The Third Holy Grail War (Part 2)
"Hmm?"
This is... Are you serious? Right now? ...Jesus christ, these people are impatient. I simply sent out a Prana signal and they all started racing to it. Aren't they supposed to be highly-trained Mages?
I narrowed my eyes and spoke through my mental link with Arash. "Archer."
"Yes, Master?" My Servant's voice sounded in my mind.
"Quickly head southeast and take position on a tall building. A fight's going to occur in a few seconds near the snowy forest."
"A fight? But it's the first night of the war. Shouldn't they be monitoring each other? What about the information war and the Servant identity guessing phase?"
"It's a total mess. The two Sabers and their Masters ran into Rider and her Master. I can also see Darnic and Lancer heading towards their direction while the American Mage and the Einzbern pair seemed to be alerted as well. The old man from the Tohsakas is probably also watching because I'm pretty sure he summoned a Caster considering the newly-created defenses at their residence."
"That's... worrying."
"It is, and it's also an opportunity. I won't ask you to attack the Master, but can you take down at least one of the Servants when they have their guards down?"
I know that Arash is a man who does what must be done at a time where it needs to be done, but I'd rather improve our relationship by selecting the more peaceful path. There will be no Master-killing for my Servant. That will be my job.
"It is possible, though I can't be sure."
"Alright, please do your best. I'll be watching through your vision and don't hesitate to tell me if you need me to help you with a Command Seal."
"Thanks, Master. I'm glad that you have my back."
And here I was hoping for an easy time. However, I can't just ignore it when all these idiots are running towards the direction of my favored terrain, right? I did say that I am a fantastic shot, especially in forests, and not to mention a snow-covered one.
It's literally my home turf.
-x-X-x-
Bzzz. Bzzt. Bzzzt.
"What a disgusting man you are, and yet you proclaimed to be the representative of one of the Three Founding Families? Have the Makiri fallen so far that their descendants have become this weak?" Annelia scowled and hurled a gemstone at a group of insects. It detonated when it reached the bugs' range and the explosion annihilated them all.
"You..." Kaito has spent a great amount of Prana to call forth the familiars and they were all destroyed in a single strike. His self-esteem was considerably hurt seeing that the one who outclassed him was merely a young girl who was barely twenty years old.
"Stop playing around, Annelia. We should quickly dispose of this useless man. Sabers are also almost done with his Servant as well." Eineline watched the struggling Kaito with contempt. She raised her arm and a sphere of black and red formed before her index finger.
The sphere is a spell named Gandr. It's a simple curse originating from Scandinavia which decreases the physical health of the target. However, the spell she was using was slightly different because it's a Gandr with so much magical energy concentrated into it, causing it to be capable of physical interference.
Finn shot has roughly the destructive power of a pistol bullet and while a single hit is not enough to kill someone, it is still capable of knocking out a normal person. Though not using any Rune letter, it is of Rune Magecraft, and the Edelfelts are among the best Gandr-users in the world.
"Die, you sorry excuse of a Mage." At Eineline's murderous words, the sphere of destruction was released as it rushed towards the Makiri Master. The pale man was exhausted from Prana consumption and the Finn shot was targeting his head. It'll be fine if he was hit anywhere else, but he definitely wouldn't survive a headshot.
At that moment, before the spell can pierce the man's head, the air twisted and a wall of pressured air emerged between Kaito and the sphere. The Finn shot dissipated upon contact with the wall and the blue-haired man gave out a sigh of relief.
"How are you, Matou Kaito?"
An affable voice came from behind the pale man. "Who?" Kaito turned around and saw a man dressed in a dark grey suit. He has blue-grey hair tied up in a ponytail and his genial purple eyes were staring at him in mild concern.
"I am Vlad." Darnic lied while his eyes didn't blink even once. "I saw that you are in trouble and I came here to offer my assistance."
"You're here to help? Do you think that I'll believe that?" Kaito narrowed his eyes and distanced himself from his savior. Who in the world would believe it when a man who was clearly a Magus was offering to 'assist' him?
"How about we form a temporary alliance?" Darnic merely smiled at the man's wariness. "The opposite side seemed to have somehow summoned two Sabers and I believe that we will have to help each other in order to defeat them. My Servant is already lending his help to yours as well."
Clang! Clang!
On the other side of the snowy forest, a woman dressed in a revealing white costume was engaging two sword-wielding knights in combat. She has long flowing hair and turquoise-like eyes. It's Rider, the Servant of Matou Kaito.
She swung her long sword and barely parried away a slash. She then quickly raised her buckler and defended her neck from a blade. '...At this rate, I won't be able to hold on for any longer...!' At that moment, the younger Lancelot appeared behind her and lunged for her defenseless back. 'No, I can't make it in time!'
However, the pain that she was expecting didn't come. She quickly turned around and witnessed the purple knight being knocked back by an unexpected spear thrust. A man with long blonde hair was standing in front of her and shielding her from the two Sabers.
"Are you fine, O'Beautiful lady? Under the command of my Master, I have arrived to assist you in your plight!" Fionn evaded the older Saber's sword and countered by kicking the knight away. Blocking the younger Lancelot's slash, he smirked as his two-handed spear cut through the knight's armor and lacerated his opponent's chest.
The red-haired woman simply stared at the flamboyant Lancer and uttered out a, "...What?"
-x-X-x-
Ah, they are fighting already.
As expected of Fionn, this accursed womanizer is sure fast on his feet when a beautiful woman is near and in trouble. I just hope that the queen won't lose her mind from his attempts at flirting... in the midst of a battlefield.
Well, thanks to my knowledge of the Servants' true names, I can actually see their full parameters.
Class: Lancer
True Name: Fionn mac Cumhaill
Gender: Male
Title: Leader of the Knights of Fianna
Height/Weight: 181cm 63kg
Alignment: True Neutral
Strength: B+
Endurance: B
Agility: A+
Mana: C
Luck: C
Noble Phantasm: B+
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance B
Personal Skills:
Divinity D
Clairvoyance (Beauty) B++
Beauty of Trouble with Women A
Magecraft B
Noble Phantasm:
Mac an Luin: Undefeated Violet Flower A+
Uisce Beatha: O' Life Scooped with These Hands C
Fintan Finegas: Biting the Thumb Swelling with Wisdom B
Oh, he has the upgraded version of Clairvoyance here. Uh, is it an upgrade...? I do hope that Amakusa Shirou will quickly take his guy down so I don't have to be worried about him surprising me.
He can use Magecraft, he can resist magical attacks, and he can spot you from far, far away. His Noble Phantasms can attack, heal, and find him a way to victory. At least his Divinity is low or we'll have to start finding ways to defend against powerful Divinity-imbued attacks.
Class: Saber
True Name: Lancelot
Gender: Male
Title: Knight of the Lake
Height/Weight: 191cm 81kg
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Strength: B
Endurance: B
Agility: B
Mana: C
Luck: B
Noble Phantasm: A
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance B
Riding B
Personal Skills:
Knight of the Lake A
Eternal Arms Mastership A+
Protection of the Fairies A
Noble Phantasm:
Arondight: The Unfading Light of the Lake A
Arondight - Overload: Breaking All Restraints - Overloaded Light of the Lake A++
...
Class: Saber
True Name: Lancelot
Gender: Male
Title: Knight of the Lake
Height/Weight: 191cm 81kg
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Strength: B
Endurance: B
Agility: B
Mana: B
Luck: E
Noble Phantasm: A
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance B
Riding B
Personal Skills:
Eternal Arms Mastership A+
Protection of the Fairies A
Reverse Flow of Mana A
Noble Phantasm:
Arondight: The Unfading Light of the Lake A
Knight of Owner: A Knight Does Not Die with Empty Hands A++
With the exception of Mana and Luck, the other parameters are the same. The younger one who has not committed the mistake has higher luck than the older one... This is truly a twisted form of irony. The older one even lost the Knight of the Lake Skill that symbolizes his legend and got another weird Skill.
Both of them have access to Arondight, but only the younger one can use Saber beam... Saber who can't shoot beams aren't Sabers! The older one is a fake! Ok, no, just kidding. Though big daddy black knight there has that cheat-like Noble Phantasm that turns whatever he holds into a D-Rank Noble Phantasm.
Hmm? Despite being on a building a few kilometers away from the battlefield, I can still feel the intensity of the clashes between heroes from legends.
At least he's not going to use a jet or a minigun since it's 1939. Bullets and missiles that were enhanced to the level of a Noble Phantasm... I'd be the first person out of the city if that were the case. A random bullet can easily kill me and I bet the range on that thing will be heavily amplified as well.
I want to pull the trigger on Desperate so badly... I can put a bullet in one of the Masters' head but that'll immediately alarm every Servants in the city.
Haah, tough life.
Anyway, I didn't expect her to get summoned... Did the Makiri not have any catalysts left? I'm not surprised. They did went for a blind Berserker summon during the Fourth Holy Grail War. Zouken probably did not think that the guy could win if he didn't even acquire a catalyst for him. Whatever, he's just another casualty of war.
Class: Rider
True Name: Boudica
Gender: Female
Title: Queen of Victory
Height/Weight: 174cm 62kg
Alignment: Neutral Good
Strength: C
Endurance: B+
Agility: C
Mana: D
Luck: D
Noble Phantasm: B+
Class Skills:
Riding A
Magic Resistance D
Personal Skills:
Oath to the Goddess B
Battle Continuation A
Protection from Andraste A
Noble Phantasm:
Chariot of Boudica: Chariot Without Promised Protection B+
Sword of Boudica: Sword Without Promised Victory B
What do you say, 'big sister'?
Summoned into this war by a useless Master. No wonder the Makiri was never mentioned during the Third Holy Grail War. Their Master and Servant were probably instantly killed by another Servant.
Boudica just wasn't strong enough. She's a peak mid-tier Servant at best. It would've been nice if her sword can fire a beam, but alas, she's not a Saber. It can only fire a barrage of Mana projectiles, nevertheless, those are already enough to shred me into nothingness. Haha. I don't care. Still not a beam though.
What? I like those beams that can cause... endless destruction. The light beam from Excalibur can destroy the entire Fuyuki City! Isn't that great? I'd like to hold a sword that can shoot out beams one day as well... If only I can tie a Servant up and rob their Noble Phantasm-
Oh? Isn't that...
-x-X-x-
"Ruler."
"Yes, Master."
Amakusa Shirou nodded and unsheathed his weapon, Miike Tenta Mitsuyo. The katana was not a Noble Phantasm as it is merely a simple armament summoned with him. However, it was still a powerful sword due to its accumulated Mystery from its long history.
Confirming that his Master was in a safe spot, he stepped out of hiding and ran through the streets of Fuyuki. His benevolent smile has disappeared and all that was left was a cold and stoic mask. This was a war, and no mercy are allowed in wars. He has learnt that by experience.
He knew that the moment he led the Shimabara Rebellion he would no longer be the same carefree youngster anymore. He was a leader, and he had to guide his followers to prosperity.
Sadly, he and his men have all died in the end.
After his rebellion ultimately failed, Shirou was sentenced to execution by decapitation. Before his death, Shirou felt he was naïve and he witnessed a scene like hell as his comrades were slowly killed off.
The decapitated heads of the elderly, men butchered up like experimental animals, babies pierced by spears, girls raped in the pursuit of lust and then thrown away afterwards. He was convinced that the countless lives gathered were not taken away by the enemy but by himself.
He without once changing expression, accepted this result with a will of steel and it made him impossible to yield to the scene of carnage. He merely gazed at this scene of ruin. He revealed no resignation or sorrow and even overcame the pain of his dismembered arms.
He accepted that he had lost, the responsibility for his comrades death and his inevitable death. But the one thing he could not accept was that everything would fall to ruins after this. He couldn't accept it. After having wasted so many lives, he absolutely could not accept that nothing would be gained as a result.
However, he does not loathe his enemies.
He once hated everything, from God to humans. He hated humans, not because they had killed him or his comrades, but how humanity easily accepted it as a repeating system in history where life is priceless yet has no value.
He finds humanity to be just like Ouroboros, eating themselves in order to grow. Shirou admitted to his failure, his mortality and his guilt. So, he forsook his heart filled with hatred, for the sake of the salvation of mankind, he will need to win this war and claim the Holy Grail as his prize.
Amakusa Shirou reached the block near the Mion River and took cover behind a house. He peeked out of the corner and saw a muscular man standing alone by the riverbank. The man has dark brown hair and blue eyes, the look of a typical American.
Around fifteen French dolls with varying appearances surrounded Isaac, and Ruler narrowed his eyes at the creepy and chilling atmosphere they gave off. 'Where's his Servant?' Amakusa Shirou frowned when he couldn't sense the enemy Master's Servant.
'It can't be helped then. Waiting won't do me anything, so let's test the waters first.' He activated his Noble Phantasms. His two arms have the ability to connect to all Thaumaturgy Foundations, allowing him to effectively use any sort of Magecraft with its Almighty Key.
By linking to the foundation of all forms of Magecraft, these Noble Phantasms make it possible to use, to a certain degree, even Magecraft that the user shouldn't know of as general knowledge.
They are handy and convenient Noble Phantasms, but even if Shirou was summoned as a Caster, he still wouldn't stand a chance against a first-rate magus like Medea.
At his command, Prana flared and twenty earth spikes rise up from the ground. Fifteen targeted the dolls as the last five all attempted to impale the muscular man.
Crack. Crack. Crack-
'What...?' Seeing all the spikes successfully skewered their targets, Ruler frowned. There's something wrong... it was too easy-
All of a sudden, his Revelation Skill kicked in and his instincts screamed for him to dodge.
He immediately jumped back and narrowly avoided four dirks. The flying blades traveled at the speed of a bullet and left four small holes at the ground where he was previously.
'Who?' Amakusa Shirou searched around for his assailant and wasn't able to pinpoint him. It was nighttime, and the shadows were deep and gloomy. Considering that he didn't even perceive his attacker getting close, it must be-
'Assassin!' He dashed away from the neighborhood and approached Mion River. He shouldn't fight Assassin in a location full of hiding spots, and the riverbank was the perfect choice. He breathed in deeply and once again used his Noble Phantasms.
The wind blew as a gale traveled around the areas surrounding him. As the invisible air reached the rooftop of a nearby house, a silhouette flickered slightly and leaped away knowing that it has been detected.
"Got you!" Blades of wind assaulted the figure and at the same time, the leaves on the ground were reinforced and shot towards Assassin at the speed which broke the sound barrier. The silhouette didn't even scream as it was directly shredded apart by the spells.
'No... that was too easy.' Amakusa Shirou frowned and concentrated on the remains of the enemy Servant. After a few seconds, he discovered white porcelain and metal gears falling out of the corpse. '...He's still alive-'
"Hmm?" Ruler glanced at the ground close to him. "What-" He widened his eyes. For some reason, all the french dolls he has destroyed earlier have somehow made their way near him during the time he was examining the fake corpse.
He quickly tried to move away from the riverbank, but it was too late. The only human-sized doll with the appearance of Isaac suddenly separated in two and smoke came out of its stomach. The other dolls then all detonated, creating a giant fireball at the bank.
Amakusa Shirou narrowed his eyes and scanned the surroundings. He was fine as the explosion wasn't able to harm him since the bombs within the french dolls were made out of normal materials.
Servants are not invulnerable to physical attacks, but you have to actually affect the ethereal aspects of their magical core in order to truly harm the Servants. This ability made them completely immune to all modern and conventional weaponry.
The entire riverbank was enshrouded in black smokes while Ruler couldn't make his escape because he would have to show his back to his opponent during his retreat. For the third time, he used his Noble Phantasms and the wind started blowing.
However, before the smoke were dissipated, a tiny figure similar to a midget came out of one of the destroyed dolls and lunged at Ruler's defenseless back.
"I got you this time!" Amakusa Shirou didn't panic. Instead, he grinned and held his katana in a reverse grip.
On the other side, Assassin wasn't surprise by his opponent's retaliation. He simply paused his strike and hopped back into the shadows. Although there weren't any usable covers, the midget was able to conceal himself in the vegetation by taking advantage of his short height.
A sea of flames materialized as Ruler commanded them to incinerate the overgrown grasses. He burned away every plant above knee's height to search for the hidden opponent but he was not able to find him.
All of a sudden, his instincts kicked in once again and Amakusa Shirou rolled away while four dirks passed by his head. He immediately responded by swinging his katana and deflecting more flying blades.
He then reinforced his body and raced to a patch of grass a few meters away from him. At the same time he was about to arrive, he smiled and used his trump card. 'In the name of Ruler- of Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, I order you to show yourself to me and freeze on the spot, Assassin!'
The tattoos on his clothed chest glowed and one of them disappeared. A tiny figure stepped out of the grasses awkwardly and became frozen in front of Ruler. Assassin was struggling furiously but he found out that he simply could not do anything about the perilous situation.
"You're mine." Amakusa Shirou smiled and slashed at the midget, decapitating his head. However, the moment his blade reached Assassin's defenseless neck, the midget abruptly disappeared... as if he was never at the riverbank in the first place.
'His Master used a Command Seal...?' Ruler gritted his teeth. He was close. Really, really close... His opponents didn't know that he was of the Ruler-class and has Command Seals. He was going to take the chance and kill Assassin off before his Master could respond but it seemed his plan has failed.
The main reason why he failed was because the usage of a Command Spell can overwrite the order of another Command Spell. Additionally, the Command Spell of a Master is more powerful than a Ruler's. The Master of Assassin must have used his to teleport Assassin away.
"How are you, Ruler?" The voice of Liliyasviel sounded out in Amakusa Shirou's mind.
"...They got away and I even wasted a Command Seal... I am sorry, Master." Amakusa Shirou smiled bitterly and replied.
"It's fine, Ruler. It's only the first night of the war and we have many more chances in the future. Please return for now."
"...Yes, Master."