Nobunaga blinked when the Lookalike Rider before her stopped dead in her tracks. It was as if she was now a living statue. One who couldn't move no matter how hard she tried. Her glistening muscles tensed in place, but it was her monochromatic eyes trembling as they were enveloped by a red glow that had Nobu narrowing her gaze.
'Wait!' Nobu recognized this power. 'Why—?!'
"Why are you hesitating, my love?" Her darling's playful voice had the redheaded woman doing a one-eighty to catch the peeping eyehole seal itself at his approach. The masked figure of Zero was nonchalantly walking towards her with nary a care as to his stealing her prey. "Come now. Is this the whole might of my beloved Demon King?"
"Lulu…?" Avenger's eyes bulged in surprise. Not for the fact that he was challenging her, that was par for the course in their everyday life. But it was the fact that he didn't call ahead that they would be regrouping. "What're you doing here, darling? Were you not supposed to be encircling the castle?"
"I came by as soon as I heard the fighting start. Thought that the Pawns themselves would fulfil the task without my input. I was worried though that you'd be in trouble." His mask failed to hide his concern. But the teasing was quick to come again. "Didn't expect a day when I would have to bail you out during direct combat, however. And here I thought I'd be the damsel in distress come the next Servant battle!"
"F-fool! I could've handled her well enough on my own!" she felt her cheeks flush. Even the mightiest of Demons might make mistakes sometimes. "She just barely caught me off-guard. Under normal circumstances, she'd be beheaded the first second she tried something!"
Nobu waved it away whilst Lelouch indulged in a hearty chuckle. Still, she couldn't help but feel a weird sensation. Lelouch would have tried to contact her first before arriving at the battle. Not to mention, he'd come alone, without a single escort. Not that he needed one when he was able to predict any enemy's moves beforehand.
And… her fellow Demon often preferred to not use his power in the heat of battle like this. More so when something could go wrong and others find out about it. And besides, it was her fault, to begin with in getting distracted by the Rider Servant's resembling the fallen king.
Nobu pouted cutely, 'Meh, who am I to judge? Maybe Lulu felt I was in danger and decided to save his beloved Demon King. How cute… but also gallant of him.' Despite his many portrayals of himself as a heinous villain that targeted villains, a rebel leader that fought evil with evil in his past, he was quite the romantic gentleman at times. 'Still… why do I feel… on edge?'
It was strange, but Nobu thought nothing of it. Looking about, they were of course still in the midst of the Einzbern castle, home to a wretched magi clan. Now it was just ruined, but her animosity for the vile humans remained strong. Just the thought of breathing in the same air they did still caused her to seethe. They didn't deserve mercy, nor would they get any from her. Clasping her fist tightly, she recomposed herself and ignored it to return her gaze to their new puppet.
The Iskandar-cosplayer had quietly remained still this entire time. Despite being a Servant, her magical resistance must've been very weak if even Lelouch's Geass was this effective. Disregarding her stance as Nobunaga's foe though, she really did look like him. Perhaps she was some sort of family… Maybe a close aide or body double. In any case, it didn't really matter. She was summoned on the wrong side. And right now, Nobu was on the course of eradicating said side completely.
"Sorry, but… Nothing personal." Avenger raised her katana, aiming for the neck. While frozen in place, a person under the effect of Geass would still be somewhat aware of their surroundings. Not comprehensibly nor would she be able to remember anything, but she was very much conscious. A hint of fear overtook the beautiful Macedonian charioteer's face. Good, Nobu thought. "Since you're a Servant, the chances are slim. But, if we meet again, I hope you can give me a better fight."
Nobu felt her smirk widen ever so slightly.
"Or at least, a better fight than that dumbass giant of a man—GUH!" Just as she was about to swing, she felt a sharp pain pierce and twist inside her abdomen. Looking down, a large sword wound opened in her unguarded belly. But there should've been nothing to have sliced her open. No, she felt the steel. "What the—?!"
"I told you… You're mine!"
The statuette Rider's voice echoed in her head, but the woman was still frozen—"Kuh! How—?!"
"Disrespecting my lord yet again…" No, she wasn't frozen. She was smiling! Smiling like a madman that managed to gut her despite not having moved an inch. And said face morphed into one of anger. "A pain-filled death shall pay the price you pay!"
Instinctively, Avenger pulled back. She didn't see anything, but she felt something cut her chin. Rubbing it, there was nothing. But all her battle instincts honed by the warring states period told her she'd been marred. Staring back at the smiling statue woman, Rider's Amber eye shone brightly, cluing Avenger to the cause.
'This bitch! Hypnotic magecraft?!' The power was reminiscent to Lelouch's. Not precisely the same, but close enough that she'd been none the wiser. Glancing back, she confirmed it when her darling was still there, present and standing, but not doing anything about her dilemma. 'I've been had! And she dared use his image against me! Unforgivable!'
Teeth grit and mind racing, Avenger's wariness went on high alert. She couldn't retaliate with her full power whilst being unaware of her true surroundings. She breathed in, calming herself. Nobu didn't know the full extent of this ability. She could brute force through it, but only once. As for being stabbed… well, she could walk it off.
Her instincts kicked in again, feeling a blade near her sides. This time, she didn't move. She tried her damnedest not to react when the spatha sank deep into her ribcage. That was when she struck, throwing a claw to clamp down around where a hilt should've been. The change in the illusion woman's expression from mad to shock was all the confirmation she needed. Hence, she let her anger seep out.
Her hair began to burn.
"Ngh! What is this—"
"Neat trick, but you should've gone for my head immediately!"
Nobunaga threw a kick so strong, that it shattered the ground, as well as the illusion. Parameter-wise Nobu had more strength. Hence, when the magic dissipated and she was well aware of the reality around her, she stood strong despite the many cuts and open wounds she sported. The illusion-eyed bitch on the other hand, she sat in a crater the size of a hill, bearing only a single and bloody heel-shaped bruise on her muscled abdomen.
"What—?! How—?!" she coughed blood as her glowing Amber eye reverted back to blue. "How… did you break through…?! Why… are you… still alive?!"
"Eh… Power of true love?" It was a throwaway line. Disregarding that though, then the fact that Nobu was still receiving mana from Lelouch whose immortality pretty much meant she had access to a bottomless well of energy could very much be the reason, limits on how much she could expend at a time notwithstanding. Regardless, the dead didn't need to know that. Looking down on the bitch, the Daimyo smiled ferally. "Gotta say, it caught me off guard. But then again, Mystic Eyes can only get you so far."
"So… you noticed?" Rider tried to right herself, but either Nobu hit her too hard or her stats as a Servant weren't even on acceptable levels for melee combat. Still, she dusted herself off quickly and was at the ready, just as any warrior should be in this situation. "I'll admit, you may not just be a barbarian. You may actually be worth taking down several notches…"
She readied her spatha, crimson lightning crackled in the air, about and into the blade as she took her stance. It wasn't as stable as that of a samurai's, but Nobu could keenly tell just how fluid and flexible of an opponent she was. What's more, she was adept at sorcery. Something she gloated with her cool yet fierce gaze.
"Prepare yourself, demon warrior! On my honour, I will not let you leave alive!"
"Heh, Heheheh!" Rider, a fighter that atypically avoided direct melee combat, was readying herself against her, a demon that commanded the battlefield with rifles and artillery barrages. Nobu somewhat regretted having to hide her identity. "Hmm? Challenging me head on? What's the matter? Out of tricks? I'm not so easy a target, am I? If you really wanna fool me, the least your illusions should be capable of doing is giving Lucifer a good time!"
"Just as debauched as you are uncivilized. Cutting you down will be so satisfying!" Lightning crackled protectively around her.
"Make it worth my time, Iskandar-cosplayer!" Taking a battle stance, the temperatures rose as a fiery haze enveloped Nobunaga's blade. "At least as half as worth as the time I spent sending the oaf you idolized to hell!"
"You've been babbling on for quite a while." Rider's tone softened to a hiss so low, that it blended with the sizzling stones around Avenger. The woman was wary, but she was also quite annoyed. "Am I to believe you'd crossed swords with milord in the past? Sounds like exaggerated bragging of a howling mad dog."
"You best believe it, darling! Oh, and just so you know. I won."
"Impossible!" the woman denied, but she continued.
"What are you? Omnipotent? If you were, then you'd know just how loud and obnoxious the bastard was. Drinking and drowning in his carefree woes and antics, one could mistake him for a clown. You call me a barbarian, but darling, my discipline is leagues beyond that party animal who went on and on about his petty little conquests. Sheesh, bragging about the amount of sand he'd claimed under his boots, what a joke! Oh, how I pity the Master that was landed with such an undisciplined gorilla."
Nobu knew the woman wasn't stupid. But she couldn't help but rile an opponent up in order to get a decent fight at least. It was working. For every second she exaggerated a fact about the fool, the dual-colored eyes of the bitch seethed with rage.
"Then again, perhaps it was that boy's pity that made for the greatest exploit in his boasting. Throw a little inferno in the brat's way and then suddenly, the ape turned timid." The demon couldn't help but snarl in victory. "You know, it was so easy, lopping his head off at the moment he lost himself. It was so, so easy to take his title as the King of Conquerors. Just goes to show, the dog that barks loudest is undeniably the weakest—!"
CRACK
The ground exploded and dust was sent flying. A woman did too as she flew at Nobunaga with a face full of vengeance.
CLANG
Crimson clashed against crimson. A burning katana sparked as it deflected the spatha wreathed in lightning. Again and again, a flurry of stabs and sword strikes crackled and clashed against her sword, Rider rained down against her as a violent storm. Nobu couldn't help but chuckle with glee, pissing off the berserk Servant further.
"Struck a nerve again? Too easy!"
"Be silent, witch!" she cried as she attempted to go for the jugular.
Nobu deflected, kicking her in the gut and attempting to run her through. Rider skillfully danced around the metal, her muscled belly singed slightly by the flame but unperturbed as she tried a backhand decapitation the Daimyo deftly avoided. "Now this… This is what I call a fight!"
She leapt back, and sliced forward at the woman's feet. Rider chased, hopping into a somersault whilst crimson bolts and her blade flew across Nobunaga's face, preventing her from cutting through the exposed back. She was a flexible little shit as she snaked around and about, bobbing and weaving while sending attacks her way. Nobu relished in them, crushing the earth and creating vacuums in the air wherever she tried to cut the slippery snake across. Slicing, stabbing, kicking, and even coming to blows with their free hands balled up as fists, the melee turned ferocious as sword met sword and fist met fist.
"RAAAAAAAGH!"
"HAAAAAAAGH!"
CRASH
The resulting blow sent each of them sliding back and a crater forming on the ground. But just as swiftly as they were forced back, so too was their charge back into the fray. A clash of red differentiated only by the hues of white and black that accompanied the electricity and flames respectively.
Such was not the style of fighting Oda Nobunaga was accustomed to. But in the glaring heat of battle, she could care less about the method so long as it was a good fight.
Eventually, the bitch started to lose steam. Throwing cut after cut, feint after feint, it turned to the woman trying to pry an opening in her defences through feigned frontal assault. Nobu thought she'd gotten slower, so she decided to throw a fastball.
"Hey! Behind you!"
The woman's eyes didn't leave hers, but she flinched when the sound of matchlocks clicking erupted in a cacophony of gunfire. A wall of lightning seemed to come to life, deflecting the wall of bullets as it came. Still, that wasn't the only angle a surprise attack could come from as a hail of shells rained down on her purple-haired head.
"Kuh! Eat this!" Rider retaliated, sending a bolt of lightning into the sky before several more started to rain down on Nobu's position. She merely danced around them.
"Is this all—Woah!" her taunt was cut short when she instinctively kicked away from a wall of guns to dodge the oncoming chariot again. Being pulled by the skeleton wyverns again, Nobu's gaze narrowed in frustration. "Again with your little toys?"
"Says the bitch resorting to fire-breathing sticks!" The voice came from behind her, surprising Nobu at how fast the woman managed to reach her back undetected. "Got you!"
"Not this time!" sending a sword swipe behind her, she caught a glimpse of sparking amber light and a spray of red before she fell back to the ground. The other woman took her distance as well, being pulled back by the bladed chariot before it dissipated in red light once again. She can't possibly maintain it for too long after the damage she'd been dealt.
And it was a clean cut indeed.
"Hmph, a close call, aren'tcha, wannabe-Iskandar?" Nobu admired her handiwork as she was met with a blood-curdling stare. A single cut ran down Rider's face, not hurting the Mystic Eye but very much scarring the eyelid and cheek on that section of her face. It had cauterized quickly due to the heat of her sword.
Still, the fact that the woman remained smiling was off-putting. Normally, any real opponent of hers would've been frustrated just as much as she as to why they weren't dead yet.
"You'll pay for that, witch!" Rider said, spitting towards Nobu's feet. "As soon as I figure out which barbarian you were in life, I will certainly entrap you in the worst nightmare possible!"
"As I said, I'm Lucifer! Nothing in the seven heavens, not even hell, can entrap me!" Nobu pouted playfully, goading her foe to make another close mistake. "And on that note, why not introduce yourself for once! It ain't no fun when I'm the only one nice enough to announce my presence!"
"Hmph! If you wish to go on with this farce, then so be it! Call me 'Faker'." The smirk she sent her away made Nobu want to groan. "What? Did you expect me to reveal to you my real name? Do you take me for an imbecile?"
"Funny you say that. I so distinctly remember how one loud mouth bore no shame in loudly proclaiming his real name on the first night of the Grail War I was unceremoniously invited into. Perhaps it's the only difference between you two. Apart from what hangs between your legs of course, heh!" Nobu laughed whilst Faker seemed to pause. A smile flitted to her face soon after, catching Nobu's attention. "What? At a loss for words? Hard to believe Iskandar would do something as stupid as that?"
"… No. Quite the opposite, that sounds exactly what that idiot would do." Faker's expression became harder to read. What seemed like a nostalgic smile quickly turned into a composing scowl. "Then it is true… You claimed his title as the King of Conquerors."
"Not claimed, bitch, I own it!" snapped Nobu. "Taken fair and square through a duel in the midst of the fires of hell! By right of conquest, what was his is mine to trample now."
Faker clenched her fist. "I will not refute the claim. If milord Iskandar died to you, then it is through his honour that I recognize the claim… Even if it's possible he'd lost trying to accomplish a worthless wish like always, a winner is entitled to take whatever they want from the loser. That is the nature of conquest itself… The belief the man I respected carried to the grave and beyond."
"What's the matter, girl? Gonna cry about it?" Nobu leaned forward, testing her foe's mettle.
"Nay, I shall not give you the pleasure of watching my tears. However, I'm his shadow." She didn't yield, going so far as to ready herself before Nobunaga's sword. Lightning crackled in her free hand. "I cannot allow his name to be besmirched or insulted any further. Perhaps you won his title, but by no means is it permanently yours. Such is the nature of conquest. You only keep that which you're strong enough to defend!"
"Oh?" Red hellfire danced in Nobu's eyes. "A challenger dares to declare taking something from me? I will allow it. But only because I vow to destroy you so that you may never dare again! You will face nothing but despair in challenging my might, Faker!"
"A true warrior will never run away from a battle."
"Coming from someone with a false name, I guess I'll be a magnanimous demon and let it slide. Then again, the next time, it'll be your neck on my blade if the spirit in your words is as weak as that oaf!"
Repeating the taunt would've been ineffective had her foe not carried such deep respect for the fallen's name. But all of Faker's rage and anger directed at Nobu dissipated in a flash as she sent a glance at the still-standing mural nearby. Avenger's gaze narrowed. An outsider dared to interfere in her good fun once again.
"Tch, it feels like our fight is over. My master is calling for me." Even Rider looked annoyed. "Hmph… That man chose now of all times… eh whatever." Lightning flashed and the woman's sword was gone. She truly was backing out of this far easier than she'd let on. "I will cut off your head next time, so-called Lucifer—"
"There won't be the next time!" Nobunaga roared before she launched herself forward, her katana ready to strike. However, before her weapon could touch Faker's smooth skin, she disappeared in a flash. The familiar magic in the air reminded her of the Grail's power. A Command Seal.
"Dammit!" Her katana pierced the ground as Avenger roared in frustration. "AGH!"
Fire surrounded Avenger who stood by herself. She was furious. This wasn't beyond irritating. That Faker wasn't too strong. She couldn't be compared to the likes of other Servants Avenger gunned down during the Fourth War. And yet, she managed to escape. She cursed the Command Seals. She cursed the Grail, the origin of such magic.
"Damn you, bitch!" Nobunaga didn't even know her true name, but she already hated that woman. 'I will have the last laugh after you cockblocked my fun like that!' She'd relish the fight once more. Then, soon after, her corpse would be turned to ashes! 'Agh! Whatever, I have come here to massacre the Einzberns. It's back to business with—… what the hell?!'
Avenger glanced towards the castle. Or what was left of it. While she and Faker had traded hits, the Panzer-Hummels didn't slow down the artillery barrage. What had once been a grand castle had now been reduced to nothing but rubble. At least one good news raised her spirits. But… then her eyes fell to a pair of the toys Lelouch lent her.
Two Gloucesters were missing their limbs, the royal purple paint job looked melted and white, as though something had scraped through and eaten away at the metal. What's more, when she noticed them and they did her, the pair wordlessly stared at her as if to ask where the hell she'd been.
"Forget me, what the fuck happened to you two?!"