In another part of the forest.
"You had perfect timing to interfere, Rider. Have you been spying everything from afar?" Archer asked with a curious yet mocking tone.
Right now Gilgamesh was standing before Iskandar and his little master. The King of Heroes failed to find Berserker and only found the ruins of his Vimana. An unfortunate loss, but Archer would make that black knight pay for it. Now, however, he was more interested in talking with his would-be interloper Rider.
"Yup! Saw everything from the sky. You, Berserker, Lancer and Saber fighting. Oh! And even Avenger charging towards the beast. I thought about lending that feisty lady a hand, but she'd have tried to kill me as well. No sense in interrupting if I'm not needed, eh?" Rider laughed heartily while his master cowered behind him. In the presence of Archer, he knew enough not to make a sound.
'Smart child.' Gilgamesh sneered. "So what are you planning to do now?"
"Well, we can always fight each other, Archer," Iskandar smiled while his master froze in terror." Since everyone is busy having a go tonight, we might as well have some fun too. And it's not like you're over the crazy one touching your things without permission, are you not, King of Heroes?"
The challenger made to smirk, earning Archer's seething own.
"R-Rider?!"
While Waver was having a breakdown, Archer considered the offer. This night was boring enough already. While he saw some enjoyment in passing, it was not as entertaining as he'd hoped for. Though he wouldn't deny seeing Tokiomi do something for a change was amusing in its own right, the blabbering oaf was correct.
He still wasn't satisfied as he hadn't tormented Berserker enough for ruining his night. Perhaps obliterating Rider would indeed improve his mood.
However, before either of them could say anything, both servants felt how a strong aura covered the entire forest. Both looked in the direction of the monster but found only an inferno that was quickly spreading.
'Hm? Wait, this fire—!' Gilgamesh felt something about the blaze. Something… uncomfortable…
He didn't like this. There was discomfort in having his patience tested, and then there was annoyance that a dog would piss on his belongings. But the flames… they were thousand times more vexing.
Without a word to the King of Conquerors, he dissipated into spirit form and left the Servant with his master.
"Wait, what?! Where did he go?!" Waver yelled as he looked around. But, to his surprise, his Servant chuckled as he looked at the fire.
"How interesting. Turns out there is something that could make even the King of Heroes afraid." Iskandar said as he stared at the fire, having a good guess who caused it. "Boy, it's time for us to leave as well!"
"What? But we only hit Berserker! I thought you wanted to fight others tonight."
"Yeah, I wanted to. But I feel like the others aren't interested in fighting us anymore. Besides, I can feel that Lancer died a moment ago. Berserker most likely had run away along with his master. Archer probably too. And Saber... Hmph. I don't really want to fight the girl tonight. Still feeling a little salty after our last exchange. Come, Master! I'm sure the dinner your 'grandparents' prepared is still fresh, I'm famished!"
"Don't Servants not feel hunger at all?!" Waver rolled his eyes as the bulky man snapped the bulls' reins. Rider's chariot started to move and was soon flying off back to the city. From the distance, Waver curiously eyed the blaze taking over Einzbern's forest before looking away. "Ah, whatever… At least Lancer is dead."
"...Mm. Yet I suspect that Lancer isn't the only servant to leave this war tonight."
***
Moments before the monster disappeared.
Nobunaga continued to shoot and cut any tentacle that the monster sent her. At this point, she knew what to expect from Caster's little pet. Like his master, this thing wasn't as mysterious as its origins and its attacks weren't very creative either. Simple strikes and whiplashes. There was even the occasional ambush or attempt to trap her.
The main issues were the giant tentacles. Their mass and size proved to be dangerous enough for Avenger to avoid their attacks. Her arquebuses rifles could deal with smaller ones. But blasting through a mass wall of pure regenerating flesh was another issue.
Nobunaga cut down another group of tentacles as she made her way towards the main body. The closer she was, the more tentacles would appear. She could sense it. Caster was afraid and rightfully so. She wouldn't leave anything once she was done with him. However, her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the voice of her master.
"Nobunaga, our position was compromised. We're following an escape plan." Lelouch's voice sounded calm yet cold. She nodded.
"Understood, I will head to you once Caster is dead."
"Hurry. We can't waste any more time. Use your noble phantasm if need be. Call me if you need me to reinforce you with a command seal."
Avenger chuckled at his words. "No need to waste command seals on Caster. I will handle it on my own. Trust me on that, Lelouch."
"... Very well. I shall await your victory, Nobunaga," Lelouch said before falling silent once more.
Nobunaga smiled with excitement.
"And I won't disappoint you, Lelouch."
It was time to end this fight. With her master's current situation, as well as the expectations the boy placed on her shoulders, Nobunaga sallied forth.
The tentacles tried to stop her but Avenger wouldn't let them. Evasion, cutting them down, tearing through it all, she continued. She needed to be closer to the head of this thing is she wished for it to end.
As Nobunaga approached closer, the monster became more agitated. Sensing her increasing and excited bloodlust, its attack started trying to be more unpredictable. But that was pointless. Even the Cthulhu-esque monstrosity was getting into a panic as its creator and host realized he was about to lose.
She didn't bother worrying about herself. She was close. Stabbing its flesh with her katana, a murderous crimson aura consumed her body, appearing to immolate her form. With a furious voice, Nobunaga cried out:
"『The Hajun Reborn・Demon King of the Three Thousand Great Thousand Heavens』!" The earth seemed to cry out as her noble phantasm took shape and form. "Return all of me to ashes. Fufufufu, Hahahahahahahaha!"
The world around her vanished. No longer was it the Einzbern forest situated next to Fuyuki City. Now, she and this monster found themselves in another plane, an alternate dimension.
Everything around them was in flames. The ground was burnt red. The sky a bloody black crimson. This reality was different from what humans knew as hell as everything and everyone in it was burning not in the flames of the divine, but the seething hatred of Oda Nobunaga herself.
The warlord stood in the midst of the same temple where she'd been betrayed and killed. The one where she'd been burned alive. Now, this place was her Reality Marble, her own battlefield where she would burn anyone and mete out her vengeance as she saw fit.
However, the temple wasn't the only thing in this Reality Marble. And soon, it appeared.
The ground started to shake as something massive erupted from the earth. A giant human skeleton with six arms. Its empty eyeholes glared at the abomination of Caster before it. It had no connection to Buddha or any of the Gods of this world but Nobunaga didn't care. It would burn like all the others.
The giant skeleton rushed at its prey, all six arms started to tear limb from limb. Caster's monster tried to fight back but its entire body was burning with fire that would never stop until there was nought but ashes left.
Its regeneration, though impressive on the mortal plane, wasn't fast enough to heal in her mind's world. The constant blaze wouldn't abate. Nobunaga stood atop her demonic personification as it tore apart Caster's pet. The Demon King let out a chuckle that turned into laughter and ended up as a maddened howl for more.
"Kill, murder, massacre! I am the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven, Oda Nobunaga!"
As she laughed, her reality marble continued to burn the victim inside it. With each strike, each inferno, she got ever closer to the Servant hiding inside the monster.
***
Gilles de Rais started to feel a little hot inside this thing.
Trapped as he was within the creature he summoned, Caster could see the outside world. And it didn't look pretty. The red fire was a familiar sight. They were similar to those that burned his Jeanne at the stake. They were akin to the devil's blaze that neither God nor man saved his beloved maiden from.
Now, that same pyre surrounded him. Gilles felt an emotion he hadn't experienced since that accursed day when they burned her on the stake.
Fear.
He was afraid. Not for his own life, but for the coming failure of his ever seeing Jeanne again. She was out there fighting, killing the other Servants. Gilles was happy when she called for him, to finally recognize him and call on his faithful aide… just like the old times.
Still, he wasn't as much a fool as she thought him to be. He sensed regret within her. His Jeanne was still unsure and it meant she wasn't completely free from God's lies. He wanted to kill her enemies… to free her from this delusion. His senses became numb and Gilles no longer could see or feel what was happening outside. However, deep down he knew that it would end soon. His new and dear friend, Ryuunosuke was safe. His master was away, far away from the conflict, the hell that engulfed this forest, but Caster knew he wouldn't see him again.
Soon the white light entered the inner chamber where he was hiding. For a moment. Gilles forgot about his worries and started to move towards the light. It was so pure, he felt like his Jeanne any moment and saved him from this nightmare. He saw an armored hand that appeared from this light. Gilles smiled, as tears of happiness started to fall from his face.
This was her light! His salvation!
"Jea—!"
However, his joy was short-lived as an armor-clad hand grabbed him. Gilles froze as he immediately felt pain. This wasn't his Jeanne!
She soon started to enter his little room. All the while, Caster trembled with anger, with hate, with fear. This fire was no different from the one that took away his Holy Maiden. And he soon saw the face of the person who grabbed him.
Instead of the innocent smile of a blonde little girl from the countryside of France, he saw the devilish smirk of a redheaded devil. A demon who brought carnage anywhere she went.
'NO! NO! NO!'
"Heheh, found you~~~!"
The Demon smiled sweetly as her flames started to engulf him. Gilles wanted to scream but he couldn't utter a word. His organs started to melt. His skin bubbled and blistered. His face filled with suffering and anguish, teared and steamed all at once as he glared defiantly at that which obstinately stood in his way.
He'd failed her. He'd failed his Jeanne. Again.
In his last moments, Caster, the Marshall of France, Gilles de Rais experienced the hell he wished upon God himself. Sadly, God wasn't here for it was her domain.
He cursed his faith as well as the Demon's laughter which plagued his ears till the very end.