forward, and Archer actually took half a step backward as his eyes locked with Berserker X's. They blazed with a singular emotion, not fear, not despair, not even anger… but excitement.
"This is amazing!" Kenpachi cackled out through his manic smile. "I don't know the hell that weird-ass sword of yours can do, but it's giving me goosebumps! Hahahahahaha!" He swayed about at his spot, that smile frozen on his bloody face. "How long…? How long has it been since I've felt this way?"
He gestured to his left arm as it rose shakily. "Look! When do you think's the last time I got so jittery just by looking at something?!" Then the hand drifted towards its counterpart, and the Heroic Spirit of Madness practically whooped in delight. "When do you think's the last time I wanted to swing my sword with all my strength?!" He threw his arms out and sighed up at the sky, happy as can be. "How can I not laugh when I'm having so much FUN?!"
Those words, mad and idiotic though they should have been, made something click inside Archer's mind: It wasn't that this interloping barbarian couldn't comprehend the magnitude of the weapon he held, the one that had once split Heaven and Earth apart. Kenpachi Zaraki didunderstand to a degree what lay before him…
And he was delighted by what he saw!? Men, gods and demons alike would have trembled in the face of Ea, but despite his own pitiful divine nature, this one… this savage, instinct-driven, blood-mad beast of a Heroic Spirit… He looked upon "The Sword of Rupture" and felt only the primal desire to test his might against it. Not even because he was certain he would win… but simply because this was his nature.
The Wedge of Heaven's heart began to beat faster. "Pfeh…" The flow of blood, adrenaline and mana inside his spiritual veins spontaneously increased in speed, and something bubbled inside his throat. "Pfeheh…" Then Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, covered his face with his free hand and burst into mad laughter, echoing his opponent. "PHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
His fit didn't last quite so long as Berserker X's, though, and he soon doubled over, his left hand bracing his aching stomach. "Truly…" Archer breathed through his own grin. "In all of my memories, I can think of no other being who has vexed me quite so deeply as you… Kenpachi." He spat out the name, his grin widening as he straightened. "So, you think standing against a weapon that contributed to the very creation of the world you were summoned to is… 'fun,' do you?" He hissed the word. "Well, let's see just how much 'fun' you will have in the face of its wrath."
Those three segments Ea's "blade" was comprised of began to turn, the upper and top ones counterclockwise, the middle clockwise. "Let me teach you the feeling of utter despair."
Berserker X continued to smile even as he sensed something. A stillness in the atmosphere, like the calm before a storm. "You know, you're doing a really bad job of ruining my good mood… Gilgamesh."
He raised his right hand to the front of his chest while it still held his nodachi, then his left hand grabbed its handle as well. He cackled one final time, then proposed, "One last round."
"To the victor go the spoils," Gilgamesh agreed before raising his sword aloft. "It is time to awaken, Ea! A beast has risen to foolishly challenge you! Teach him your glory!"
As Berserker X lifted both hands gripping his nodachi tightly over his head, and Archer pointed Ea straight at him as its three segments began to spin, each Servant, one native, one foreign, had the exact same expression on his face: eyes opened as wide as they can be and screaming promises of violence, mouth stretched into a broad rictus of unbridled joy.
Yellow power erupted around the Eleventh Kenpachi's form, first shooting to the sky before gathering at its source again, consolidating into the form of a colossal howling skull.
"The Sword of Rupture's" segments continued to revolve with increasing speeds, crimson energy swirling about with each revolution into a all-powerful vortex centered at its very tip.
Inside the skull, two arms swung a single sword down, and it surged forward, fangs bared…
The revolutions reached their apex, and space and time itself began to warp into the vortex…
Two grinning mouths opened.
But whereas one released a wordless roar of exhilaration, the other shouted two significant words:
"ENUMA ELISH!"
An almighty shockwave erupted seemingly out of nowhere inside the Reality Marble, rippling through the ground and air to every single corner. It rapidly reached where the two Riders waged their war, knocking warriors both tainted and not off their feet and shattering even the largest crystals of Dark Energon.
The moment had finally come where the Marble reached its limit. The ground splintered apart into massive chasms where countless soldiers began tumbling in, sand pouring down like waterfalls and mixing with their screams. The Darkened ones fell the quickest, unable to recognize the danger in their stunted states, but the living followed eventually, try as they did to escape on their own legs or riding their horses. Bucephalus alone, the horse legendary for carrying Alexander the Great through his many battles, managed to evade the cracks and keep his rider safe.
Waver could only stare up in shock as gaping holes appeared in the sky itself. Bright blue and tainted purple alike began to give way to the black of night of the real world, stars glittering about. "H-how… all of a sudden…?" A chill swept through Waver that interrupted his stunned thoughts, but he knew somehow it had nothing to do with the Reality Marble's collapse. He'd felt this kind of coldness in his Magic Circuits before, only once.
"Berserker X…" He turned in mounting horror to the spot where those massive mana surges had been wafting about, but the complete devastation of the Reality Marble hindered any chance of sensing specific presences. Still, he just knew these two things were connected. Oh Kenpachi, you Idiot… Tell me you didn't goad Archer into using an Anti-World Noble Phantasm… The boy himself wasn't sure if he was scolding his King's comrade or praying.
High above him, both Riders were having their own problems with this catastrophe. Their flights had become erratic and out of their control due to the atmosphere itself breaking apart, and they tumbled through the holes in the sky out into the true world. As the more experienced flier, Megatron found his bearings first and rounded on his opponent, blasters blazing.
The Gordius Wheel was torn to shreds from the strafing and its prior mileage, forcing Rider to jump from the chariot. He fell for a brief while before landing hard onto Fuyuki Bridge with a grunt; even for a Servant, the impact hurt. Still, he pulled himself to his feet and glared about, sword at the ready. Rider X soared straight towards him, transforming in midflight to slash at him. The two blades' collision released a keening wail across the bridge, but the Cybertronian's momentum sent his opponent hurtling backwards.
Rider flipped to his feet with astonishing agility for his size, loosening the strap of his cloak. When Rider X closed the distance again in four broad strides, he threw out the large cloth to tangle up the arm blade and bashed his spatha's guard against that metallic face. However, Megatron was still empowering himself with Dark Energon, so he only laughed the strike off. "No army, no chariot, no dream," he taunted while striking back. "Now you're but a naked King, Iskandar."
His fusion cannon flared with energy before it blasted the cloak off, and he slashed again. Iskandar ducked under the attack and thrust his own sword, but the blade was easily caught. "There's only one thing left to your name," Rider X retracted his blade and materialized a small crystal in his open hand, "and I shall relish stripping it from you." And so he plunged the crystal into Rider's shoulder.
A howl of pain escaped the King of Conquerors as the malevolent energy seeped into his body. His veins began to glow that twisted purple, his breathing became ragged, he shut his eyes in the agony. His would-be usurper watched the process in sadistic glee, letting Rider's sword arm fall limply to the side… only for it to suddenly surge up and slash his chest armor.
Rider X stumbled briefly, shocked at this, then Iskandar opened his eyes again to reveal they were the same lively red as ever. He fell to one knee but his nostrils flared like those of his bulls, the Darkening symptoms briefly disappearing again. Megatron regained his bearings with an impressed laugh, one hand over his bisected Decepticon symbol. "Impressive, Iskandar. Few have resisted the effects of Dark Energon. But you only delay the inevitable."
"Perhaps…" Rider growled, sensing the war within him over every single cell of his body. "But at least I make the effort to resist its temptations," he retorted defiantly before trying to rise. "That is more than you ever could." After seeing the destruction this power wrought and experiencing it himself, he could safely say it was something he had no interest in seizing.
Rider X's smirk twitched as he loomed over his nemesis. "Why would I ever resist something that was rightfully mine… former King of Conquerors?" He telepathically spurred the effects on: impressive willpower or not, Iskandar couldn't escape his fate-
An odd sound rattled his thoughts, and a dual blow rattled the back of his head.
The effects suddenly slowing, Rider looked over his enemy and smiled at what he saw. "Bucephalus!" His faithful steed whinnied back and continued to hammer Rider X from behind with his hooves.
Further away, Waver Velvet stood where he had slipped off of the horse and urged him to aid their King, tentatively wringing his hands. I have to do something, he thought in desperation, but what? He glared helplessly at the backs of his hands. I used up all of the Seals, stupid! B-but Rider can't die here… Not by his hands… He glanced about in the hopes of finding a way, maybe his other Servant(s), when a high-pitched whine made him look back at the fight.
Bucephalus had tried to kick Rider X with his hind legs, but the larger familiar seized him by the throat and lifted him with both hands upward. An attempt from Rider to intervene, but Dark Energon flared up inside him again at its master's reinstated command. Then with a furious growl, he tore the large horse in half. Blood and entrails splattered across the bridge before fading away, Waver nearly losing his dinner at the gruesome sight.
"You!" Rider angrily tried to get up and make Megatron pay, but he was paralyzed.
The other Rider meanwhile slowly walked closer to the petrified ex-Master, his violet eyes blazing. "You should have known better than to interfere, insect." He took aim with his fusion cannon.
"No!" His King called out, but it was too late.
The plasma struck Waver before he could think let alone dodge. He cried out from the heat and was flung backwards, his body tumbling across the asphalt. That one blast, empowered by Dark Energon as it was, should have meant the end for him…
His body came to a rolling stop hard… but intact. Rider X, who had been about to turn back to his foe, saw this and released an angered yet confused, "What?!"
Iskandar, too, watched with eyes wide as dinner plates at his Master slowly pushing himself with a groan off his back. He then saw for a second time a sheen around the boy's body, but now he realized what it was.
Waver Velvet, too, finally noticed it through his pain: a strange energy field of a grayish green flickering briefly over his chest before it dispersed into tiny particles. Wh-what was that? He didn't know anything about shielding magecraft, and no ordinary spell could've protected him from Rider X's attack. It hadn't felt like magecraft, either, but there was something familiar-
New tears emerged as he recalled where he'd seen such an ability. It wasn't one of this world, but another: "Aura…" he whispered, staring at his left palm. A memory of last night surged forward, that of a Servant dying in front of him but rubbing his head… mumbling something. "S-Saber X…"
"Well, well…" He stilled at the rasp. "It seems you, too, received a gift from your foreign Servant." Rider X was still glaring at him, and he hadn't lowered his arm yet. "But a miracle only happens once, boy."
The cannon's muzzle glowed again, and Isakandar redoubled his efforts to fight off the corruption inside him. "No more…" he snarled, forcing himself to his feet and lifting clumsily his sword. "I won't let you…" Megatron had already twisted too of his ideals and beliefs. He took a step towards his enemy's back and stopped upon registering a familiar presence.
Jingle.
The Clang! of a blade striking Rider X's cannon echoed across the bridge. It shot went wide, streaking harmlessly away from Fuyuki Bridge. Waver's spirit soared as he saw a familiar white and black fluttering in front of him, the lean build of Rider's partner… Then it fell again upon registering the interloper's state.
Simply put, Berserker X was practically a walking corpse. A massive hole gaped open where his upper body should've been, only some measure of his right side remaining. Waver and Rider could stare clean through him. His left arm was gone, and both of his legs were splattered with his blood. The once long blade of his sword had been reduced to barely the length of its hilt, still tightly clutched in Kenpachi's remaining hand. By all accounts, the upper half should've collapsed onto the lower, the Servant shouldn't even have been standing. It was only through sheer strength and willpower this was possible, and even then, anyone could tell with a glance that Berserker X would die soon.
"Yeah…" He rasped out, blood dripping down his chin. "Bit off… maybe a… little more than… I could… chew." He turned slightly to flash his friend an exhausted version of his usual smirk. "Fraid it's… end of the road… for me… Kandy."
Rider winced as he smiled back, his vision slowly turning violet. "I wish I could say the same, Kenpachi…" He grunted from the erosion, "but fate has other plans for me, it seems."
"I think not," a voice not belonging to either X Servant interjected.
Iskandar barely had a chance to realize who was standing in front of him before something burrowed its way through his chest. He slowly took his gaze away from the rent golden armor and down towards the thing that had pierced him: an odd cylindrical thing with sections that were slowly whirring to a halt. Inside of him.
Rider X whirled about from where he'd been staring at the mangled savage (and considering corrupting his corpse) and felt a new fury washing over him. There stood Archer, his once fabulous golden armor a cracked mess, holding something that was running through Rider. He stretched out with his senses, but somehow, the Dark Energon inside of his enemy had been… erased. He couldn't corrupt Iskandar or control his corpse, and with it went the final proof of his victory. He hissed out two tiny words in absolute fury. "You dare…"
"You steal my battle…" Archer's right eye leered at the irate behemoth. "I steal your kill."
Rider barely registered these words, his head clear again from the tainted touch. He could also hear that bountiful sound, the crashing waves of Oceanus. How sweet it was, and what a shame to hear it upon his defeat. "But you can keep that pitiful excuse for a royal title, Rider." Archer's voice came to him again. "The King who stands above all has no need to be renowned as 'King of Conquerors'."
That drew a smile to his lips. "How char… charitable," he grunted out. "I would go… and toast my thanks… but you'd… have to… bring the wine… again."
An old reflex surfaced inside the sole human there to snap at the big lug. How could he joke about in this state?! Then as despair began to settle in again, Berserker X opened his mouth, too. "Sounds good… could use a drink… myself… Whadaya… say, Goldy?" An exasperated yet broken laugh escaped Waver. These two Idiots… All we need is Saber X for the punchline.
"What a truly despicable beast you are…" Only then did Waver notice blood dripping from Archer's head. He slowly turned his head upwards and gasped at the sight.
A long, vertical gash lay on the King of Heroes' forehead, just a bit right from the center, preventing most of the blood flowing out of it from running into his left eye. The entire left side of his gloriously blonde hair was beginning to dye crimson. Needless to say, he saw red, and not just literally. "To inflict such an ugly mark upon my brow and somehow retain part of your form after receiving Ea's grace, then expect wine…" He spat contemptuously. "You do not even have the decency to fall to your knees despite teetering on the precipice of death."
Kenpachi staggered slightly as though to comply with his expectations, but then he stomped his foot against the concrete and pushed himself upright with a bloody smirk. "Man… Who Cannot… Fall, right? Gotta do… my name… proud."
Archer's grip tightened around Ea's handle at the practically casual defiance in the brute's words, and his fury only grew when Rider gurgled out a laugh behind him. Even more blood splashed out from his injuries, the one upon his head all the more so, and this world's oldest King would have screamed his rage out to the heavens, for it reminded him of an utterly loathsome truth he had glimpsed in their final clash:
"The Sword of Rupture's" power had indeed eclipsed this mad dog's blade even with both hands spurring it on… but the latter had reached its target first. And if it had been so much as a single step faster… Berserker X would have split Archer's skull in half.
The mutt's demise was still assured, of course, but to have felt the shadow of defeat, of death, hovering over him even for only an instant… Never before had a fire burned so furiously inside the King of Heroes since his coming to this era. "For these travesties, I should restore and kill you a thousand times over… Kenpachi Zaraki."
And yet despite the venom in his words, the vicious smile stretched across his face was nearly equal to the one Berserker X wore.
"Yeah… got me good… with that thing… Boring as… fuck, though…"
"…What did you say?" Gilgamesh felt a nerve inside his brain snap at that word. "You have the privilege to be felled by Ea… the greatest treasure in my collection… the mightiest weapon this world will ever know… and you dismiss it as… 'boring?'"
Drops of blood flew from the cackle Kenpachi made. "Well… yeah. C'mon, one shot… from that thing… and you win… just like… that. Where's… the fun, the… challenge?" He laughed again. "You really… don't know… a thing about… fighting. A one-trick… pony of a… King." Iskandar joined in the chuckles while Archer's X smile grew more threatening.
Rider X stormed closer to the doomed Servant. "As much as I delight in watching you deflate the King of Heroes, he is correct that you should be dead by now." His arm blade slid out to the side, ready to decapitate the first opponent Megatron had battled in this Grail War. "Perhaps I can help send you on your way."
"Too late… for that…" Particles of mana began to drift off of Berserker X's body. "Time's up…" He glanced down at his broken sword before releasing what could've been a regretful sigh. Guess I still ain't gonna learn your name, huh… Oh, well.
Then a final boisterous laugh rumbled from Rider, somehow not choking off. Red was drifting into his vision, his limbs felt so heavy. Breathing was growing more difficult. "A pity for… you as well… Megatron. Even… after all… you've done… Archer claims… the kills… you sought… and you stand… with… nothing."
Archer relished in the silent indignation oozing off that massive steel form. How true, upstart. No matter what sort of plans you concoct or how much power you amass, you shall remain my inferior. His own temper cooled again; he had, after all, won in the end. Kenpachi would soon be dead, he'd denied the upstart true victory, and… one last thing to settle. He faced the one still hanging off of Ea'sblade. "Have you finally been roused from your dream, King of Conquerors?"
Iskandar hummed at the question. "…I suppose I have." Yet he could still hear those waves crashing. The sun glimmering over the bountiful ocean, beckoning for him… Yes. His dream remained untarnished despite Megatron's best efforts. He would die here… but he didn't regret pursuing Oceanus for a second time. And he probably couldn't resist a third, either. "It's been… an ex…exhilarating… campaign… in every… way…" He looked over Archer's shoulder. "Have I… kept my promise… Kenpachi?"
Berserker X's smile was big as ever, even though he was nearly gone. "Hell yeah… Got no regrets… joining up… with you… Iskandar."
Gilgamesh's head turned one way, then the next, quietly accessing their expressions, searching for any lies in their words or satisfaction… and finding none whatsoever. He drew in a long breath, then released it as his mouth shifted into a straight line. An infuriatingly amusing lot to the bitter end. His gaze first alighted on Kenpachi Zaraki. "Man Who Cannot Fall…" Then it moved to Iskandar. "King of Conquerors…" Finally, it fixated on the hand holding Ea. "Come challenge me as many times as you see fit."
Archer withdrew his treasure, and blood splashed out of the hole inside Rider and onto the asphalt. "This world shall ever be my garden until the end of time. I thereby assure both of you violent fools… you shall never find it monotonous."
Both dying Servants let out delighted "oh's" at the promise. The King of Conquerors even added out loud, "Happy… to hear… that," As he closed his eyes for what he knew was the final time, his thoughts turned to the comrades he'd made. Qrow… Kenpachi… Let us meet again… in this world… Remnant… the Soul Society… the Throne of Heroes… or elsewhere. Share with me and my army a drink… as we wait… for his arrival. The roar of Oceanus filled his ears. Ah… It's been inside me… all this time…
Thus, the time of Servants Rider and Berserker X came to an end in the Fourth Holy Grail War.
Waver Velvet witnessed all of this from where he had risen and stood now. He'd managed to stop his crying, but his body felt like the whole world was crushing down on it. The events inside the Reality Marble and on this bridge were burned inside his soul as the greatest thing he had ever seen… and a testament to his own shortcomings. I failed again, was his conclusion to these events. I tried to do for them what I couldn't do for Saber X… and they're still gone. I'm the worst Master any of these three could've been burdened with.
He mentally slapped himself. No time for that kind of thinking, pipsqueak, he could hear a voice inside his mind. Don't go making their deaths any worse than they already are. Besides, the night's not over yet. One look up told the young fool exactly what his subconscious(?) meant.
Rider X was stalking across Fuyuki Bridge, the violet glow finally fading from his eyes and damaged symbol again. With his final victory over Iskandar denied, he would have to settle for the insect who'd summoned him as a consolation prize. He assuredly wouldn't need Dark Energon for rending that tiny body into pieces, and that pleasure, he'd be sure to stretch out through the night.
Waver's legs were anchored to the spot. He'd just gotten a first-hand look at what this "Heroic" Spirit was capable of, and he could tell that he couldn't count on his Aura, newly discovered as it was, returning to protect him. But the former Master refused to close his eyes or show the slightest sign of his inner fear. It was the least he could do in memory of his King and his other Servants.
Megatron chuckled at the expression. Crushing a young fool's bravado always carries the sweetest taste… But his smile became a frown as someone stepped between them.
Waver, too, stared at Archer's sudden movement. A golden ring emerged at the King of Heroes' feet, then it swiftly traveled up along his body before stopping as a sort of halo over his head. When the shine faded, the King of Heroes stood in a fully intact suit of armor, not a speck of blood on his immaculate appearance. All of the damage had been completely erased.
No wait, a wary Waver amended his observation as he focused his sight. The wound on Archer's forehead, the final one inflicted by Berserker X, had become a slender scar from his hairline of restored blond to his left brow.
Archer's expression gave no indication he was aware of this detail. He simply stared at the human standing in front of him. "Child," he finally said, "are you the Master of Rider and Berserker X?" His tone carried an emotionless quality that was still somehow awe-inspiring.
Waver hadn't thought he'd be able to get a single word out, the fear gripped him so tightly. But the question made something inside him rise. "N-no," was his whispered answer. "I am the student of Saber X and Berserker X. And Rider's vassal."
The words drew a hum from Gilgamesh as he assessed the fist trembling by the little body's side. "I see. Then as a loyal pupil, is it not your duty to avenge the deaths of your superiors?"
"…If I fight either of you, I will die." Despite the cold truth of these words, Waver voiced them calmly.
"Certainly." Archer shifted slightly in his stance so the upstart could clearly see what his right hand was still holding.
Megatron halted his actions upon seeing the odd drill-like weapon. Despite having never seen it before, he recognized it from Tokiomi's boastings. "The Sword of Rupture" itself… The Reality Marble's destruction had spared Rider X the need to draw his own ultimate weapon. He could draw it now…
"Then I can't." He paused in his tactics to look alongside Archer at the frail fleshy being before them. Those green eyes were shining full of fear as they returned the Servants' gazes. "I've been ordered to live." Full of weakness…
And yet, full of courage. A courage the leader of the Decepticons had seen many times.
Gilgamesh, King of Heroes, judged the eyes staring unblinking into his and decided to turn away. "Your loyalty is splendid. Do not taint it." Such was his decree, and as his gaze narrowed up towards the metallic face before him, a clear warning. If you seek his head, I shall take yours.
Megatron's jaw clenched at the unspoken threat- no, a promise. This was perhaps his final chance to strip Iskandar of his crown by corrupting his one remaining vassal in this world… But he relented. A dull ache was spreading across his limbs. It seems even the Reactor's connection cannot fully negate fatigue, he noted idly. And it was doubtful Archer had exhausted his treasury while trading blows with Berserker X.
Very well. The night had been exciting enough, and the boy posed no threat to him anyway now that he'd lost his guardians. One insect scurrying away from his heel was trivial in comparison to him defeating the King of Conquerors.
Besides, he'd learned some very interesting things about his final opponent. He focused on that single scar still adorning Archer's head before finally turning away. "Your time is coming," he made his own promise over his shoulder. "King of Heroes carries as lovely a ring as King of Conquerors."
Half of a smirk drifted across Archer's mouth as he watched Rider transform. "Do try to make it exciting, upstart."
Thus, one Servant blasted off towards the night sky while the other simply dematerialized. And Waver Velvet finally felt the strength in his legs give out. His knees hit the pavement, but he felt no pain. A pity, he figured as he braced himself with his hands. It might've distracted him from the agony inside him.
He had survived. Not by any skill of his own, but simply because neither had deemed him worth the effort. But he now had nothing left. No Command Seals, no Servants, just a last gift he knew almost nothing about… and a vow he'd made to his King.
As he kneeled on that bridge, hands over his moist eyes, the young man uttered a single phrase inside his mind over and over again: I want to get stronger.