//------------------------------// // All Gathered // Story: Fate/Twilight // by moguera //------------------------------// Chapter 3: All Gathered Twilight Sparkle could scarcely believe what she was seeing. There was nothing even remotely like this in Equestria. It was terrifying, monstrous and barbaric. And perplexingly, it was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. A footstep crushed solid concrete. A glancing blow sliced clean through the metal column of a street lamp. The slightest poke punched right into the steel wall of a container. It was like watching a cross between a typhoon and a dance. Twilight realized that she wasn't the only one enthralled by the spectacle. Aaron's gaze, which she had been using to watch the battle, was fixed near constantly on the two Servants' exchange, only occasionally flicking to other parts of the battlefield, mainly Saber's Master, who was clearly as taken by the sight as everyone else. And what a sight it was. Even as she quailed in horror at the thought of two living, thinking beings in a struggle to the death, Twilight couldn't deny that there was also something engaging about the fight. Lancer and Saber moved with grace, precision, and the smoothness possessed only by those who spent a lifetime polishing their skills and abilities. Twilight recognized that grace all too well. It was the same grace she saw in Rainbow Dash whenever the pegasus performed a stunt that she had perfected through weeks of practice. The one major difference was that these two Servants had polished their skills in the art of violence and murder, not stunt-flying...oh and they weren't pegasi; there was that too. At this point, both Servants were carefully feeling each other out. Neither had a full handle on what the other could do. In spite of what normally would have been an awkward configuration, Lancer wielded both of his spears with ease. While Twilight might not have been familiar with human fighting styles, she could deduce how they would normally be used from what she observed of human physique and anatomy, as well as the characteristics of the weapons themselves (and possibly with additional information provided by the Holy Grail). It was clear that Lancer's fighting style was unorthodox and it showed in how Saber responded to his attack and defense. At a distance, she was forced to parry and dodge thrusts and slashes from the long spear. But when she closed in, her attacks were quickly deflected and countered by the immaculate defense of the shorter spear. But Saber wasn't the only one having difficulties. Unable to see her weapon, Lancer obviously found judging Saber's range to be difficult. Even if he could tell the line of her attack by the movements she made when she swung that invisible sword, he couldn't gauge her reach well enough to set up the perfect counter. The two of them were in a complete stalemate. Twilight yelped as Aaron wrenched his vision away from the fight and began to cast it all across the area. "What are you doing?" she demanded, surprised at her own reluctance to stop watching the fierce exchange. "The straight-up fight between Servants isn't the only battle being waged here," replied Aaron cryptically. Aaron swept his scrying spell systematically across the whole of the dockyard, searching for anything unusual. To a magus, the way in which this fight had been set up had been anything but subtle. Lancer had revealed himself quite grandly and announced his presence to any and all Servants and Masters who might have been nearby; a good number of which, had probably already been following Saber and her "Master." And while he was hidden, Lancer's Master was clearly somewhere on the scene as he had been the one to set up the barrier that would keep regular humans from noticing. There were other oddities of note. The statement of Saber's Master at the beginning of the battle had aroused Aaron's suspicions. While one of the primary support functions of a Master was to heal their Servant's damage, that was far from all they could do, especially when the Command Seals were brought into play. Irisviel's claim that healing magecraft was all she could do to support Saber had immediately set off alarm bells in his head. If that was the case, then maybe the homunculus wasn't really Saber's Master. But if she wasn't, then who was? Again, Aaron's mind returned to the Einzbern Family's rumored trump card. There! On the western bank of the dockyard, kneeling on some scaffolding, was a single person. Aaron didn't have to look very closely to identify him. It was easy to recognize the man's appearance from his files; that wavy black hair, the long coat billowing in the wind that buffeted his perch, and most tellingly of all, the very modern weapon that he was using to scan the battleground. This was Emiya Kiritsugu. Aaron felt a cold shiver run down his spine. The weapon the Mage Slayer cradled in his hands with practiced ease looked decidedly...lethal. "What is that?" Caster asked nervously. "It's a gun," replied Aaron. "I know that," replied Caster flatly, "But what kind of gun is it?" Aaron frowned. His knowledge of modern weaponry was far from substantial. "Unless I'm mistaken, I think it's what they call a sniper rifle. It's a special kind of gun that's meant to deal a precise blow from extreme distances." "Why on earth would he use that?" gasped Caster, clearly appalled by the notion. "Even for someone familiar with such things, it would be a terrifying weapon," explained Aaron, "But for magi, such a thing would not even enter their consideration. They would put little thought into defending against a weapon like that because it is the kind of thing a true magus would never use. In other words, there could be no better weapon for one who is a Mage Slayer." Aaron used his scrying spell to get a closer look at the weapon. Even if he would never contemplate using a weapon like that (if only because he would never contemplate fighting in general if he could avoid it), Aaron was still intrigued by it. Immediately, he realized something was off. Being in expert in seeing things and how things are seen, Aaron was all too familiar with how to gauge line of sight. For a weapon meant to deliver a precise attack from a substantial distance, the aiming mechanism would have to be carefully calibrated so that the shooter could hit what he was aiming at. Thus, what was clearly a telescopic scope of some kind mounted on top of the gun and aligned perfectly with the centerline of the barrel made sense to Aaron. What didn't make sense to him was the second scope, slightly bulkier in shape and size, that was attached to the side of the first. Even taking into consideration the awkward positioning of the second scope, which would have made aiming difficult or even impossible, the main question was still why were there two scopes? To a practiced observer like Aaron, the answer was obvious. The two scopes must have had different functions. Aaron was well aware that typical magecraft geared towards concealment was generally concerned with two potential means of observation. The first was detection by scrying and search spells, much like the one Aaron himself was using at the moment. The other was what could be seen with the human eye. Most so-called invisibility spells were not designed with the realization that there were a myriad number of ways people could be "seen" aside from mere eyesight. In particular, Aaron knew from his experience in experimenting with modern methods of surveillance and observation that magi were especially easy to detect with the use of thermal cameras, the presence of active magic circuits increasing a magus's body temperature beyond the range of normal humans. Perhaps Emiya Kiritsugu had made a similar realization and now was employing it in his typically lethal fashion. Something else that unnerved Aaron was Kiritsugu's choice of position. While the elevated scaffold was an excellent position to observe the battle from, it wasn't the best position by far. That position belonged to the derrick crane, which towered thirty meters above the ground. From there, one could have surveyed the entire area with ease. It was exactly the kind of location Aaron would have picked had he wanted to watch the battle with his physical eyes. So why wasn't Kiritsugu there? Aaron's thought process was derailed when Kiritsugu paused in his sweep of the dockyard. The Mage Slayer appeared to fixate on a single point, checking through one scope and then the other. He's found something. There was one especially likely candidate. "It seems that Emiya has found Lancer's Master." Without waiting for any response from Caster, Aaron began to trace Kiritsugu's line of sight. It eventually intersected with the roof of a large warehouse, another elevated point with a commanding view of the battlefield. "I don't see anything," said Caster. "Me neither. That probably means that Lancer's Master is hiding behind an invisibility spell." That would be the natural course of action for most magi. If anything, the woman standing behind Saber was being exceptionally bold for stepping onto the battlefield with her Servant. Aaron sighed. There was no way he could affect the means to break through the spell at this distance. He had experimented with spells that allowed him to see beyond the visible spectrum. However, marrying those spells to the remote viewing application of his Mystic Code had proven too complicated for him to finish any adjustments by the time the Grail War began. Normally, he would simply have shrugged and given up. Leaving the identity of Lancer's Master a mystery was the kind of thing that would have appealed to him as a watcher. He would have had fun deducing which of the participating magi was the guiding hand behind Lancer's movements through a variety of deductive processes. However, now that he was a participant, the knowledge of this Mast's identity was critical to his survival. He simply could not let the issue lie. "Hmm, maybe if I..." Aaron was surprised to hear Caster speaking up next to him. Aaron felt her prana being released and...streaming into him. She had gone beyond reversing the Shared Perception to borrow his senses, she was now using her magecraft to affect his senses directly through the link. Aaron's jaw dropped. Even more amazing, her magecraft was now interacting with the spell employed by his Mystic Code. The image of the warehouse roof began to blur and distort, as though he was looking at the scene through glasses with the wrong prescription. But then, the center of the distortion began to clear and Aaron was able to make out the shape of a single man standing on the warehouse roof. Caster had gone beyond borrowing his senses. She was now manipulating Aaron's own spell. Technically, it was the spell he had built his Mystic Code for. A Mystic Code like Aaron's was a support time designed to perform a given mystery when it was activated by his prana. It wasn't the same as casting a spell, but rather simply activating one that had been prepared and cast in advance. Because of this, a Mysatic Code could be modified and refined. What made Caster's action so amazing was that she was doing so on the spot, carefully adjusting the spell's properties without interfering with its original purpose. But even more amazing was the result. From the distortion occurring, Aaron suspected that Caster's modifications were functioning as a sort of thaumaturgical lens, filtering out the invisibility spell being used by the other Master. In other words, she had been able to discern the exact form of the interference in the world caused by the opposing thaumaturgy and modified Aaron's own spell to filter that interference out. It was a feat that would have probably taken most magi hours to accomplish and only after careful observation and analysis. But Caster had done this in mere seconds. It took Aaron a little longer to get his feelings back under control. His heart was thundering in his ribs and he could barely control his breathing. To help, he focused on the image of the newly revealed Master, as Caster's efforts snapped the rest of the scene back into focus, so that the view around the enemy magus wasn't swimming and swirling anymore. "Do you recognize him?" asked Caster, a tinge of nervousness in her voice. "Yes," answered Aaron coolly. There was no mistaking that swept back blonde hair, green eyes and that smug, haughty expression. "Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi." Something was off. Aaron and Caster had only found Kayneth because Emiya Kiritsugu had spotted him first. Given how ruthless the Mage Slayer was, he should have already used that impressive weapon of his to attack Lancer's Master. It would have quickly put an end to the battle unfolding below. Curious, Aaron turned his attention back to Kiritsugu, only to find that Kiritsugu was no longer pointing his weapon at Kayneth. Rather he now had it focused in a completely different direction, pointing right up at the derrick crane. At that moment, Aaron got his first taste of the ultimate pragmatism that was at the core of Emiya Kiritsugu's philosophy. As he followed the Mage Slayer's line of sight, Aaron realized that Kiritsugu had chosen not to watch from the derrick crane precisely because it was such an ideal location for observing the battle. Emiya Kiritsugu had realized that and had instead chosen a position where he could monitor both Saber's fight and the derrick crane. If Aaron had been foolish enough to go to the battleground in person and had followed his instincts, he would have put himself right into Emiya Kiritsugu's sights. He would have practically gift-wrapped himself for the Mage Slayer. However, more ominous still was the truth about exactly who Emiya Kiritsugu was observing. Crouched on top of the derrick crane was a familiar looking figure. Those black clothes, that crouched, animalistic posture, and above all else, that stylized skull mask made the figure's identity clear beyond question. "Assassin?" "Why is he here?" asked Twilight, unable to process what she was seeing. Hadn't this Servant been killed already? She had seen him be wiped out by the barrage of that golden Servant. "He seems to be different," Aaron remarked. That much was true. Unlike the one who had died trying to infiltrate the Tohsaka mansion, this Assassin was clothed in flowing black robes that billowed in the evening breeze. His stature appeared to be shorter than the one they had seen die earlier, although it was hard to tell with him crouching like that. But that was impossible. There couldn't be more than one Assassin. The Holy Grail only allowed for seven Servants to be summoned and only one from each class. "I guess that we should assume that this is somehow related to his Noble Phantasm or some special ability of his," Aaron remarked casually. But there was one thing that was certain. If Assassin was still in play, then that meant that Kotomine Kirie was not actually out of the war, meaning that he had only been pretending to be defeated. The only remaining question was whether or not Tohsaka and his Servant had been in on the ruse or if they were dupes as well. The sounds of clashing steel echoing from below paused, causing Aaron and Twilight to redirect their attention to the fight between Saber and Lancer. The two Servants had separated momentarily and appeared to be sizing one another up. While Aaron and Twilight had been focusing on Kiritsugu, Kayneth and Assassin, the duel between Saber and Lancer had apparently intensified. The asphalt around them had been torn up for several meters in every direction. With a low groan, a container collapsed, letting the container on top of it slide to the ground. Both Servants ignored this development, choosing to remain focused on one another. In site of the intense battle, they were unscathed. In fact, neither of them looked so much as winded. Finally, Lancer broke the silence between them. "Even though there's no honor in battling without giving out our names, I should complement you. To come this far without even breaking a sweat, you truly are a formidable opponent." Saber smiled. "There's no need for modesty. For a man of your skill to compliment me, I am honored." Twilight couldn't even begin to understand. The two of them had just been trying to kill one another. But however she looked at it, Twilight couldn't overlook the realization that the two Servants seemed to enjoy the battle. They weren't competing for points or a title. The only judge in this competition existed primarily to make sure that normal humans didn't find out about the battle. The loser would die. That'all there was to it. This wasn't like the Iron Pony competition between Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Before Twilight's (or rather, Aaron's eyes) stood two paragons of human strength and excellence. But in her mind, she could only see them as monsters, aiming to devour one another. For the first time, Twilight Sparkle truly felt the alien nature of the human world. Was this one of their qualities as a race? Did they revel in conflicts such as this? Did any of the Servants or Masters realize that this competition, this Holy Grail War, was nothing more than ritualized murder? Surely someone had to realize that killing, no matter what decorations you put on it, was still killing. Her hopes were shattered as a cold voice swept across the battlefield. "Enough of this foolishness Lancer. Don't waste time paying pointless compliments to your enemy. Saber is a formidable opponent. Finish her now. You may use your Noble Phantasm." Twilight felt a familiar shiver run down her spine. She knew it had been Lancer's Master who had spoken. He seemed familiar to her. It was in the way that Kayneth stood and held himself with that expression of disdain, even while watching his own Servant battle for his sake. Even his voice reminded her of the golden Servant that had slaughtered (or seemed to slaughter) Assassin. In many ways, this Kayneth seemed like a lesser version of that golden Servant. This man was clearly one who was accustomed to elevating himself above others. In response to his Master's order, Lancer's smile merely widened. "As you wish, my Master." With that, he dropped the short spear in his left hand, letting it clatter against the ground. That done, he switched his single-handed grip on the longer spear two a more conventional two-handed one. Then he unraveled the cloth wrapped around the spear. As the cloth fell away, it revealed a shaft and tip of vivid crimson color. Even though it was a tool of murder, Twilight couldn't help but find the spear's design to be quite beautiful. It was a work of art, even if it was a killing tool. "So he's going to be using his Noble Phantasm," observed Aaron, sounding uncertain. "What's wrong?" asked Twilight. "It's just...I didn't think he would abandon his other spear." "Couldn't that have been a decoy to keep Saber from figuring out which was his Noble Phantasm." "Yes, but simply dropping it like that kind of defeats the purpose. A more appropriate strategy would have been to unbind them both and continue wielding two spears to keep Saber guessing so that she doesn't realize when the actual Noble Phantasm is going to hit. Just dropping the spear like that makes it obvious which of them is the Noble Phantasm." Hearing that, Twilight began to have doubts of her own. In spite of being a decoy, the short spear had been shown to be capable of withstanding clashes with Saber's weapon, which made it a very well-made decoy. But the biggest tell was that Lancer had dropped the weapon at all while calling attention to the long spear. It was as though he wanted to make his opponent forget about the shorter spear altogether. "This is it, Saber. From here on out, I'm coming at you with intent to kill," declared Lancer as he leveled the crimson spear at his opponent. The prana emitting from the spear's tip made the air shift like a mirage. "And one other thing. You are using some form of magecraft to conceal your sword. I'm guessing that that's because you don't want your enemies to recognize your blade and realize who you are." "That might be true, Lancer," replied Saber grimly, lifting her weapon into what looked like a guard position, "However, I will strike you down long before you get the chance to see my blade." "Hmm, I wonder," said Lancer, a teasing smile stretching his lips, "I believe that I can lift the veil on your invisible blade." With that, Lancer lunged forward, thrusting his spear straight for Saber. Compared to the dazzling techniques he had employed earlier, this was a much simpler attack, one that was easily blocked. Saber reacted quickly and naturally, bringing the invisible blade across her and parrying the thrust, redirecting the tip of the spear to the ground. A cyclone exploded forth from the clash. For a moment, Twilight forgot she wasn't actually present on the battlefield and reflexively leaned away as screaming wind tore through the open space, tossing about loose debris. And at the center of that intense, unexpected storm, Saber's sword appeared. Twilight felt her heart skip a beat. She saw it only for an instant and the whirling cloud of dust and debris kept her from perceiving any great detail. But what she saw moved her in a profound manner that she was unable to understand. There was something...inspiring about that blade. Looking at it made Twilight think of the Elements of Harmony, although they were clearly different from that deadly weapon. Something about that sword elevated it above other weapons, even Lancer's magnificent spear or the grand treasures hurled by that golden Servant. It was a blade that stood in a class of its own. But the instant was over. Saber had disengaged her weapon and stepped back, aghast at what had just happened. It was obviously as much of a shock to her as it had been to everyone else except Lancer. Lancer grinned, clearly pleased with himself. "There it is, your precious sword. Now that I've seen it with my own eyes, I won't misjudge it's reach anymore." With that, he leapt into the attack. It was clear that his efforts from earlier in the battle had been child's play. No longer troubled by the uncertainty of Saber's reach, Lancer launched a furious barrage of attacks, forcing Saber into the defensive. Lancer employed his weapon's impressive reach to the fullest, always forcing Saber back and never giving her the opening she needed to step in and engage him. Every time she parried the tip of that spear, a burst of wind briefly illuminated the shape of her sword. It was as though each hit was slowly shaving away the concealment wrapped around it. "I think I've got it," said Aaron over the roar of the wind and the clash of steel, "Saber actually appears to be using some kind of wind magecraft. She's using a barrier of compressed air to refract the light and render her sword invisible." Twilight ran some mental calculations and gulped. The density of the air and the amount of prana needed to compress it to such an extend that light was refracted to such a degree was immense. If Lancer's spear was disrupting that somehow, it was no wonder that a small tornado sprang up every time their weapons clashed. Twilight was distracted by the shriek of metal. Retreating from Lancer's onslaught, Saber rushed straight up the side of a shipping container. Kicking off, she managed a leap that took her over Lancer's head, just as his spear ripped clean through the container's steel shell withe ear-splitting screech that had gotten her attention. Lancer turned about as Saber set herself once again, twirling his spear with impressive dexterity, before lowering it to point at Saber once again. The two of them faced one another briefly. They both surged forward at the same time. Saber had her weapon raised overhead, having apparently abandoned any thought of parrying Lancer's next thrust. Instead, she angled her body as she closed. Her armor! Twilight realized. Saber must have been planning to deflect Lancer's thrust with her silvery armor before catching Lancer with her follow-up attack. As they watched, Twilight suddenly noticed Saber's eyes widen, as though a sudden realization had occurred to her. She abandoned her charge and began to throw herself to the side. She wasn't fast enough. The blade of Lancer's spear met her armor...and passed clean through it, as though it wasn't even there. Blood arced and splattered across the pavement. Saber rolled to put some distance between herself and the spearman, raising her blade to ward off a quick followthrough by Lancer, who apparently chose not to pursue. "Saber!" Irisviel released a pulse of prana, which was absorbed by Saber. Saber, who had been cradling her side, straightened and looked up. "It's alright, Irisviel," she said, "Your healing spell is working." Taking advantage of the lull in the battle, Saber inspected the area of her injury. The armor had not been damaged in the slightest. The only sign that anything that had happened at all were the splashes of blood around. The area where Lancer's spear had made contact. "So if Masters can simply heal their Servants so easily, what's the point in fighting like this?" asked Twilight. "In a normal fight, even small wounds can add up. But Servants are beings with bodies composed of materialized prana, so healing them is a simple matter for a competent magus," explained Aaron, although Twilight already knew that much, "What it means is that a decisive blow is critical to victory. If. Servant's body is sufficiently damaged, then no amount of healing magecraft can restore them, especially if the Servant's core, their heart basically, is damaged. A Command Seal can be used to bolster a Servant's ability to recover, but even that has its limits. "What all this means is that a decisive blow is much more important than in regular fights. A Servant faced with an opponent supported by a competent magus is more likely to resort to using their Noble Phantasm to get that critical hit. Meanwhile, the magus doing the supporting is putting himself forward as a potential target that can be taken out to disable his Servant. It simply adds a wrinkle to the conflict." As Aaron finished his, somewhat unsatisfactory to Twilight, explanation, Saber looked up at Lancer. "I've figured your weapon out. That spear severs prana and pierces through magecraft." Lancer smiled, clearly enjoying the battle. It was not the cruel smile of one who enjoyed torturing his enemies, but one who enjoyed seeing his foe rising to the challenge before doing the same. Twilight had seen that same kind of smile on Applejack and Rainbow Dash when they were on one of their their competitive streaks. Lancer had that same eager smile. The fact that he was betting his life on the outcome of this battle only seemed to make him more excited. "From that, I'm assuming that your armor is a magical barrier. You're right. Before my spear, you might as well be naked." "Do not get too full of yourself just because my armor is of no use," replied Saber, "If it won't help me, then I will simply get rid of it." Saber's armor flashed and dissipated into particles of light, leaving her clad only in her azure dress. Saber lowered herself into a wide stance, leveling her weapon behind her. Lancer's eager smile melted into frowning concentration. "An all or nothing strike is it?" Slowly, he began to back away from the woman, setting himself up for a defensive posture. "You've turned your weakness into a strength. But still, that won't help you." Something's wrong. Twilight's mind rewound the battle, taking special care to note of the Servants' positions. They were almost at the positions they had been in when the fight had first started. In fact, Lancer was standing in the very position...where he had dropped his second spear earlier. "It's a trap!" she gasped. "Huh?" Apparently Aaron hadn't realized this and was confused by Twilight's exclamation. Before she could explain, Lancer's foot suddenly broke through the ground weakened by the chaos of battle, throwing off his balance. In that instant, a loud bang echoed across the battlefield as Saber surged forward at a speed that would have impressed Rainbow Dash, practically flying in fact. Twilight understood what the sword-wielding Servant had done. She had released the densely compressed storm that concealed her blade while pointing it behind her, apparently boosting it with her prana in the process. The recoil of releasing that tremendous gust sent her hurtling forward like a bullet. Her brilliant sword was no longer concealed as Saber closed in for the lethal strike, intent on dealing a killing blow to Lancer before he could do more than merely wound her with his spear. But Twilight already foreseen what Lancer was planning, her mind piecing everything together just as Saber charged. She saw toes of the foot that had slipped digging into the ground. With a kick, he launched the second, shorter spear into the air from where it had been lightly buried by the pavement crushed into gravel and dust. The talisman cloth around the short spear dropped away to reveal a beautiful gold shaft and blade, which swirled with prana matching that of the crimson spear. Indeed, Lancer had two Noble Phantasms. Catching the kicked spear, Lancer leveled it straight at Saber's heart as she rushed in. Already, she was straining to change her course, but it was too late for her to avoid the golden blade. The two rushed past one another and crimson splashes blossomed in the night. Coming to a rest, the two of them took stock of their injuries. While Saber had avoided a fatal blow, Lancer's spear had made its mark on her left arm. Likewise, when she had thrown all her strength into avoiding Lancer's attack, Saber had thrown away any thought of dealing the spearman a mortal injury and had instead scored his left arm in turn, causing him to drop his short spear for the second time that night. Massaging his arm, Lancer grimaced, but still maintained an amused smile. "You just won't let me win, will you?" "You should have finished her already, you idiot," snapped Kayneth from his hiding place, "Hurry up and bring this battle to a close." Lancer's wound shimmered with prana and closed on itself. Rubbing where his injury had been, Lancer hid a grimace at the scolding he received. "Many thanks, my Master." A quick kick returned the golden spear to his grip. Saber glared at her opponent and replaced the veil of wind around her blade, making it disappear from sight once again. "Irisviel, heal me." A steady trickle of blood was running down Saber's arm. Her left hand appeared to be shaky. "Must've cut the tendon," muttered Aaron, "If she can't use her left hand properly, then she can't use that sword with her fullest strength. And if she's who I think she is, then that's a major problem for her." Twilight was about to ask what Aaron meant, although she suspected that he had just realized Saber's true identity. However, she was interrupted by a distraught voice from Irisviel, who was apparently agitated. "I can't," she said, looking around uncertainly, "I tried healing your wound Saber, but my spell keeps telling me that you're already at full health." Saber looked down at her injured arm and back up at Lancer. It must be the ability of that short spear, Twilight realized. Saber had apparently come to the same conclusion. Thunder rumbled ominously in the distance as Lancer grinned. "My Gáe Dearg had convinced you that your armor was useless. However, you cast it away much to quickly, for that left you vulnerable to my Gáe Buidhe." The thunder rumbled again, seeming to get closer. Twilight frowned. She hadn't noticed anything that looked like a storm coming. "I should have recognized you sooner," said Saber, appearing to be getting excited as well, "A crimson spear that pierces through magecraft and a golden spear that inflicts wounds that cannot be healed and a spot on your face that confuses the hearts of women; the first among the knights of Fianna, Diarmuid of the Love Spot. It is an honor to face an opponent like you." "Is that right?" asked Twilight. "I guess so," replied Aaron, "I've had a hard time with Irish and Celtic mythology, so many damn cycles..." Lancer grinned and hoisted his long spear over his shoulder. "That's the way the Holy Grail War works," he said ruefully, "But really, the honor is all mine." Lancer pointed at Saber with his other hand, still clasping the golden short spear. "As one who has been summoned from across time and space to participate in this war, there is no mistaking that golden sword. I can't believe I've managed to score a hit on the King of Knights. Clearly, I'm not to be underestimated." Lancer settled back into his default stance, spreading both his spears like a pair of wings. "In any case, now that we know one another's names, we can finally have an honorable battle. Will you come, King of Knights? Or are you upset over your injury?" Saber returned Lancer's cocky smile. "Surely you jest to think that I would be upset over such a minor injury." With a flick of her wrist, Saber put her weapon into a guard position, holding it with both hands, although the grip of her left hand was clearly lacking. "Prepare yourself Saber, this time I will take your life." "Only if I don't take yours first, Lancer." I don't get it at all, thought Twilight, irritation warring with fear and revulsion, Saber just got pretty badly wounded and she actually looks more excited than ever. There's absolutely no question...all the people in this war are CRAZY! And in her own mind, her Master was certainly not least among them in this respect. Closer still, the thunder rumbled. Aaron was more than a little shocked by the revelations of the battle. He wasn't that surprised to find out Lancer's true identity. He hadn't been able to figure it out until Saber had spelled it out for everyone there. But it seemed a suitable identity for Lancer. No, what had really shocked him was the revelation that the King of Knights, the wielder of the legendary Excalibur: The Sword of Promised Victory, Arthur Pendragon, was actually a woman. Aaron had realized this the moment Lancer's crimson sear had revealed that fabled blade within its sheath of wind. Given that she's relying on a Noble Phantasm to conceal the sword itself, it's safe to say that Saber doesn't have Excalibur's original sheath, thought Aaron, Thank God for small blessings. Although it was possible that Saber could just be concealing Excalibur's true sheath (which might have been as revealing as the sword itself), Aaron doubted it. Legends held that Saber had lost Excalibur's sheath at some point during her life. It was difficult to say whether that would have had any bearing on whether or not she carried the sheath as a spirit on the Throne of Heroes. The concept of ownership was a finicky thing when it came to Heroic Spirits. How they were perceived by the people who shaped their legends supposedly affected the final product of the summons as well. It could just be that the sword was considered a more integral part of Saber's identity than the sheath. Aaron's thoughts turned to Lancer. There was a Servant who would be a problem. Having gotten a reading on Lancer's stats, Aaron found that they were not as impressive as Saber's. Initially, he would have predicted that Lancer's parameters would have put him at a rather strong disadvantage against Saber. The last thing he had expected was for Kayneth's Servant to get the upper hand in this fight. Having gotten a taste of Saber's natural instinct on his first sighting of her, Aaron fully understood how difficult it would be to surprise a Servant of that caliber. However, Lancer had been able to lay a trap that even Saber had only been barely able to avoid, and had given her a debilitating injury in the process. But above all else, Aaron's concern was that crimson spear. Gáe Dearg's ability to cut through prana constituted a severe threat to a magically oriented Servant like Caster. On top of that, his other spear could deal injuries that were impossible to heal. Together, the two weapons were a lethal combination. Combined with the issues presented by Caster's flesh and blood body, these spears meant that of all the Servants they had observed so far, Lancer presented the most direct threat to Caster. We'll just have to hope that either Saber or one of the other Servants deals with Lancer before we have to fight him. Saber and Lancer stood poised to resume their battle. As he watched, Aaron was suddenly aware that the sound of thunder had grown unusually close to the battlefield. Strange, there isn't supposed to be a storm tonight. With a low roar, lighting crashed down between the two Servants, who both drew back in surprise. Both looked up, Aaron with them, to witness a shocking and magnificent sight. A massive chariot, drawn by two huge bulls was descending from the heavens. With each stride, the beasts hooves created a carpet of thunder for them to trod upon, which also supported the wheels of the chariot. Standing at the reins was a mountain of a man. He was clad in leather armor that was obviously intended more for battle than as a mark of status, although the cape trailing behind him was a fine piece of work. Most striking, we're his eyes, wild and overflowing with ambition and desire, they were framed by his bright red hair and beard as he descended, grinning, straight into the middle of the battlefield below. There was no question; this was another Servant. For a moment, silence reigned; a silence that was occasionally broken by the lowing of one of the magnificent bulls that drew the chariot. Both Lancer and Saber stared at the newly arrived Servant, neither of them certain of what to do. With an abrupt motion, the giant flung his arms out wide, as though welcoming the two Servants into his embrace. "Cease your fighting, for you are in the presence of royalty!" the newly arrived Servant roared, "I am Iskander: the King of Conquerers, summoned to participate in this Holy Grail War as the Servant, Rider!" The jaws of everyone watching the spectacle dropped. The same thought was clearly running rough all their heads. Is this guy nuts? It was clearly a sentiment shared by the small figure crouched in the chariot next to Rider, currently goggling at his Servant with an expression of shock and horror. Like everyone else watching the suddenly interrupted battle, Twilight couldn't help but gape in shock at the new arrival's proclamation. She was well aware of the need for the various Servants to conceal their identities to keep others from discovering their weaknesses. They went so far as to contrive elaborate means to conceal their Noble Phantasms, the weapons that represented them in life. Lancer had bound his in cloth and Saber had gone as far as to have a separate Noble Phantasm primarily for the purpose of concealing her true one. And yet, this Rider had not only swooped in with his magnificent chariot for all to see, but had immediately shouted forth his true identity within seconds of his arrival. Twilight couldn't be sure whether he was being exceedingly bold or impossibly stupid. "Rider you idiot! What do you think you're doing?" The voice drew Twilight Sparkle's attention to the other passenger of the chariot. Crouched next to the colossal figure that Rider cut, was a young human boy. His dark hair ran down to the level of his jaw, framing a face that Twilight, to her surprise, found rather cute. She was especially enamored by his dark-green eyes, eyes that were currently staring up at his Servant with a look of shock and anger. The boy clutched Rider's flowing cape tightly with his hands even as he continued to scold his Servant. "You can't just come down and..." The boy's tirade was cut short as Rider raised a single massive hand and...flicked the poor boy in the forehead with a meaty finger. The force of the blow was enough to send the young magus tumbling with a startled and pained yelp. Twilight had to force herself not to giggle, even though she found herself sympathizing with the young man's plight. Not even bothering to look down at his Master, Rider continued with his overtures. "Obviously I am your enemy in this war. But before we commence battle. I would like to ask..." Rider paused dramatically while the other two Servants looked on expectantly, still too shocked by his utter disregard for the basic conventions of the Holy Grail War to do much else. "...Would you consider acquiescing the Grail to me? Do it and I will welcome you as allies so that you might savor the fruits of conquest together with me!" For a moment, silence reigned. Twilight was at a complete loss as to what to think about this. It seemed utterly impossible to consider. Only one Servant could remain standing at the end of the Holy Grail War. This wasn't a simple matter of tradition or "how it was always done." The Holy Grail War, by it's very design, necessitated the deaths of six of the seven Servants in order for the Grail to even appear. Rider's proposal wasn't merely imprudent. It was impossible. Aaron seemed to come to the same conclusions. But instead, he seemed rather amused, chuckling quietly at what Rider had said. Lancer was the first of the other two Servants to answer Rider's proposal. He also seemed slightly amused by the boisterous man's idea, but shook his head. "I have entered into this war to win the Holy Grail for my lord who has summoned me here. And you are not he, Rider." Lancer's smile faded and he now leveled the full intensity of his glare at the huge fellow. Saber's expression was stony as she gave her response. "You interrupted my duel with Lancer merely to spout such gibberish." Her good hand clenched tightly around the handle of her weapon. "For a knight that is a grave insult." Rider appeared confused that the other two would turn him down so easily. He scratched his head for a second before turning to look at Saber. "I could make it worth your while..." "Enough!" Saber and Lancer snapped out identically, both of them apparently thinking the same thing. But Saber had something more to say. "Furthermore, I am a monarch as well; the king of Britain. And a king can never bow down before another." Rider's thick eyebrows rose as he looked in surprise at Saber. "The king of Britain eh? I had no idea that the King of Knights was a small girl." Saber's glare intensified. "If you really think that, then you should let this small girl give you a taste of her steel." Saber raised her weapon in preparation for battle. Looking befuddled, the large Servant merely muttered to himself. "So negotiations broke down..." Finally regaining his wits, Rider's Master lifted himself off the floor of the chariot and let a scream of frustration explode forth from his lips. "RIDERRRRRRRRRR!" Aaron was laughing now. Had she not been busy looking throu what were technically his eyes, Twilight would have spared the effort to raise an eyebrow in his direction. "What's so funny?" "I'm sorry, it's just that Alexander's idea is so impossible isn't it?" Twilight was a bit confused. "Alexander?" "Oh, sorry, I forgot about that. Iskander is the Arabic rendition of his name, but Alexander is how he's more widely known." Twilight shook her head. "What's so funny about his idea? I mean, I know it's impossible, the Holy Grail War just doesn't work that way." "It's just...that's exactly the kind of idea that Alexander would have. That's the kind of man he is. So when he suggests it, I can't help but think that maybe he could do it." Now she was very confused. Still, Twilight figured she could ask her Master the details about what he means later. In the meantime, she turned her attention back to the battlefield, where Alexander's Master was still berating the man in question. Once again, she giggled at the almost comical look of outrage on the boy's face as he pounded futilely on the slab of muscle that was his Servant. "So, it was you after all." the air seemed to chill palpably as Kayneth's voice cut through the battlefield. Rider's Master froze, his pupils dilating in fear as he turned to look around for the source of the voice. The outrage was gone, replaced with what could only be described as pure terror. Twilight was fairly certain that she had had a similar expression when she had witnessed the "death" of Assassin not so long ago. "I was wondering who had been foolish enough to steal my relic. But I had never thought that you would have the guts to enter the war yourself...Waver...Velvet." The boy's eyes grew wider as Kayneth stated what was obviously his name, spitting each word out as though he were trying to expel something unpleasant from his mouth. Waver's body was completely rigid. Barely audible squeaks seemed to be the only sound he was capable of making. Yes, this was the position of a boy who was clearly in over his head. Twilight felt her heart going it to him. "Since it can't be helped, allow me to impart a very special lesson to you," continued Kayneth, a hint of amusement creeping into his voice as he clearly took delight in the young magus's fear, "You will learn what it is for two magi to battle to the death. You will experience all the pain and terror that this battle entails. This will be my final gift to you as your teacher." "Hmm," mused Aaron as Waver sunk down into the chariot, clutching the sides of his head and trembling, "I heard rumors that an apprentice had stolen Kayneth's original catalyst. I guess those rumors were true." Twilight said nothing, wanting nothing more than to go down here herself and wrap for forelegs around the poor boy. He was clearly terrified and out of his depth, seeming so alone on that unforgiving battlefield. Thus, she was surprised when a massive hand descended from above to rest gently on Waver's shoulders. Surprised at the comforting touch, he looked up. Rider was gazing down at the terrified young man with a warm smile that looked surprisingly natural on his face. It seems like a lot of different expressions are natural to him, thought Twilight. For all his boisterousness and brutishness, the one of her friends that Rider most resembled was Pinkie Pie. Even though she didn't know the context, Twilight realized the meaning behind what Aaron had said about Alexander earlier. The King of Conquerers was indeed a man who seemed to delight in doing the impossible and illogical. "Oi magus!" shouted Rider, snapping his gaze up into the sky, his warm smile now a taunting one, "It seems that you were originally intended to be my Master instead of this boy! Let me just say that the very idea makes me ill! Only one with the courage to ride into battle beside me is fit to be my Master; not a coward who hides in the shadows and is afraid to even show his face!" With that, the giant broke into a roaring laugh that echoed through the night. The anger of Lancer's Master was practically tangible. Without waiting for a response, Rider changed gears almost immediately. "And the rest of you! I know you are out there hiding in the darkness!" "What are you talking about?" demanded Saber, who was taken aback as Rider gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up. "Saber, your duel with Lancer was fought fairly and with honor. I cannot have been the only one drawn by the ringing and clashing of your blades." Rider raised his fists into the air as he shouted out to the heavens. "Heroes summoned by the Holy Grail, let us gather! And to those of you afraid to show your faces, know that Iskander: King of Conquerers holds you in utter contempt!" "So, want to go?" asked Twilight, realizing that she was one of the "heroes" Rider was shouting his challenge to. "Definitely not," replied Aaron, "The last thing we want to do is show up in this situation, especially with the Mage Slayer nearby. If I can help it, I won't let that man catch a single glimpse of me." As though reminded of that statement, Aaron apparently decided to check up on Emiya Kiritsugu. A look showed that the Mage Slayer was currently observing events from his position. "Why isn't he doing anything?" asked Twilight nervously, "Weren't you saying that he would try to kill the other Masters to end the fight quickly?" "That might have been his plan," Aaron agreed, "He certainly looked ready to execute Kayneth earlier. I'm guessing Assassin's arrival threw a major wrench in his plans." Aaron's gaze shifted to check if Assassin was still on the derrick crane. He was. "Why not kill Assassin then?" asked Twilight. "He's probably not equipped for it," replied Aaron, "Even when materialized, Servants possess spiritual bodies that cannot be harmed by mundane weaponry. It would either take the weapon of another Servant or potent sorcery to harm one. Besides, until he can understand how Assassin managed to survive in spite of being killed by Archer, he probably wouldn't want to try anything until he's absolutely certain that Assassin will stay dead." Before their conversation could continue, a brilliant golden glow filled the air and drew their attention back to the main battlefield. Shifting his spell, Aaron and Twilight watched as a cloud of golden motes descended out of the air, gathering on top of one of the few remaining, intact lampposts. The light took form and morphed into the visage of that terrifying golden Servant that Twilight and Aaron had seen the other day. Even though she was only watching through Aaron's spell, Twilight could feel Archer's malice settle over the entire area like a sickening blanket. She wanted nothing more than to skitter off and hide under the nearest piece of cover, trembling like one of Fluttershy's woodland friends. "Not one, but two insolent fools dare to refer to themselves as kings and ignore my presence." Archer's vivid crimson eyes settled on Rider and Saber with the full force of his displeasure. "That's an odd thing to quarrel over," said Rider, his expression surprisingly amiable for someone who had just been insulted in such a condescending manner, "I am Iskander, known far and wide as the King of Conquerers." "Ridiculous," snapped Archer, "I am the only true king to stride this Earth. All are commoners and animals before me." Twilight found herself reminded of Kayneth. Lancer's Master had indeed been a scaled-down version of this Servant in terms of personality. They both had that same arrogant attitude that regarded others as too lowly to be worth their consideration as people. But Kayneth's was but a pale imitation of Archer's attitude. It was like comparing a cheap, store-bought reproduction of a piece of art to the original; a tiny, plastic replica compared to the full-sized piece hewed from flawless marble. Archer didn't merely think he stood above others. He didn't even know that he stood above them. It was something that went well beyond thought or knowledge, a truth so absolute as to be utterly unquestionable. And it was this truth that clearly multiplied Archer's rage at Rider's casual attitude as he asked, "Then state your name. Surely a fellow king wouldn't hesitate to reveal his identity." "You dare to issue such orders to me...to your king. Blessed with the honor of basking in the glory of my presence and yet you still do not recognize me. You are uncivilized animals unworthy of your lives!" Light flared up behind Archer, a portal in space opening. From that opening emerged two weapons, a sword and a spear, both of them ornate treasures of unquestionable value and power. Saber quickly rushed to get between the weapons and her Master, clearly bent on guarding the woman, with her life if necessary. Twilight blinked as she realized the true degree of Archer's arrogance. He had readied two weapons, for two enemies, the two kings. But there were three Servants currently arrayed against Archer. Since his arrival, Archer had not acknowledged the presence of Lancer even once. Even if he wasn't a king, Lancer was still a Heroic Spirit, a man who had won glory through great deeds that had echoed across history to elevate him well beyond the realm of ordinary humans. And yet, this man did not even appear in Archer's sight. "I guess that settles it," muttered Aaron, "Archer's identity is beyond question now." "Who is he?" "The world's first king, whose legend is related in one of the oldest written works known to mankind, he is Gilgamesh: King of Heroes. Tokiomi really did manage to secure a ringer for this battle." "Is he really that powerful?" asked Twilight nervously. "The older a mystery is, the more powerful it is. Gilgamesh is eldest among the heroic spirits and the clay tablets that relate his tale are among the oldest written works ever found in human history," explained Aaron, "All told, he's probably leagues above the other Servants in terms of sheer strength. The real question is how well he makes use of that strength." Turning her attention back to the battle, Twilight watched as a sneering Archer leveled his weapons in preparation to strike down the two Servants who so insulted him. Two weapons? Something was off about Archer's behavior. When he had struck down Assassin, Archer had unleashed a barrage of weapons too numerous to count. And yet, while facing down Saber and Rider, two Servants who undoubtedly outclassed Assassin as warriors, Archer used only two. But what did that mean? Twilight put her questions on hold as a storm of prana erupted from the ground. Rising up from the center of the maelstrom like a vengeful demon was a massive figure. It was a knight, clad from head to toe in ebony armor, howling wordlessly as he arose to his full height. On every level, he was completely different from the other Servants. Where as the others were paragons of human existence, he seemed to be something of a negative existence, at once familiar but also completely alien to the other fighters. Black mist swirled about him, obscuring his form and making his outline shift and waver. Just looking at him made Twilight's eyes hurt, and she wasn't even using her eyes. "This must be Berserker," Aaron observed, "That's strange. I can't get a reading on his parameters at all. It looks like there's some kind of enchantment that blocks even a Master's sight." "Is he here because of Rider too?" asked Twilight. "Perhaps, perhaps not," said Aaron, "As a Servant with a strong affinity for madness, he might not respond to, or even recognize for that matter, Rider's provocation. I've heard that the Mad Enhancement of the Berserker class is activated at will, either by the Servant or the Master. That feature greatly increases their Servant's strength at the cost of their capacity for thought and reason. I normally wouldn't expect either the Servant or Master to resort to that until the battle actually began. But that scream of his probably meant he was frothing at the mouth even before he got here. For some reason, either Berserker or his Master is keeping him in that state." Down on the battlefield, Berserker twisted around and looked directly up at Archer, who had barely acknowledged the black knight's presence. But Berserker's glare got his attention. Not even turning to face him, Archer snarled, barely doing Berserker the honor of turning his head to look back. "You dare to look upon me you mad dog. There is only one punishment for such insolence. Try to see that your final moments provide me with some amusement." The weapons Archer had summoned changed their orientation, now pointing down at the silent black knight. The blades began to shimmer with prana, quivering in their positions as Archer built up enough of a charge. Then, without warning or preamble, the sword and the spear leaped forth, arrowing towards Berserker at a speed much too fast for Twilight to follow. An explosion engulfed the crazed Servant, completely obscuring him from view. For a moment, Twilight was certain that he had been destroyed. But then she heard Lancer's shocked murmur. "Is he really a Berserker?" "Hmm," Rider's voice joined Lancer's, "That's certainly a technique beyond one who is supposed to have lost all rational thought." "What happened?" Twilight asked, staring incredulously as the smoke slowly cleared to reveal that Berserker was completely unharmed. His hands had been empty when Archer had attacked. But now his right gripped a sword. It took a moment for Twilight to realize that that sword was the very one that Archer had fired at him before. "Did he really...?" "Snatch the sword out of midair and use it to deflect the spear in the same instant," interjected Aaron, finishing her thought, "Sure looks that way. Rider's right. There shouldn't be any way for a Berserker class Servant to be capable of such a move." Archer wasn't happy with the result either. For the first time, he turned to face Berserker full on. "You dare to soil my treasures with your filthy hands. Do you really wish to die that badly? Let's see how long your petty thievery can sustain your life." There air behind Archer blazed once again. This time, it wasn't two weapons that emerged, but eight. It wasn't merely swords and spears this time, but halberds, axes and other weapons that defied description. Berserker merely lifted his head and stood ready. Eight weapons launched forth. Without hesitation, or even the appearance of difficulty, Berserker snatched a halberd out of the air with his free hand. Working in tandem with the sword he had already acquired, Berserker used his new acquisitions to deflect the incoming blades with flawless technique and skill. Archer responded with another barrage, this time of sixteen weapons. Berserker merely continued to swat them out of the air with contemptuous ease. Every so often he would drop one of his weapons and seize an incoming one, probably because it was stronger. Twilight was stunned. By all rights, Berserker should have been at a loss, even if he was still sane, to wield such different weapons. They should have been unfamiliar to him, swung awkwardly and uncertainly. And yet, when he grasped a blade with his hand, he moved with such grace and ease that he seemed to have sent a lifetime perfecting the use of that one weapon. At the end of Archer's barrage, Berserker drew back his arms and flung the two blades he held. They whirled through the air and sliced through the lamppost Archer was perched on. Archer easily jumped clear of the collapsing post. But when he landed on the ground, he was beyond angry. "You dare to make me stand upon the same ground as a mad dog such as yourself!" snarled Archer, unfolding his arms for the first time since he had arrived, "I will obliterate every atom of your corpse until there is nothing left!" The gate of light behind Archer widened even further, this time, thirty-two weapons emerging. "Just how many does he have?" asked Twilight in shock. "Who knows?" replied Aaron airily. Suddenly, Archer froze. His anger dissipated completely as he cocked his head, as though listening to someone speaking to him. "You dare to order a king's retreat. A bold move, Tokiomi." With a wave of his arm, Archer dismissed the gateway behind him. At the same time, the weapons scattered around the area vanished as well. "Your life has been spared today," he snarled at Berserker. Turning his head, Archer cast a casual glance back at the other three Servants. "As for the rest of you, make sure you thin your numbers. Only true heroes are worthy of appearing before me." With that, Archer strode off, vanishing into his spirit form as he did so. "Well, that was unexpected," muttered Aaron, "Tokiomi must have used a Command Seal to force Archer to retreat." But why? wondered Twilight. Even with Berserker's unique ability, she could tell that Archer hadn't even begun to use his full strength. At any moment, Archer could have summoned forth a barrage like the one that had ended Assassin's attempt to infiltrate the Tohsaka manor. Such a salvo would have left even a dexterous Servant like Berserker hard pressed to survive. And yet, he had opted to instead start with the two weapons he had originally summoned and then incrementally increase their numbers with each barrage. Twilight remembered Aaron's doubts about the conflict between Archer and Assassin. It was as though they wanted us to see it. If that was the case, then the way Archer had attacked at that time had been decided by his Master. If that was true, then the way he fought tonight, incrementally increasing the power of each succesive attack, was something more closely matched to this Servant's personal inclinations. Had Archer merely been standing guard over the Tohsaka manner, he would have attacked Assassin in a similarly dismissive fashion as he had tonight. Then the only reason Archer would have used such an overwhelming attack against Assassin would have been because his Master had ordered him to. That would mean that Tohsaka Tokiomi would have been aware that an attack would occur that night, possibly well in advance, and had commanded his Servant to dispatch the enemy with a grand display of power. Aaron is probably right, Twilight realized, Archer's Master is probably allied with Assassin's. She suppressed a shiver at the thought of that lifeless man, Kotomine Kirei. Twilight snapped back to reality as a savage roar echoed through the night. She realized that even though Archer had retreated, the fight was not over. Berserker, having been deprived of his original opponent, had apparently opted to focus on one of the other Servants present. The lavender unicorn found herself gasping as Berserker's entire body trembled with the force of his scream, black mist erupting from within the creases in his armor, as though Berserker's rage was on the verge of making him literally explode. This was a far cry from the tightly controlled Servant from earlier, only defending and retaliating against Archer's attacks. This seemed to be Berserker in the true grip of his madness, even below the level of a wild animal. As they watched, the black knight burst into a charge that carried him across the battlefield. His movement intersected with a piece of the lamppost he had destroyed earlier and he picked it up without even slowing. Striking the shaft into the ground, Berserker propelled himself up into the air before coming down while swinging the improvised weapon...straight at Saber's head. The clash as Saber intercepted Berserker's weapon crushed the ground again. The lamppost should have been shorn in two by Saber's invisible sword. But instead, it held together. Focusing on it more closely, Twilight saw black lines invading the post from Berserker's gauntlets. The lines split and spread throughout the impromptu spear like the veins of a leaf. "It looks as though anything Berserker wields becomes his Noble Phantasm," observed Aaron. Under the din of the battle, Twilight could hear Rider arriving at the same conclusion. As Saber and Berserker continued to clash, Aaron resumed his observations, "In all likelihood, that trick, like Saber's wind, is actually meant to conceal the Noble Phantasm that would reveal his true identity. Even though he's clearly insane, Berserker is fighting flawlessly. It looks like Mato Kariya picked a good one as well." "You know who Berserker's Master is?" "Through the process of elimination, it's the only possible choice. We've already determined that Saber is the Servant of the Einzburns. Kayneth is Lancer's Master. Assassin moves at the direction of Kotomine Kirei. Archer is Tokiomi's Servant. And Rider's Master is that apprentice, Waver Velvet. That leaves only one remaining possibility for Berserker's Master." Their conversation was cut short as Berserker's assault was brought to an abrupt end. Lancer had leapt between Saber and the black knight. With a single stroke of his crimson spear, Lancer cleaved Berserker's weapon in two. It seemed that the spear's ability to cut through prana was the perfect counter to Berserker's Noble Phantasm. "Enough with your pranks, Berserker," declared Lancer, "I already have an engagement with Saber and I won't allow anyone to intervene until we have completed our duel. If you persist, I won't stand idly by." "What do you think you are doing Lancer?" demanded Kayneth, "This is the perfect opportunity to eliminate Saber here and now." A hint of desperation crept into Lancer's voice. "Saber will fall by my hand." He leveled his spear at Berserker. "So let us first dispose of this mad dog and then you will see this duel..." Kayneth's chilly voice cut him off. "With this Command Seal, I hereby order you..." "Master!" "Join forces with Berserker and finish Saber off." Lancer froze, his body going rigid. "Watch closely," Aaron whispered to Twilight, "This is what a Command Seal can do." Saber looked on, her expression troubled as Lancer trembled, as though he were struggling against invisible bonds. Slowly, his body turned in her direction. In a single explosive instant, Saber leapt back to avoid Lancer's spears as he slashed at her. It seemed as though he had broken through the chains binding him. It was then that Twilight understood. The force that had ever so briefly held Lancer in check had been that of his own will. His body's control had been wrenched away from him, leaving this magnificent Servant as nothing more than a fighting puppet. It was horrifying. Even when Archer's Master had used a Command Seal to force his retreat, it hadn't been this bad. "Saber, I'm sorry," whispered Lancer, his face twisted in anguish. Berserker strode up to stand next to his former enemy, still carrying half of the lamppost that had been destroyed by Lancer's spear, now grasping it as though it were a large sword. Something felt wrong. Twilight realized that this feeling wasn't coming from the battle, but something closer at hoof. Briefly, she broke her connection with Aaron's perception and checked the area around her. None of her alarm spells had been triggered, which should have reassured her. But instead, she felt even more troubled. Expanding her awareness, Twilight extended her magical senses to examine the spells themselves. There, in the outermost layer of the warning spells she had laid out to keep her informed of any approach, were openings in her spell where none should have been. Something had disturbed her magecraft to create holes in her spell without her noticing. It was only the outermost layer of her protections. But Twilight realized that this meant that something was approaching her and Aaron. "Aaron," she said, "We have company." Her Master gave no response. Twilight realized that his sight and hearing were both still down on the battlefield. Without their shared perception, he couldn't hear Twilight even though she was standing right next to him. "Aaron!" she almost shouted, rejoining the link, "We have company! I think we should go!" "Not yet," said Aaron in a distracted tone. Lancer and Berserker had begun their charge at Saber, who was readying herself for their onslaught. Twilight was about to break their link again in order to check on her wards when thunder boomed. With a war cry, Rider sent his chariot barreling straight into the middle of the exchange, heading right at Lancer and Berserker. Lancer's agility saved him, allowing him to leap clear of the powerful charge. But Berserker could only look on helplessly as the chariot, drawn by the two bulls, bore down on him. Rider rolled right over the black knight. As Rider's rush carried him clear, the mad Servant was left sprawled out across the ground, struggling to get to his feet. "Oh, it seems you won't be felled easily," observed Rider. After a few more seconds of struggling, Berserker dematerialized, clearly retreating from the battle. Rider lifted his head, probably to address Kayneth, who was still in hiding. But Twilight broke the link again to check on her wards. The next layer of her defense had developed holes. Whoever was coming was getting closer. "Aaron!" she hissed, "We need to get out of here!" "Not yet," Aaron repeated, still focusing on the battle. Twilight suppressed a groan. Aaron was too wrapped up in watching the fight conclude. To save them both, Twilight Sparkle would have to take things not her own hooves. I think the hotel room is still in range, she thought, concentrating and gathering her prana. She would just have to get Aaron out of here, whether he liked it or not. Her horn blazed and in a flash of rich violet light, the two of them were gone. Silence descended on the rooftop as two figures materialized out of the darkness. One moved silently to stand on the spot where the man and some strange creature had been standing only seconds earlier. Kneeling down, he inspected the empty space for any traces of their target. A second later, he lifted up two strands of dark purple hair. "Teleportation magecraft," he whispered before turning to his companion. The two of them were eerily similar. Though their bodies were differently shaped, they were both clad in black, both wearing that same white skull mask. "It must have been Caster then," observed the other, "Magecraft of that caliber is on par with high thaumaturgy in this era." "Survey the area," commanded the first, "I will go and report to our Master." With that, the two of them disappeared into the night. Author's note: So the end of this chapter marks the point where the story really jumps off the rails. It'll probably be a little while before my next update, since Ihavent finished fully planning things out. It's kind of funny how the change of a couple of characters really alters the whole dynamic of the story. A warning for those of you reading beyond this point. Whatever else this story may be, it is still Fate/Zero, which means that at the end, things are going to be at appoint where Fate/Stay Night can pick up from there. Unfortunately, this means that those who weren't saved in the original story won't be saved here. In fact, some characters may actually end up worse off than they were in the original Fate/Zero. The real issue will, of course, be whether Twilight can be saved or not. I'll let you find that out for yourselves. Servant: Caster Personal Skills: Equestrian Magecraft: A+ Enhanced Intellect: A Physical Form: NA Equestrian Magecraft is the ability to utilize the magecraft native to the land of Equestria and is a natural ability of all unicorn ponies. Because Equestrian magecraft follows its own unique set of rules, many feats of magecraft that are commonplace in Equestria are equivalent to high thaumaturgy in the current era of the human world. This is akin to the Fifth War's Caster being able to utilize magecraft from the Age of the Gods in the modern era when she is summoned. Rank A++: The rank held by divine beings. Besides being capable of unicorn magecraft in nearly all it's forms, the wielder's magecraft has the power to shape the earth and even create celestial bodies and guide their movements. (Celestia and Luna) Rank A+: The wielder stands at the pinnacle of magecraft in Equestria, second only to the Princesses themselves in power. At this rank, the wielder's capacity is not limited to a single school of magecraft or type of spell and has the potential to obtain full mastery of virtually any and all branches of Equestrian Magecraft. (Twilight Sparkle) Rank C: The wielder has complete mastery over a single branch or school of Equestrian magecraft and is able to execute all especially specialized spells in their field in addition to a complete understanding of the most basic elements of Equestrian magecraft. (Rarity's rank is C+, indicating that she has the capacity to advance her mastery of her specialization and create new spells and abilities within her field of expertise.) Enhanced Intellect is an enhanced ability to process and understand information. Rank A: The level of true eggheads. The wielder is able to process new information at high speeds and quickly formulate solutions of unique problems beyond the scope of what normal humans (or ponies) are capable of. For example, Twilight Sparkle is able to formulate an understanding of an unknown magecraft and develop a means to counter it within a matter of moments of seeing it for the first time. Physical Form means that the Servant has a physical flesh and blood body as opposed to the purely spiritual bodies held by regular Servants. Twilight Sparkle does not require a supply of prana in order to remain or function and can theoretically operate indefinitely without the support of a Master. She is also able to generate her own Od, without requiring any input from her Master. Finally, a physical body renders her vulnerable to mundane weapons, such as ordinary guns or knives and also renders her incapable of dematerializing. This is an ability so much as it is the result of Twilight being and aberration, having been summoned from a different world rather than being a Heroic Spirit.