章 23: The Start of an All-out War
Fuyuki City.
"...Kayneth, I thought the main reason for our alliance was to work together in order to defeat other servants and their masters."
On this sunny day in Fuyuki City, two masters and one servant had been discussing their progress in the war, or to be specific, lack of it. Earlier this morning, the two men agreed to meet in an unremarkable cafe and share their latest achievements. However, now Lelouch wasn't sure his 'ally' had any good news to share. Lancer was remaining in spirit form as Kayneth demanded from him. Ever since the male servant's defeat in his last fight, his master had been furious at his failure.
Avenger Nobunaga, on the other hand, was sitting right next to her master and enjoying her drink. To the Japanese woman, this situation was quite funny, but Lelouch didn't share his servant's amusement.
'Now we've lost our best advantage against Saber. No doubt Artoria already noticed that Lancer lost his weapon and reported it to her master.' Lancer losing one of his cursed spears was bad enough, but the Irish hero had lost the one Noble Phantasm Lelouch had been planning to abuse. 'A weapon that deals damage that cannot be healed. Such a valuable asset wasted so casually.'
With a weapon like that in their possession, employing hit and run tactics would have been the perfect strategy. Alas, they now needed to find another plan to kill their enemies.
"Trust me when I say this, Lamperouge. This isn't what I expected but that wild Berserker was too strong for my servant. Lancer had failed me once again." Kayneth tried to put all the blame on his servant, but Avenger pointed out an interesting detail he missed.
"You could have used a command seal to call back Lancer. It is the lord's duty to order his soldiers to retreat when a victory is unachievable." Nobunaga smiled as she recalled her memories of the experience.
"And just admit defeat like that? This is a sign of weakness that I cannot tolerate." The blonde magus insisted, but Lelouch sighed, already tired of this familiar arrogance. It seemed that the nobility was the same no matter what world he was in.
"There is a difference between losing a battle and not being able to win. However, none of this matters right now, Kayneth. Without Lancer's second spear our strategy against Saber will have to change...but there is something more important we need to discuss first. No doubt, Saber had already healed her wound. It might be better to leave her to deal with other servants. We will change our priority and move to another target. Archer." Lelouch noticed that his British ally had gotten tense.
"Archer...he is a strong foe. Very strong indeed." Lelouch nodded.
"Indeed, but right now, he is not fighting seriously. Or most likely, he is being forced to wait for the time being." Kayneth looked confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Last night when the Assassins attacked our banquet, Gilgamesh was visibly irritated by this. Clearly, he didn't expect the Assassins' intervention. Now we know that his master is Tokiomi Tohsaka, currently barricaded in his home. Considering everything you told me about Kirei Kotomine, it isn't hard to guess their plan. Kotomine had his servant attack hos former master in order to deceive the other participants and make it look like he had lost his servant while hiding his small army of Assassins. Kotomine has likely been using them to spy on the others, I'm sure he's shared what he knows with Tokiomi by now."
Kayneth was quiet for a moment before asking.
"But why did the priest sent them after you and others in the Einzbern Castle? No matter how many he had, Kotomine couldn't hope to defeat the other Heroic Spirits with only Assassins. Wasting them like that was a foolish move."
"Not really," Nobunaga observed. "The Assassins were sacrificed to learn Rider's Noble Phantasm. From a strategic perspective, it was a victory even if casualties might appear high. However, when you think about it more carefully, Tohsaka has been ordering his former student the entire time. Using Kirei's servants like that starts to make more sense."
"I don't get it." Kayneth looked puzzled, Nobunaga looked at him with disappointment.
"Kotomine Kirei has lost all of his servants and is no longer useful to Tohsaka. But it also means that Kirei is no longer a threat to him. I don't know the master of Archer personally, but from what I have learned about him thus far, I think that he prefers the safest approach in this war. Waiting for the other servants to kill each other while gathering information before making his move." Lelouch didn't need to tell Kayneth about some secrets. For example, how this war actually worked and how the Servants would inevitably be sacrificed. Tokiomi was part of one of the founding families and therefore knew all about it. That's why he didn't order Kirei to use his Assassins and kill all masters when they were not expecting it.
"Sounds like a reliable strategy." Lelouch nodded at his ally's words but added.
"Maybe but it has one obvious weakness. Right now Tokiomi Tohsaka is hiding away in his house and waiting for other masters to do all the dirty work. Even you can see this is too optimistic a way of thinking."
"...but his servant is powerful, one look at his stats is enough."
"That Gold Bastard might be strong, but it doesn't mean he is invincible. In fact, this Tohsaka is just wasting his servant's potential with this plan. Right now King of Heroes is the least dangerous enemy since he is only waiting for more servants to die. Umu, what a pity for him that the first servant to die was his best source of information." Nobunaga couldn't help but let out a short laugh.
"Without Assassins, Tohsaka no longer has eyes and ears around Fuyuki City anymore. Not to mention, that with the Caster situation still unresolved, his plan is even less feasible. Right now, the other servants are focused on hunting down Bluebeard, instead of killing each other." A cruel smirk appeared on Lelouch's face."All of this allows us to take out the head of the Tohsaka family." Kayneth narrowed his eyes.
"Wait, are you seriously planning to kill the Master in his own house? Lelouch, this doesn't sound like a good idea to me."
"Yet sending your Servant into an obvious trap does?" Nobunaga laughed when an older man glared at her.
"I only overestimated my Servant's capabilities." Kayneth looked around, clearly trying to insult Lancer who had been somewhere nearby. Nobunaga's smug grin was enough to make blonde magus blood boil but he forced himself to stay silent."Besides, attacking that magus at his house is beyond stupidity. Even a failed third rate magus would tell you that."
"Kayneth, your lack of faith saddens me. However, Tohsaka thinks the same way...which means he doesn't expect anyone to attack him right now. We could use this and raid Tohsaka's home while his guard is down. And before you mention bounded fields, I might have a solution for that as well. But I need to know something, Kayneth. Do you know any hypnotic magecraft?" Kayneth slowly nodded, not understanding where Lelouch was going. A cruel smirk formed on the Demon Emperor's face.
"Excellent. In that case, we should visit the police department and ask for help."
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Outside the city.
The forest outside the city was a quiet place during the day. Humans weren't visiting it too often, except for the owners of the castle, but the German magi rarely stayed at home. Like many things in Fuyuki, the forest had a connection to magecraft and the world of magic. The Einzbern family had chosen this place for that reason, in addition to limiting their interactions with the outside world and the human population.
However, none of that mattered to the servant who now walked among these woods.
Gilles was in a pleasant mood, for today was the day when he would finally free his Jeanne from the lies of God. Everything had been prepared. After finding and absorbing enough of those delicious crest worms, Caster was sure he had enough mana to use his most powerful spell. Ryuunosuke had been hiding outside of the forest, but his dear friend had chosen a good spot to witness his coolest trick.
The forest had some bounded fields in place as a means of protection, but love and enough mana could solve any problem. Of course, he still needed time to prepare the spell before calling for the other servants to join him. Gilles couldn't wait any longer, already dreaming of what expressions the other servants would make when he would start tearing their bodies to shreds. Especially Avenger. A twisted smile formed on the French man's face as he imagined her screams of agony. Maybe killing her master in front of her would be a cool thing to do too.
'That reminds me, I will need to kill their masters as well. Oh well. Without their servants, they can do nothing.' And even if they tried, his Noble Phantasm was superior to any modern magical technique and magecraft.' Oh, I can't wait to see how grateful Jeanne would be once we reunite at last!'
Finally reaching his destination, the mad servant began to prepare the spell. It would take some time, but he was sure Jeanne would appreciate his hard work.
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In the city.
"I still don't see the need to use their help, Lelouch. It is against the rules to attract commoners."
After visiting the police department, two masters made their way towards the church. His companion was doubtful about their new plan, but Lelouch didn't pay any mind to the magus' doubts. Kayneth didn't have any room to complain after his last failure and they both knew it. Besides, it was a simple plan.
'A child murderer on the run and Fuyuki's biggest hotel reduced to rubble. The Police simply don't have the manpower to deal with both of these issues at once. It isn't like they can devote any less than 100% of their time to both problems, or their legitimacy would fall into question. All that we needed to do was offer a little help and information as to the locations of Ryuunosuke and Kirisugu.'
They only needed to convince some higher-ups to aid them in their pursuit for other masters.
Of course, hoping for law enforcement to be of any use against Servants was ridiculous, but the police only needed to gather information about Waver's location. Master of Rider and his Servant didn't bother to hide in daylight and moved across Fuyuki as they pleased, meaning that finding them shouldn't be too much of an issue. Lelouch was tempted to send them after Irisviel and Artoria to spy as well, but the Magus Killer was too much of an obstacle. Once Kayneth's student was found, the police would report the location of their base of operations. And once that is done, Lelouch would send Avenger there. Nobunaga wanted to personally kill Rider after all.
'And while people in uniform do their work, we should do ours.' Lelouch and his ally entered the holy place and were greeted by the old man.
Risei Kotomine had been surprised to see the master of Avenger and Lancer together. Even if his eyes were closed, his expression gave it away. Lelouch smirked as he moved closer to the supervisor of this war.
"Good day, Father."
"Good day to you as well, young Lamperouge. And Lord El-Melloi. It is unusual to see you without your beautiful fiancee." the old man glanced at Lelouch."Especially with another master."
"I don't remember there being any rule against Masters forming alliances during the war."
"Indeed, you're magi and free to do as you please. I'm just surprised that you have found an ally, Lord El-Melloi. Considering your well-known confidence."
Lelouch didn't hide his amusement while Risei slightly smiled. Kayneth scolded but stopped himself from saying anything harsh. Lelouch looked around the room, trying to see if young Kotomine was in the church as well.
"Your son isn't here right now?" Risei shook his head.
"No, Kirei was called back to Italy. His job in Japan is finished. Is there anything else you would like to know? I want to remind you that I cannot help any Master beyond providing shelter."
Lelouch happily nodded.
"Of course. I just wanted to confirm something. Once the mad Caster is dealt with, the Master/Servant pair who deal with him will receive extra Command Spells as a reward, is that right?"
His answer was the display of several command seals on the older man's right hand. Risei's entire arm was covered in what appeared to be simple tattoos. However, these red seals were too valuable to be called simple marks.
"Yes. After the Third Holy Grail War, I gathered the Seals that hadn't been used. Should you be the one to slay Bluebeard, I would gladly grant you one Command Seal. But as far as I know, you haven't used any of your Command Seals, young Lamperouge." Lelouch proudly nodded.
"Avenger and I don't need them to work perfectly in sync."
"I'm pleased there is a Master who can get along with their Servant, unlike some." Kayneth looked to the side, frustrated." Heroic Spirits should be treated with the respect they deserve for their achievements." Lelouch smirked.
"You're right, father. Servants aren't just pawns for us to toy with and dispose of later. Especially someone like the king of Uruk." Risei stayed silent, but Lelouch could see that the older man wasn't as carefree as before.
'If Risei works together with Tokiomi and Kirei, that means he knows about the Servants' true purpose in the Grail War. Good thing Nobunaga isn't here right now.' Otherwise, she might try to burn the church to the ground.' Even if Nobunaga did that, it would be nothing but a nuisance. Although, I would prefer the scene of the crime to be intact.'
"I see that you have learned something new, Lelouch. If there nothing else you require-." Risei turned away and was about to leave when Kayneth stood in front of him.
"Supervisor, as a Master of this war I would like to learn what would happen with my remaining Command Seals should I be killed in a battle." Risei frowned.
"Well, even if the body is dead, as long as it isn't damaged too badly, the remaining Command Seals would remain there. Lord El-Melloi, is there any reason you ask this?" The blonde magi nodded.
"Simple academic curiosity. In the end, it isn't every day I can examine something as unique as these Seals. By the way, I was curious to see how long the Command Seal could stay on dead flesh. Could you help me with this, Lancer?"
Before Risei had time to react, the male Servant had appeared next to him, his red spear already in motion. With one swift move, the priest's right arm was cut off clean. Blood covered the scene of the crime, but the old man wasn't done yet. Despite his age, the older Kotomine had been able to raise and kneel. He didn't scream or panic, but Risei knew he couldn't do anything against the servant.
Lancer turned away, ashamed that he had to do something so dishonourable as this. His Master on another hand was quick to pick up the amputated arm and start examining it. Lelouch walked closer to the dying man and spoke.
"Is your son still in the city?"
"Now, why should I answer you?" Lelouch could see the blood starting to leak from his mouth. The Demon Emperor let out a sigh.
"Because I might have spared his life if you were honest with me. In the end, your son is nothing but a tool to Tokiomi." Risei spat out blood.
"Maybe my death would finally help Kirei to find meaning in his life. Even if it is to avenge me. Although, I don't want to go without a fight." He said. Though he tried to stand and make one last defiant attack, his arm had been badly wounded and wasn't fast enough. Lelouch had enough time to react and act. The raven-haired master quickly pulled his handgun and pressed the trigger. Risei fell forward, with a hole in his head.
"Do not worry, father. Your son would follow you soon. I will make sure of that."
Lelouch let out a laugh, while Kayneth couldn't help but chuckle as well. At the same time, Lancer started to regret this alliance even more. The Master of Avenger turned to his ally.
"How is it?"
"The Seals haven't disappeared, but we need to make sure flesh won't decay." Lelouch nodded.
"Excellent, now it is time to leave this place." Before two Masters could escape, Lancer asked.
"What about the body?"
"What about it? Leave it, Lancer. The younger Kotomine should return sooner or later. It is his father, so leave the body to him to deal with." Kayneth smirked at Lelouch's words.
Meanwhile, Diarmuid was beginning to wonder how he could hope to achieve his wish...when he had a Master as dishonourable as this.
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Tohsaka residence.
'So this is where you've been hiding, Archer.'
A woman in plain clothes looked down at her target. Nobunaga stared at the western-styled house from the nearest hill. She found the house itself pretty interesting, made in a western theme for a Japanese magi family. It was a shame she was planning to level it to the ground soon. Avenger was far away for Archer to sense her but within a safe enough distance for the Japanese Servant to act if needed. It might be the territory of a magus with high-level protections against a normal magus, but she was a Heroic Spirit. Some bounded field wouldn't stop Oda Nobunaga.
'According to Kayneth, one of the Assassins had no problem sneaking through the defence systems. The main issue is Archer and his Gate. However, it isn't like I'm going to fight him right now anyway.'
She changed into her battle armour, as dozens of arquebuses appeared around her. She made several formations with them and aimed. She wasn't Assassin to sneak up to Archer and his master. Besides, she wasn't there for that anyway. Archer's master knew about the true purpose of Servants and Nobunaga was still angry after learning about her role as glorified fuel. She couldn't burn down the city, fine, but she could and would burn one of three founding family masters.
'Tokiomi Tohsaka wanted to spend the entire war in the safety of his house? War isn't that simple, magus. If you want to win, you have to put in the effort.' If the Master of Archer wouldn't leave his basement, Avenger would be more than happy to bury him in it.
Oda Nobunaga raised her katana and pointed it at the house before her. At her command, dozens of rifles fired as one, raining down bullets at unsuspecting targets. It was unlikely to be enough to kill that bastard Archer or his Master, but it would be enough to destroy the building.
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A couple of minutes before that.
Tokiomi Tohsaka sat behind his desk in his office, looking down at the old papers before him. His ancestors left behind information related to previous Grail Wars and Servants who had participated in them. Maybe there, the current head of Tohsaka would find the best method of dealing with the enemy Rider and his Noble Phantasm. He took one of the old diaries, trying to see if he had missed anything.
"Are you sure there was nothing else, Kirei?"
His loyal student shook his head. After what happened last night Kirei no longer had any Assassins under his command. While it was a shame to lose such valuable assets, Tokiomi was rather pleased with how things turned out.
'Now we know about his Noble Phantasm, at least. A Reality Marble, troublesome but still manageable if we play our cards right. Not to mention, with the Assassins gone, I don't have to worry about Kirei doing something undesirable.' Tokiomi was confident in the loyalty of his student and son of an old friend, but as a magus, he has always been mindful when dealing with people related to the moonlight world.
"I reported everything I saw, sir," Kirei said with this monotone voice of his. Tokiomi sighed but asked.
"Very well, in that case, Kirei. What do you think is the best course of actions for us?"
His student thought about it for a moment before speaking.
"Allowing king Gilgamesh to deal with other Servants would be the best choice if you desire to end this war quickly. Without a doubt, his highness is more than enough to defeat others." Tokiomi chuckled.
'That might be true, Gilgamesh is the strongest Servant after all. But Archer is the hardest Servant to control, with the expectation of Berserker. I already used one Command Seal. And he could still learn about the Servants' purpose as fuel for the Heaven's Feel ritual. It isn't hard to imagine how king Gilgamesh would react.' Tokiomi didn't want to see his city destroyed at the hands of his own Servant. Gilgamesh would be kept in the dark about secrets behind the Grail War for the sake of Fuyuki.
"I'm pleased you think so highly of his highness, but it would be better if Archer remains in my mansion for a few more days. Caster is still on the run and the other Masters are still trying to hunt him down, it would be safer to approach the Master of another founding family and form an alliance."
"Who you have in mind, sir?"
"Hmm, the Matou and Tohsaka families have a treaty outside of the Grail war...but considering Berserker's chosen Master, I would prefer to avoid needless contact with Kariya. I still can't understand what he wants from this war. That poor fool left the moonlight world and now suddenly wants to fight in this war."
Kirei stayed silent. Unknown to his master, Kirei managed to learn what Kariya Matou was fighting for. As his student, Kirei should have reported it to Tokiomi but someone recommended against it. During one of their unofficial meetings, Gilgamesh asked him to be silent about the fate of Sakura Tohsaka. Kirei didn't know why he had listened to Archer or why he had a pleasant feeling when thinking about how Tokiomi would react to the truth.
Kirei couldn't understand why such cruel and evil thoughts made him feel satisfied.
"So. You would team up with Saber?"
The Master of Archer nodded.
"Yes, while I don't like the idea of working with someone like the Magus Killer, I will endure it for the sake of victory."
"How kind of you, sir." Tokiomi laughed.
"By the way, Kirei. What are you going to do now? With the Assassins gone you're no longer a Master of Grail War." The younger Kotomine clenched his arm, his Command Seals still present. He didn't know why they were there. His Servants were dead but his highness reassured him that Kirei still has a role in this war.
"I will return to Italy. My role here is done and there is nothing to keep me in Japan." Kirei wasn't even able to meet the infamous Magus Killer, Kiritsugu Emiya. Either his father or events wouldn't allow him to find the man who should have been as empty as Kirei himself. "This war has been taxing on me, I would like to return to Europe as soon as possible."
"Oh, yes. I can imagine you want to see little Caren as soon as possible." Tokiomi nodded, but Kirei showed no emotion. In fact, if not for his Master, Kirei would have forgotten he had a daughter.
"Right. Anyway, I have come here to give my final report before leaving, sir."
"Stop. There is something I want to give you, Kirei." Tokiomi quickly said before turning away and pulling out a box."You have been a huge help in this war and I would like to reward you with something special. My family has had it for a long time but I'm sure it would be better suited for someone like you-"
However, before Tokiomi had been able to show what was inside the box, Kirei jumped forward and covered his master. The Japanese magus didn't have time to react or ask what was going on when suddenly windows behind him exploded as hundreds of bullets penetrated the house.
When Tokiomi opened his eyes, he found himself on the floor. Kirei was kneeling next to him in a protective position. The Master of Archer looked around the room. It was a mess, everything was ruined and a fire had broken out. Glass shards from the windows were scattered around two men but none of them hurt Tokiomi. Soon he saw another person in the room. Gilgamesh was standing in front of them. They only saw his armoured back while the king of Uruk was staring at whoever was outside.
"You have a lot of nerve to attack me in my own sanctuary, Avenger!" The blonde servant shouted with an annoyed tone.
'Avenger?'
Tokiomi stood up from his position and walked closer to a giant hole at his house. He let out a frustrated groan when he saw the state it was in, with the garden and the main building on fire. The Tohsaka residence was now in disastrous shape and it would likely take weeks to repair the damage. However, soon he noticed the female Servant who caused all of this. The Avenger was standing on the hill overlooking the mansion, the same vantage point that Kirei had used to send one of Hassans to his death at the start of this war.
The redheaded woman was surrounded by dozens of arquebus rifles, all aimed at them. A feral smile appeared on her face as she spoke.
"Archer! My Master and I have noticed that the coward next to you would rather spend the war hiding in his home rather than fight like a proper warrior. If your Master doesn't have the courage to fight like a man, what does that say about you?"
Gilgamesh clenched his teeth but stayed silent. Kirei handed Tokiomi his stuff and spoke.
"His highness materialised to shield us when she opened fire." Tokiomi nodded but stayed silent, impressed by Archer's actions.
"My servant is a Magus, they rarely have any backbone, to begin with. Besides, I don't see your Master either, barbarian." Gilgamesh smirked. "Where is the mongrel?"
Avenger clicked her tongue.
"He has better things to do than be here. Unlike you, Lelouch and I are going to win this war."
"So." The gold portals appeared next to Gilgamesh as he started to activate the Gate of Babylon. "Do you want to challenge me here and now?"
"Do I look like Saber to you? I don't have chivalry nonsense to prevent me from winning this war. Umu, if you want to die by my hand, you would have to catch up with me." As Avenger said it, she started to transform in spirit form." And I would advise you to hurry up unless your Master wants to see this city on fire."
Gilgamesh fired several of his treasures at her but it was too late. Avenger transformed into her spirit form and disappeared, leaving the Tohsaka house a complete mess. Archer clicked his tongue before he turned to his master.
"Tokiomi, I hope you aren't naive enough to think that your previous plan will work anymore." Master of servant said nothing."Others are starting to realise what game you're playing and they aren't going to let you continue it. Now, it is time for us to act."
"But your highness!"
"Silence! The enemy had attacked you in your own house and she had threatened to burn your city. Do you have any pride?! No more sitting and waiting for the other mongrels to finish one another off. We need to act. Besides." The new gold portal appeared but this one was bigger than others before it. Gilgamesh pulled out a new treasure, something that made even Kirei and Tokiomi freeze in place."I haven't used Vimara for a long time."
A massive vehicle, the likes of which the two Magi had never seen before, appeared in the air. The Vimara looked nothing like modern jets. It resembled something akin to the arrowhead, and of course, it was gold. Gilgamesh walked towards his throne.
"Let us go, Tokiomi. It is time to punish this mongrel for daring to challenge the King of Heroes." Tokiomi let out a tired sigh before turning to Kirei.
"Kirei, deal with the police and whoever else comes to check my home. And try to salvage anything valuable, please."
His student said nothing and only nodded. He simply looked on as the Master and Servant left him behind dealing with this mess. However, an idea popped in his head. Once he was done with this task, he could join Gilgamesh and Tokiomi at their hunt. It was mostly to provide support to his teacher but, assuming fate was on his side, Kirei might finally be able to meet the Magus Killer.
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Outside the city.
Lelouch looked at Fuyuki as the city was bathed in the light of the setting sun. Currently, he was standing alone on one of the rooftops, waiting for his allies to continue their plan. He turned around and saw the forest not so far away from him. The Demon Emperor thought about their plan one more time.
'The forest would be a good place for a fight against someone like Gilgamesh. Trees should provide cover for Nobunaga and Lancer to come closer to Archer and finish him in close combat.' Avenger was supposed to lure Gilgamesh into the trap, while Lancer was already waiting inside the forest, hiding and preparing for the fight.' To kill a Servant of Gilgamesh's calibre, one would require at least two servants. Archer knows that we're in an alliance with Lancer and his Master but without anyone to assist him, our side has the advantage. Lancer only needs to make sure Gilgamesh won't be able to escape, Nobunaga will deal with the rest.'
Lelouch knew they couldn't underestimate someone like Archer. They didn't know his Noble Phantasm and how powerful his Gate of Babylon could be at full strength. However, they planned to kill the Demigod Servant before he could unleash any of his trump cards. Once Avenger and Archer were inside the forest, Lancer would attack him from behind. Even with one spear, he should be able to impale Gilgamesh with it, if not score a direct strike to the head.
Lelouch didn't forget that the Einzberns owned this forest. In fact, he hoped for Saber to join the battle. Artoria was a knight and had that typical honour-focused approach to battle, something that could be used against her. With Archer gone nothing should prevent Lancer from fighting Saber one on one.
Well, at least that's how they'd challenge her in theory. In practice, Nobunaga would simply be waiting for the right moment to step in and catch Saber off guard. If Avenger and Lancer were capable of beating the King of Heroes by themselves, then the King of Knights would be no issue.
However, this was a secondary objective. Killing Archer was their top priority tonight.
'A spear that pierces any armour, quite useful right now. Even if it doesn't kill Archer, it should encumber him and give Nobunaga time to activate her Noble Phantasm.' She told Lelouch exactly what her most powerful attack does and the Demon Emperor would admit it was an extremely handy Noble Phantasm for this situation. 'No wonder she was able to sense Archer's divinity. Interesting how the enemy of Budha is able to work against other Deities as well.'
His thoughts were soon interrupted by the arrival of Kayneth. The head of the mage family said nothing as he walked closer to Lelouch and looked upon the forest. However, the raven-haired young man noticed that his temporary ally was smiling.
"From your smile, I can see that everything worked out."
"But of course! This was nothing for me!" Kayneth proudly proclaimed as he showed his hand with a new Command Seal. "It took some time to sort out the small things but now I, well, we can use the spare Command Seals from the previous war without any issue."
"Excellent. What about his arm?"
"I left it to Sola to watch over. She can handle it." The older man laughed at his little joke while Lelouch narrowed his eyes.
"I would recommend being more careful with your future wife." Kayneth looked like he was about to argue but Lelouch continued." I think it is obvious that she is more interested in Lancer than in you, Kayneth."
The Master of Lancer said nothing as he silently stared at his three Command Seals. Kayneth wasn't a fool and could see how Lancer had charmed his fiancee, even if the bastard said he didn't intend to. It doesn't matter, once he won the Grail War and Lancer disappeared, Sola would come to her senses.
"I appreciate your concern, Lamperouge. But this is a matter of my family. So please stay out of this."
"Hey, I just wanted to warn you. Besides." The Demon Emperor felt how Nobunaga sent him a message through their connection.
"We will be there in one minute."
"Our friends are already here." Lelouch said as he looked at the sky and saw the gold aircraft approaching the forest."Oh my, it seems Archer has something interesting in his treasury."
"W-what is that?! I thought he was the Archer class, not Rider!"
"Speaking about Rider." Lelouch pointed in the direction of the city. Both allies stared at the massive figure of Iskandar as he was riding towards the forest in his chariot. Neither of them doubted that young Waver was inside it as well. With a frown Lelouch said. " Well, this does complicate our plan a little bit. However-," the former emperor raised his hand and eyed his Seals. "-I still have these little helpers."
"And we have enough to spare." Kayneth nodded, as he raised his hand as well. The Magus was about to use one of his Command Seals and order Lancer to penetrate Archer's armour...until both of them were interrupted.
A monstrous scream echoed across the forest. All the Masters froze while the Servants narrowed their eyes. The Heroic Spirits could sense just how suddenly the gigantic magical signature had appeared inside the forest. Then it rose above the trees and came into full view of the participants.
Lelouch had seen a lot of weird and terrifying things back in his previous life and barely any of it had fazed him...but this new creature was something that sent shivers down even his spine.
'WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!'
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Waver looked terrified at the giant creature. He'd never seen anything like this in his books.
"R-rider?"
"Huh, a Phantasmal Beast in our day and age? Now, that's unexpected." Iskandar commented, his expression stern. "This might be more of a challenge than I thought."
_______________________
"Saber!"
"I see it, Irisviel. Don't worry, I should be able to handle it." Artoria assured her, as she clenched her now-healed hand. If needed she would use her Noble Phantasm.
The King of Knights shot a glare at the monster and took off towards it, ready for battle.
____________________
"That's one big ugly yokai," Nobunaga said.
She didn't need to turn around to know that Lancer had materialized behind her. They were closest to this monstrosity. Both Avenger and Lancer stared at the beast, thinking about what to do and waiting for new orders.
______________________
Tokiomi and Gilgamesh silently stared at the scene below them. Vimara was high in the sky and Archer was certain that nothing would harm them there, but his Master was busy thinking about how to deal with this situation before this monster could do anything to Fuyuki.
"Your highness, as your humble subject, I beg you to eliminate this creature before the citizens notice it," Gilgamesh said nothing, his eyes turned from a monster in the forest towards the other Servants, at least those he was able to notice. However, one of the participants of the war had caught his attention.
Archer smirked, before deciding to humour Tokiomi's request this one time. Besides, he could spare three treasures for this task.
______________________
On the ground, before the forest stood one man. His face was covered in a hoodie but one could notice that part of his face was deformed. Kariya looked at the creature but his focus soon shifted to something else in the air. His eye soon found gold aircraft in the air. It didn't take Kariya long enough to realise who it was.
Archer.
If Kariya could kill Archer right now, nothing would stop him from winning this war. Not to mention, it meant that Tokiomi would lose.
"Berserker." As he commanded, the black knight appeared behind him. Kariya pointed at Archer in the sky and let out a single order." Kill."
It was enough for the crazed Knight of the Lake.
________________________
Back in the forest, the mad Caster was having the time of his life.
Gilles de Rais laughed like he'd never laughed before. Right now he was inside his new friend, its tentacles gently and protectively covering him. The giant monster had numerous appendages, all of which would help to deal with Servants who decided to come here and stop him.
Fools! All of them! Now, Gilles was unstoppable. He had won the war the moment his Jeanne was summoned, right now he just needed to show it to others. His Noble Phantasm worked perfectly! His new pet was strong enough to kill anyone who would dare to stand in Gilles' way. None of the other servants could stop him now.
Caster let another bout of insane laughter slip through his lips. He didn't forget about Ryuunosuke, his wonderful Master had been so understanding. He deserved the show of his life!
"Allow me to show you what COOL really is."
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