[M] Fate/Abyss (IC)

[Fleija Croze]

At an unknown skyscraper at the Fuyuki skyline...

Almiira had finished a stage of her experiments. After removing the weak Sowilo rune used to boil the concoction, she used a particularly thick set of laboratory gloves with runes at the wrists to directly transfer to still-hot components onto a circular tungsten bowl, the noxious fumes visible as red smoke slowly filling the room. Afterwards, she removed the gloves and allowed the mixture to cool as she grabs her rifle from her bed. It should be saved for later.

She performs a last-minute check on the rifle by pulling the charging handle halfway to check the chamber- The cartridge is still there. She then calmly leaves the room, careful to lock it with both the keycard and a reinforcement rune.

I should have told which balcony he was going to use.

After a few seconds of wandering the hallway, she meets an intersection. To her surprise and convenience, she spots a cartridge pointing to the left. Upon inspection of a nearby wall, she notes that its headed toward a lounge. She picks the cartridge up and continues until she spots a familiar figure leaning on the concrete balcony like a stone gargoyle. His gaze was fixed on the ensuing fight and his rifle was slung on his back.

"There seems to be a fight ongoing." Assassin spoke differently. The casual air around him was gone. In fact, it felt like there was no air to begin with. The area around him felt like it was gone. It was empty. Almiira felt that if she shifted her gaze, she wouldn't be able to see her servant. Like the area was covered with an anti-peek screen that only allowed one to see the other side from a specific angle. "There's a young girl with them. Unarmed. The other three appear to be servants." Assassin continued.

Almiira walked carefully next to her servant, placed the cartridge between them and viewed the fight from her scope, careful to maintain trigger discipline. What her servant said was true. The winged woman had absurd stats compared to the injured fighter she was facing. The other one, a female warrior with a spear was simply watching. "Firing at them would be a stupid idea. Firearms don't work on heroic spirits."

"Well, this rifle counts as a noble phantasm. It can injure them." Assassin smirked. "So, orders?"

Almiira shifted her gaze to the young girl. "One of the rules of the war is to ensure secrecy. That means bystanders are either eliminated or memory-wiped. The girl is a master." She looked at Assassin. "Can you hit her from here?"

"I can."

"Use your ability. Position the shot directly behind the girl."

Assassin's glared at her for a full second before unslinging his rifle. He was careful to adjust the worn, but functional iron sights to the appropriate distance and positioned the rifle directly on the balcony carefully. Raising his right eyebrow, he could feel time dilate slightly as he aimed at the girl. As he exhaled, he fired.

---

The muzzled sound of a shot from a rifle came from directly behind Ayame.

[Bionicllama]

"Well, seems like the war is going on at a full swing, isn't it?" Michael was impressed by Saber's skills. It was now obvious that the man in the armor was Berserker considering the instant increase in power. On top of that another armored woman had appeared. She didn't appear to be Assassin, but could very much be Rider or Caster. This was very interesting indeed.
"So, Cleo, what do you say we put ourselves into the fray?" Michael talked while writing the rune for Algiz on his jacket. If his research was correct then it would make his cloth jacket have the same protection as if he were wearing armor. He drew his hood up and began to speak again. "Cleo, go help Saber in the fight against Berserker and the other spirit. I don't like the prospect of someone else having to fight a two-on-one battle. As for me I'm going to have a little chat with Saber's master. She doesn't seem very strong from here and won't last long with two other spirits fighting at the same time. What really worries me are Lancer, Assassin, and Caster. Whether they show up or not I'm not sure but I'd really prefer if they didn't."

Archer looked down at her Master and smiled. "Oh, and while you're having your little date with the girl, what if Saber recognizes me as an enemy?"
Michael chuckled. "Well, then just clip those wings of hers."


Michael

Michael started running down the hill in order to get to the girl while also watching the fight from the corner of his eye. Saber truly was worthy of the high esteem she has. He made a mental note in his mind about her speed. She covered distances like nothing he's ever seen. Obviously a close range fighter, but who knew if she had a Noble Phantasm that was long-ranged. If not then Archer would have a nice time picking her off from a distance. Back to reality, Michael was almost to where Ayame was when he heard the shot being fired. Dammit! Knowing it wouldn't be long before the assailant went after him he inscribed the rune Raidho in the air. In three seconds a portal-like object would appear in front of him. As soon as it would he would rush into it and appear next to Archer.


Archer

Archer strutted closer to the battle scene. Upon further inspection it seemed that Saber had Berserker beat. She didn't need her help on that front, and so turned her attention to who Michael assumed was either Lancer or Rider. Either one of the two could be potentially dangerous, but she was sure she could handle it. Once she was withing about fifty yards, she started speaking to her.
"My Master has ordered your death, and death you shall receive. Have you any final requests before you perish?" As she spoke eight spherical shapes orbited around her at different distances as much as 30 feet away. They seemed to be reflecting the light of the moon onto the female spirit's form.

[Snotgirl]

Maria was still watching the man on the skyscraper when the duel between the two Servants began. In fact only one thing turned her attention back to the stand- off.

BANG.

Saber was gone. Only cracked pavement remained where she once stood.

CLANG.

The sound of metal on metal. In less than a second, Saber had crossed about 30 feet to the armored man. In fact, the man barely raised his swords in time to block Sabers blow.

Saber was getting more and more dangerous the longer Maria observed.

She was ridiculously strong. During the first exchange, Saber had completely overpowered the armored man with her strength. She had only done it with one arm to boot, whereas the other warrior had to use both arms to push her back---

A sudden increase in killing intent interrupted Maria’s thoughts. It was coming from the armored Servant. Looking through her scope, Maria watched as armored man’s armor broke in some places, exposing enlarged muscles. Saber’s blade was stopped in its tracks, the short sword aiming for the armored man’s head. Maria noticed the look on his face. It was fixed into an inhuman snarl. The figure suddenly looked more beast than man. Only one Servant could fit that description.

Berserker, Maria breathed.

“Master, I am going to reveal myself.”

Rider’s assertion of wanting to reveal herself was almost shot down by Maria instantly. There were already two Servants’ out there and undoubtedly Masters observing the duel. Rider had absolutely no reason to intervene. Except for the Servant she knew. Through the telepathic link, Maria could tell that Rider had nothing but respect for the armored Servant. That was surprising. Rider shepherded souls, so what about this one stood out for her? Still, that was no reason to show herself to the enemy. Doing so would only allow other Masters to learn Riders’ parameters.

Yet, as of right now, two powerful Servants were locked in battle. If Rider chose to help Saber, even Saber would be hard pressed to hold back the two. Maria would have to leave that up to Riders’ discretion.

“Okay.”

With that, Maria focused her attention back to the man on the roof. He was still on the AC, watching the fight. It seemed this hadn’t surprised him one bit; the chances of him being a Master was increasing exponentially. He was distracted and Maria was likely never to get another chance at an exposed and unaware Master as this.

Her finger on the trigger, Maria steadied her breathing---and for the third time that night, was once again stopped from pulling the trigger. A flash of red invaded her vision. Berserker was on his hands and knees, and judging from the dark liquid pouring from his stomach, was severely injured. Saber looked unharmed, as did Rider. Maria briefly wondered at that, but was interrupted as another pair stepped into her vision. It was the young man that Maria had written off as unimportant, and beside him stood a woman; one that exuded great power.

Shit, things just went from bad to worse.

With Berserker down, it meant Rider would have to face Saber alone, and with this new Servant added to the mix, Maria knew it only spelled trouble.

I can only hope that---

The woman walked right past Saber, staring at Rider intently. Not hostile to Saber? Then it could only mean one thing. The tables had turned. Things were only getting worse and worse. The woman’s mouthed moved.

“Rider, what is she saying?” Maria asked through the mental link.

"My Master has ordered your death, and death you shall receive. Have you any final requests before you perish?" Eight objects showed up around Rider.

This needs to end. Now.

“Rider I need you to tell her one thing.”


***
Rider’s eyes flicked to the left, as she listened to her Masters request. What she heard made her frown. Was she not allowed to fight these two? Did her master really have little faith in her abilities? But her Master asked it of her…

Rider looked the other woman straight in the eye. “Yes. My master has told me her final request. Here are her words verbatim.”

Rider flicked her eyes behind the woman, at the young man who was attempting to use Thaumaturgy.

“Keep him still.”

****



There was a small light as Maria cast her Thaumaturgy. Simple, yet it was one Maria was extremely proficient with. Strengthening. Her rifle would have longer range than normal, stop any malfunctions, and shoot faster. But only for a short time.

Maria placed her crosshairs on the woman’s Master, and pulled the trigger three times in succession. The young man was far closer than the man on the roof. At this range, Maria’s chances of missing were minimal. The suppressed rifle’s shots were quieted and the muzzle flash was nonexistent, and from across the river, none were likely to hear the shots at all.

Maria didn’t bother to see if the shots hit. She didn’t need to. All she had to do was worry about herself and Rider.

The magic that Maria used was extremely minor. Even a familiar wouldn’t be able to pick it up, not unless it was seated on her shoulder. Yet Maria nursed doubts about the man on the roof. Amidst all the prana being exchanged between the Servants across the river, would he be able to pick it up? There could be no chances. Maria activated her Mystic Code and stood up, rifle dangling loosed on one side, and stared at the roof where the unknown Master was.

“Rider, get ready to pull out.”

[TheDoctor]

Axel permitted a satisfied smile to crawl across his lips as the battle between the two Servants ensued. So my suspicions are correct. That man’s parameter boost proves that he must be Berserker, while the winged one’s swordplay proves her to be Saber. The smile quickly turned to a frown at their extraordinarily proficient swordplay. Well, it looks like Caster may have a greater struggle than I expected. These two are quite the warmongers of our group.

When the other Servant appeared next to Berserker, however, Axel blinked out of shock. Her stats were not his major field of concern; it was Berserker’s. The Servant had lapsed out of Mad Enhancement in the blink of an eye, conversing with the other Servants as if it had never happened. That’s absurd! A Servant of the Berserker class able to exit Mad Enhancement at will? Axel lowered the binoculars. That must still require some Mana input, but even then it is ridiculous.

During their next exchange, Axel’s gaze shifted to the female Servant and her Master upon the hill. They were conspiring something, and then they were in action with woman edging closer to the battlefield and the man sprinting towards Saber’s Master. What are they up to?

Suddenly, there was a gunshot.

~~~~~

The vivid display that both Saber and Berserker were putting on placed Ayame in a state of awe. Forgotten were her petty worries of meeting her friends on time, and forgotten was her impatience with Saber. This is…real warfare. Saber could die in this…I could die in this. Is it even safe for me to still be here?

She heard fast footsteps towards the right, and her eyes widened in panic as she jerked quickly to the side to see a man sprinting towards her down a hill.

Then there was a bang from behind her.

As Ayame hit the ground, she felt her eyes fix themselves upon a pebble in front of her. A calm crimson tide began to spread towards it, surrounding it before coming to a pause. Ah…that’s my blood, isn’t it? Her mind was hardly panicked, and she didn’t even question why. That bullet was for me, wasn’t it? Then…I should be dead right now, right? Why haven’t I died?

The moonlight that illuminated her fading vision was suddenly blocked out by a figure, and as she was embraced in a set of arms, her vision slipped away.

~~~~~

A cloaked figure darted from the shadows of a building, erecting shields of concrete with Thaumaturgy as he bolted towards Ayame. As soon as he reached Ayame, he erected another thick slab of concrete from the ground to protect her from where he heard the gunshot. “Have we already failed the Mizukis on the first night of the war?” His voice was hasty as he assessed her condition. “No…she’s still alive!”

Lifting her into a fireman’s carry, he fixed his hooded gaze upon Saber. With a knowing nod, he bolted away into the shadows again using a thrust from the earth to accelerate his speed. When he was once again in the alleyways of Fuyuki, he navigated the streets as quickly as possible until he found his improvised safe house. Another hooded figure, a female, was already there with a healing rune set upon the floor.

“She’s still alive?” She rushed forward and helped the man lower Ayame into the circle.

“Barely. The bullet must’ve missed her heart.” Once she was secure, he stepped back and nodded to the other figure. “Go, fast.”

With a nod back, the woman placed a hand upon the rune that Ayame was in the middle of, which began to come to life. Her eyes were fixed on the injured girl, her mouth moving in silent speech. The tense moment remained for several minutes until the woman was certain that the healing spell was secure, and then she stood and fixed the man with a glare.

“Our one job was to keep her alive, and you nearly fucked that up! What kind of protector are you?”

“What could I do, expose my cover to those Servants?” The man threw up his arms. “I would’ve been murdered in an instant!”

“I’m sure you could’ve figured something out.” The woman crossed her arms in dissatisfaction. “You’re a Mage. You’re better than this.”

The man shook his head gently. “Well…is she going to make it?”

She shifted her positioning to look at Ayame. “I don’t know. There’s no way to know for certain right now. It could go either way. Most of her magical circuits will be focused upon healing her, which means that Saber will have to withdrawal because she isn’t receiving nearly as much Mana.” Sighing, she crouched down at the circle again. “Don’t expect the Mizukis to show any mercy if we lose her.”

~~~~~

As soon as the gunshot rang out and Saber’s Master fell, Axel jerked his head towards the sound. A sniper! While the Mage retrieved the girl from the battlefield, Axel crouched in cover behind the AC unit, protected by the side of the building as well. They could easily be aiming for me next. This position is no longer secure. Taking a deep breath, he focused upon the magical presences in the area now that he didn’t have his eyes on the battlefield to help him.

Saber and Berserker are still in combat, but with her Master presumably dead, Saber’s mana will deplete quickly. The Servant with the spear is still observing, but… He felt a minimal burst of Mana from the other female Servant. Now that other Servant is joining in the fray, it seems. Is it safe for me to observe yet?

Amongst the storm of Mana churning at the boardwalk, Axel suddenly felt a tiny blip of Mana. It was so minimal that he barely even picked it up from across the river, yet it was still there. And in this war, I have to be suspicious of anything I pick up. No, it’s certainly not safe yet. His hand clenched the pocket watch in his coat pocket. Perhaps I’ll have to…wait a second.

What the hell is Caster doing?!

~~~~~

The instant that the bullets were fired from the magically-enhanced rifle, a whirlwind of air rushed in an enormous dome around the battlefield. The bullets were knocked off their course, sent spiraling into a wall far away from their intended target. Finally, the winds subsided, and an eerie quiet spread across the boardwalk. As the warriors and Mages searched for the source, tiny particles of white light condensed into the form of a kingly, regal man clothed in fine white silks and christened with a wreath of golden leaves. The simmering disappointment in his steel grey eyes washed over the Servants, yet it was not directed at them. His tight-lipped frown remained sealed for a moment until he finally began to speak.

“It’s so horribly rude to interrupt such a fine display of the arts in such a manner, especially with bullets.” Shaking his head with a sigh, he crossed his arms. “I will permit no such outside interference upon this stage. Be certain that your Masters know of this decree, and if they violate it again then I will execute them for their crimes.”

With a hefty rolling of his eyes, Caster returned his attention to the Servants with a gallant smile upon his lips. “Now then, you may continue, my valiant players. This is proving quite the entertaining night indeed. Do not disappoint me, and I will in return construct for you all the greatest theater you can imagine."

[Bionicllama]

Michael jumped back in surprise as he saw the concrete form around the girl. He was even more surprised that she was gone almost as soon as it appeared. What the hell happened? He looked over at Saber and saw she wasn't disappearing anytime soon, so that meant that she was still alive, at least for now anyways. Not only that, but it seemed like another spirit had come, but this time bringing something useful. He seemed to have saved his life by the looks of it. Bullets had whizzed by his head only seconds after the man appeared. By the way he controlled the air he was definitely Caster, there was little doubt about it. It probably wouldn't be a stretch to assume that the sniper from before was another Master preferring to hide in the shadows.. Now that only leaves Lancer out of the fray. Six of the seven Heroic Spirits were gathered in one spot, and he was the only Master among them.

"I've wasted enough time here." He took his e-cigarette and turned it on. The vapor poured out of the end as he made streaks in the air. He quickly made the runic symbol for Raidho and a shimmering portal appeared before him. Before he did anything he bent over and picked up what looked to be a ripped piece of cloth from a dress. Quickly, Michael pocketed it and stepped through the portal. After two seconds he would appear next to Archer.


Archer laughed at Rider, obviously amused by what she said. "Keep him still? You've got to be joking. Do you think a welp like yourself has the ability to talk to me like that? I'll just have to show you what happens to those that talk to me in such a way." A golden staff appeared in her left hand and she pointed it at Rider. The tip of the staff was shaped like a cobra head and its eyes glowed like that of the moon. The spheres lit up as if they were charging energy. At that moment Michael appeared next to her.
"Archer, stop. We're leaving."

"What? Why?" The spheres stopped as she turned her attention to her master. "We can kill one of them, right here and now! Wasn't it you that ordered me to-"

"My order was a misjudgment. With too many spirits and masters hidden in the shadows I don't see us getting out of here alive. We will leave and figure something out. Besides, I have a plan."

Archer sneered in annoyance. She was hoping to demonstrate her regal power to those that were underneath her, but she trusted her young master to make the right choice. "Fine." She went back into her ethereal form as Michael bent down to his shoes. There he inscribed the rune Uruz. It glowed a bright yellow before dissipating. He looked back at Rider and smiled. "I hope to meet again someday. Hopefully on better terms than before, Rider." With that he sped off with the speed of a car. Once close enough to another building he lept up onto its roof and continued the process until he was sure that he was far enough away from the battlefield.

I can't go back to my previous home. More than likely they will find it and I'll be dead. That means taking a days work to make another bounded field. How could I be so reckless! Michael finally stopped in the center of Fuyuki, more specifically in front of the entrance of the Fuyuki Grand Hotel. "So, Cleo, does this fit your needs?"
"I'm sure it will suffice."

[Rhomeo]

“Valiant players?” Saber scoffed, tapping her sword against the ground. “You've got some nerve, Caster, addressing me like that. Perhaps you'd like it if I tore you apart instead of that pesky little fucker who thought he could get away with killing my Master?”

Her words were calm enough, but her eyes betrayed her emotions. However much she wanted to deny it, she did quite like her Master. Cute, easy to manipulate, a huge source of prana... she really was perfect for Saber. Getting shot down on the first night was as bad as it could get, really. The sound of a step behind her caused her to turn, facing towards the now-clear-eyed Berserker. Having lapsed out of Mad Enhancement, she could see his expression shift at the feeling of the wound she'd inflicted on him. Even if he was getting something from the injury with a Personal Skill, with so much damage, he'd be pushing it if he continued fighting.

“You go home,” she stated, waving her free hand at the monster of a man. “I'm not going to have my favourite toy die on the first night because I got greedy. I'd rather go find the perpetrator of that shot, eh? If there's a Master taking potshots around here, then I'd like to show them what happens for aiming at my A~ya~me~.”

“Next time we fight, Saber, I will kill you,” Berserker nearly smiled.

“Looking forward to it, tough guy! Now scamper off, before I change my mind and cut you down like Ayame wanted me to.”

Surprisingly understanding, Berserker shifted back into phantasmal form and his presence left the boardwalk. That left only Rider, Caster and Saber, as well as the people still watching from a distance.

“If you lot don't mind,” Saber yawned, addressing the two Servants close to her. “I'm going to go comb the river for a shooter, followed by viscerally tearing out all their major organs one by one. I expect there's no objections?”

---

David's Workshop

“You're an idiot.”

“I don't want to hear that coming from you.”

Berserker looked on from the darkness at the pair, with his Master lying in a puddle of his own blood. When he'd ordered him to retreat, that had been... for both their sakes. Irisviel was busy holding a cigarette in her partner's mouth, for some reason.

“If he didn't want to listen, why not just use a Command Seal?” Irisviel pushed.

“It'd be a waste, not to mention it all turned out fine anyway,” David breathed past the cigarette in his mouth. “I'll be fine, just need a couple day's rest. These shitty cigarettes help too, know how much prana you can put into these things?”

“I should know, since I did it.”

David nearly smiled, his usual calculating expression torn down in favour of pain. It seemed that even for him, he was still only human. Full of faults and weaknesses just like anyone else, albeit his problems were a little more complicated than the average person. Expecting the conversation to be finished, Berserker materialised behind the couch, dragging the attention of the two.

“I'd scold you, but there's no point. Let Irisviel heal you, I'll just stay here.”

“But-”

David snatched the cigarette from her hand and kept it there himself, much to Irisviel's chagrin. The white-haired beauty stood up and moved over to Berserker. His armour had been both caved in and sliced neatly in half, with small rivers of blood pouring out and over the blackened metal. At least it sort of improved the colour scheme.

Her body glowed as her alchemy activated, causing a glow underneath the man's armour. It lasted for seconds, then minutes, to hours. By the time Irisviel stopped, David was already sitting up and going through his fifth cigarette of the evening.

“What a shitty night,” David sighed.

“I agree,” Berserker frowned.

“You two have more in common than you think!”

“Quiet, you,” David grumbled.

[Fleija Croze]

"Another one arrived." Assassin moved his rifle towards the newcomer- Another Master. He looked at Almiira, who affirmed a nod. Right after pulling the bolt, a dome of air had erupted and quickly dissipated and another one- A regal figure had appeared and the original target had disappeared. A Caster? Assassin was unfazed, he already chambered another round and was aiming at the newcomer without a single flinch or a sense of surprise.

Almiira had to speak lest he attempt to fire. "Cancel that order. Observe"

Assassin moved out of his firing stance to return the rifle to his back. His eyes are still glued to the scene. The person he was aiming for was gone and the winged woman had paused and was leaking an absurd amount of killing intent into the air before leaving the other servants. She was out to hunt them. "Orders?"

"Continue to observe them while I continue to make preparations. Inform me of any developments and do not attack unless absolutely necessary." Almiira had already begun walking back to her room. The hallways were still well-lit, and the room they were staying in appeared to be untouched. Perfect. She unlocked the door and whispered "2529 Open", before a small clear film fell off the knob.

She opened the door halfway and entered before placing the same film on the knob again. The room was almost exactly how she left it a few minutes ago- The red fumes from her experiment were gone and a red solid replaced the supposedly liquid concoction. She put down her rifle on the bed, sat down on a chair and produced a knife from her coat, placing it beside the experiment before she put on disposable rubber surgical gloves- Different from the thick ones she wore earlier.

She picked up the knife and held it in reverse grip with both hands before stabbing the produced red stone with all her might. Upon landing, the knife's tip bends enough to make a hook. Almiira's face was one of disappointment- The stone had slightly been chipped at the point where it was stabbed, and the knife is no longer usable.

Turning these into fragments will take a greater amount of effort than thought.

[TheExiledChampion]

A lot of things seem to happen as the two men watches the scene, witnessing Berserker being severely cut by Saber moments the red flash was made. During the commotion the two other seem to be making an move as the young boy send his Servant to assist Saber, that surprises Lyle as he continue looking through the large albino bird. But he didn't miss how Lancer reacted from the other woman declaration toward Rider, Lyle called out to him as the large owl look at the blind Servant. "Lancer...are you alright?" Lyle asked as he attempt to get his Servant's attention, that seem to fail as an gun shot was fired.

Lyle switches his control to another of his birds in order to seek out the shooter, knowing that Rider's Master was too close by for the gunshot to be hers. Since it sounded to be coming from a farther distant, making it unlikely to be the Master hiding close by on another building's roof. But any search for the shooter stopped the moment Lyle felt an disturbance in air flow, due to his affinity with air magic. The redheaded Magus could sense the natural wind flow being unsettle by some unnatural force, not only that, but the massive amount of prana also gave off an red flag.

"Master...a new arrival appeared at the boardwalk." Lancer stated as his Master return to the owl and saw an regal dressed man making an flashy appearance with an dome of winds, "so he disturbed the airflow...it must be Caster with that much control." Lyle pointed out with some amusement, nearly sounding like he was impress with the performance Caster had made. Even more so with the uproar that man made, sounding like some director to an play or critic too one and was dissatisfied by some of the Masters actions.

"Seem the fighting is ceasing at the moment, return home Lancer. I've seen enough at the time being, but first..." Lyle instructed as he give his Servant another order with an faint smirk.

[Rhomeo]

"No Master. This time I will fight, more for your sake than mine." Rider stared at Caster. He didn't seem hostile but the blatant threat towards her Master couldn't go answered, but Rider let it go regardless. There was a more immediate threat on hand. Namely; Saber. After her declaration, Rider was sure the only shooter Saber would find would be her Master. That couldn't be allowed to happen.

Rider smacked the butt of her spear to get Riders attention. "I cannot let you do that, Saber." Saber's eyes narrowed. Was the Master of this floozy the one who shot Ayame? If so, the bitch would pay.

"Oh? Are you going to stop me?" Saber asked the spear wielder sweetly, "I don't believe you have the strength to stop me." Rider shook her head at Saber's foolishness. "There is more to fighting than just brute strength. Now come, show me the speed you used to best Berserker."

Saber ground her teeth. Clearly, her strength wasn't being taken seriously. Readying herself, Saber shattered the ground as she went near super sonic. In less than a second the bitches head would be---

Rider disappeared from Saber's vision. What?!
Rider had gone low, underneath the wildly swung sword, with speed as great or greater than Sabers, and readied her own spear to pierce Sabers heart. Grimacing, Saber was forced to do an awkward spin and knock the tip of the spear aside with the pommel of her short sword.

Saber regained her footing and danced a few feet away from Rider. That was interesting. So she's just as fast as I am. Saber licked her lips and her bloodlust blossomed. In a way, this will be just as fun as Berserker.

Rider noted the sudden increase in killing intent. I suppose it was too much to hope this would be ended in one blow? Rider sighed and lifted her shield. Saber had taken the iniative last time. This time, both would be wary---

Saber defied expectations and shot forward with a crack. Dammit. Rider reacted quickly thanks to her high agility, and sped forward to meet Saber. Both figures would appear to be blurs to normal humans. Rider aimed her spear at Sabers neck, but Saber was prepared and used her wing to adjust her momentum, moving to the side to avoid the spearhead, and lashing out with a slice at Riders own neck.

Grunting, Rider used the rim of her shield to knock the blade aside. As Saber overextended herself, there was small flash of white light, and she was once again surprised by Rider. Instead of the expected spearhead to greet her, the moonlight shone of the blade of a sword: one that was aimed to pierce Saber in the chest.

What the--

Saber used her wing once again to glide out of reach of the sword. Soon, there was silence as both Servants stared at each other. Saber broke it first. "That's an interesting style you've got. What class are you?" Rider didn't answer, she only continued to stare at Saber, longsword and shield ready for the next assault.

"Silence isn't going to help you," Saber laughed. "Well, whatever, mind if I up the odds a bit?"

With a flick of her wrist, Saber's blade caught flame. It wasn't burning as brightly as when she'd been fighting Berserker, however it was no longer red - it was blue. The intense heat had nearly doubled, concentrated very close to the metal. Wings twitching in preparation, the winged Servant crouched down, ready to take flight at Rider.

"You don't listen very well, do you?" Rider pointed her sword at Saber, "I already said your pretty little flames will have no effect against me." Saber ignored her words, and launched herself at Rider, flaming blade in hand. As the distance closed, Rider grinned, and thrust her blade up to turn Saber's sword. But this time, Riders own sword had caught flames as well. The extreme heat emitting from Saber's sword looked to have no effect on Rider, even the blue flames licking at her produced no reaction from her.

With blade deflected, Saber turned and unleashed a vicious assault against Rider. It was here that a difference in their fighting styles was made apparent. Saber swung her sword with almost reckless abandon, relying on pure instinct to guide her arm whereas Riders' was far more calculated and methodical, showing hints of long years of training, fighting, and cunning. Instead of trying to match strength against Saber, Rider used skill to deflect and turn the shortsword instead of trying to stop it as Berserker had.

But Saber's instinct was top notch, and she feinted a blow to Riders neck, before once again using her fist to smash into Riders shield. The hit was so strong, that Rider actually skidded back. Grimacing in pain as the shock went to her arm, Rider raised her sword, and with another flash of white light, it turned into the spear once again. Damn her for forcing me to reveal two skills.

Energy poured into Rider, and with a dramatic increase in strength, threw the spear at Saber just as she stopped skidding back from the previous blow.

Saber's entire body contorted to the side, narrowly bending around the near-super-sonic spear. Quickly righting herself, she readied her weapon again and grinned broadly.

"Tell me, are you trying to hold me here because it was your Master that shot at Ayame? That would be a shame, because then, you know... I should probably just kill you!"

It happened very quickly, the killing intent from Saber intensified to the point of being overpowering. A huge amount of prana concentrated in her left arm; more than enough to activate a Noble Phantasm. The sensation was familiar to what had happened when she'd struck Berserker down, although this was... different, somehow. Controlled, not a spontaneous burst like earlier. Saber was about to get deadly serious and unless Rider responded in kind, there was next to no chance she was going to survive.

"Rider, I'm safe. Pull out now!"

Rider received the order and nodded. Saber was getting serious, and if allowed to finish her attack, would no doubt wipe the floor with her. Unless Rider was willing to use her own Noble Phantasm. Which she wasn't. Riders form began to dematerialize as she returned to a Phantasmal state. Rider doubted Saber would listen even if she spoke, so she said nothing, and knew her Master had made a dangerous enemy. Through a misunderstanding of all things.

Saber was left alone on the boardwalk.

Maria was having no luck tonight. From the intervention that saved the young Masters life, to the interruption of the Servant she guessed as Caster, to Saber's declaration of her intended hunt. Tossing the backpack on the ground, Maria quickly disassembled her rifle. Her position was soon going to be compromised, even if Rider was going to fight.

Maria had no objections to Riders decision. As arrogant as it sounded, Maria's worth was higher than Rider. If Maria was killed, it was over. But if Rider died, Maria still had a chance of obtaining the Grail.

Jumping of the roof, Maria landed with a grunt and was on the move instantly. Far from the battle, and towards her base. But it would be moot if a Master found her, either through familiars or Servant. Maria cast two spells in quick succession, speaking volumes of Maria's concentration. One was similar to a bounded field, in that people's, or familiars, attention would be diverted. The second simply muffled the sounds she made as she ran.

Weaving through familiar neighborhoods, Maria stuck to the shadows, flitting between dark alleys and the sides of buildings.

Suddenly, there was a sharp increase in prana from behind. It wasn't coming from Rider.

"Rider, I'm safe! Pull out now!"

Maria slowed down as she neared her base.

Oh god, what a night...

[TheExiledChampion]

Lancer stayed for a moment to watch Rider and Saber fight before fading away, while the albino bird had took off to follow Rider's Master. Lyle watching through it eyes as he try to familiarize the path she was taking, that was until his control over the Familiar started to waver. An telltale sign of some sort of spell, but it didn't seem to be an high enough rank to stop Lancer as he kept going unfazed till stopping no longer hearing her footsteps.

"Appears we lost her...for now, head on home Lancer. We need to plan our next move, might need to make some calls." Lyle explained as he called in his Familiars back and Lancer as well. Who kept speaking with Lyle on the way back. "Master, you remember that woman who tried assisting Saber?

"Yes, what about her?" Lyle asked curiously after hearing the question.

"I know who she is..." Lancer answered as kept walking under the concealment of being phantasmal.