Melancholy of One (A Grail Works. LTD. Story)

[ItsaRandomUsername]

The god of fanfiction has smiled upon Pureauthor.

Quite curious in seeing what the beejezus EXTRA-Rin did with that Seal.

[Laith]

Maybe she pulled a Julius or something like that.

Also, update. Yay.

[ZidanReign]

a reason to become active in the fanfiction sub-forum forum again yes

[Kieran]

Always nice to have a reason, isn't it?

[pureauthor]

Chapter Fifty One: Pri/De/voted

*~*

When I stick with a story for a while, I stick with it to the end. Even when hideously, hideously long sabbaticals are involved. I won't blame anyone for having lost all faith and/or memory in this story, however.

Also I might need an update on any significant changes to how Grail Works is doing.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

*~*

Moon Cell, Digital Tsukumihara Academy, Room 3-A

“Japanese and from the Warring States era?” Ilya frowned. “Not a lot to go on, to be honest.”

“Yeah, I know. That's why I wanted to ask for help,” Shiki sat back and folded his arms. “It'd be nice if he had some visual traits that I could use to identify him, but nothing. Maybe he wasn't very remarkable in terms of appearance.”

“Maybe. The Holy Grail might be making allowances for him by hiding traits that would make it easy to identify him.”

“They can do that?” Shiki raised an eyebrow.

“If it was decided that appearance alone would be too big of a giveaway, yes. Mind you, it doesn't happen all that often, given how little modern people actually know how heroes of the past really looked like. So it'd have to be some sort of physical trait or object almost with a distinctive appearance that a lot of people commented on.”

“... Well, that still doesn't get me any closer to really finding out about my opponent."

“I know,” Ilya nodded. “I'm sorry I couldn't do more to help. Although... the fact that he's a Lancer from that era might be a clue.”

“I don't have that much time left for research, though.”

“Will you be all right tomorrow? If... if worst comes to worst, I can contact Arc and have her be on standby to break you out before the Moon Cell deletes you.”

“It'll be fine. Trust me.”

“If you say so,” Ilya didn't look convinced, but she left it that. “Well, good night Shiki. Be sure to get enough rest.”

“Good night Ilya. Tell Akiha I said 'hi.'”

As the image of Ilya faded from sight, Shiki could feel Kara coming up behind him.

“I take it you've finished speaking with Miss Ilya, Master.”

“What is it, Kara?”

Once more, a brief moment of hesitation. Then, with a shake of her head, she voiced her question, “Please, I hope this isn't too inappropriate, but... a question just came to mind.”

“So what is it?”

“Well, it's just – the Moon Cell chooses its Servants based on compability with the Master, right? At least most of the time.”

“Well, I suppose.”

“So... why did it decide you and I had high compatibility together?” she blinked. “Could it be because of those strange Eyes you told me about before? The ones that could see death?”

Shiki paused for a moment to think and shook his head, “No, I don't think so. After all, the Moon Cell can't properly register my Eyes. So most likely it isn't directly related.”

“Directly? What do you mean by that, Master?”

“... I nearly died before,” Shiki's eyes were distant, as if he were peering back into the dim past. “I still can't remember the details very well, but it was bad enough that the only way I lived was by – my sister sacrificed her own life energy to save mine. That's why I'm here today.”

Kara remained silent, her eyes wide.

“Anyway, it was that incident that also gave me my Eyes. People I know said it was because of me being brought so close to death but I guess those are just theories,” Shiki's smile changed in a manner Kara couldn't easily identify. “And... well, people mentioned how I seemed to view death differently from most after that incident.”

“I see...” Kara nodded once. “So that was it. I did wonder...”

Shiki turned to her.

“... I could feel death hanging about you, Master. From the moment we met. It would have been almost impossible for someone like me not to,” she let out a sigh. “But well, at first I could not have revealed that knowledge without risking my identity. And after that, I guess I was so caught up in having you accept me that I... I sort of put it aside for a while.

“I'm glad though. I'm glad... that you trusted me enough to tell me something like this,” Kara paused, unused to speaking in such a manner and still trying to find the right words.

“It's no big deal, Kara. Really.”

“Nonetheless,” she nodded once. “Tomorrow, I'll prove to you that your trust in me is not misplaced.”

A gentle laugh from her Master, “Haven't you proven that to me now? Four times over, if I recall,” then his smile became more serious. “But I'll trust you, Kara. To cut open our path to victory.”

Kara nodded again, this time in affirmation.

*~*

Quiet Night – In the Room

Two hours later, Kara sat leaning against the window, watching her Master sleep, and thinking.

Miss Arcueid had yet to return from whatever errand she had been running, but her Master remained as unruffled as ever, shrugging and saying that she would come back when she felt like it. After a while Kara had decided that if he placed such trust in her, then she could not do any less, and had left the matter at that.

As for the tear in the room that allowed Shiki speak with the inhabitants of whatever world he had originally come from, it remained silent right now. She could only surmise that the white-haired girl who kept trying to talk to her Master was occupied with other matters.

She let out a breath and let a smile play across her face as she stared at the serene expression on her sleeping Master. It was selfish of her, and she would never express it out loud, but... she truly did value being able to spend time with her Master alone.

That smile slowly faded as she remembered that tomorrow would be yet another trial to be overcome, with her Master's life – and the wish he desired to carry to the Holy Grail – the stakes. She bit her lip.

She could remember what her Master had said about the Servant's identity. They had clues, but nothing concrete to go on. Nothing enough to discern any weaknesses in the Servant that they could exploit, anyway. So for once, they had been left at a bit of a dead end.

Still, his fighting style seemed straightforward enough, and she had managed to score a blow on his armour, so there was a still a chance.

Especially if...

I, who have been born of Dying itself... Her existence had never been anything that she could take pride in. How could it? An existence comprised of vanishings and nothings?

Yet now... If I can use this existence, this 'nothing' to protect my Master, then I shall.

Kara closed her eyes. She could still feel it, now. A faint echo of the self-love and pride of the Saber she had chosen to imitate. That assurance, that belief in her own ability, her own existence...

Maybe... maybe, one day, I could feel some of that for myself... for real.

*~*

Arcueid paused.

She was in a blank, featureless room. The doorway she had entered through her vanished, apparently leaving her stranded. Not that it mattered; she could break her way out easily enough.

No, she was more concerned about the room's other occupant.

A bespectacled man of about average height and appearance stood facing away from her, staring at the blank wall. As she watched, he raised his hand, and like a curtain being parted, the wall suddenly flared to life, showing -

“The War?”

Eight invididual screens – all of them showing a Master and their Servant together. Most appeared to be retiring for the night, although she could see two of them were apparently still training together somewhere in the vastness of the Moon Cell. Arcueid's eyes narrowed as she caught sight of Shiki sleeping and Kara keeping a lonely vigil over him.

“So few left...” the man finally spoke, his voice low and measured. “And yet, in some ways, so many more to go. I don't think... no, none of them have what I seek. None of them would understand...”

“Hey,” Arcueid said as she took a step forward. She didn't sense any direct threat from the man, but something abou him unnerved her, just the same. “Who are you?”

“Oh, it's you,” the man didn't so much as turn to face her, and Arcueid felt flicker of annoyance. “I do wonder why she led you here. You could turn out to be a bigger nuisance than I anticipated.”

“She? Who's that?”

The man remained silent, and after a moment, vanished entirely from sight. Arcueid narrowed her eyes, keeping her senses alert. No, he was gone. The screens showing the remaining participants in the War had vanished too.

“True Ancestor, we detected an abnormality in the area you are currently located in. Did something the matter?”

“I'm not sure,” Arcueid let out a sigh. The presence of the man – and the shadowy figure in his vicinity was completely gone. She wouldn't be able to continue tracking him now. “I'm coming back. Maybe you'll know more about this than I do.”

As she turned to leave the room, Arcueid paused and took a long glance back. And then, with a shake of her head, she departed.

*~*

The Day of Reckoning – Eliminatinon Match Begins

[Attention, all Masters. Upon completion of all preparations, make your way to the first floor foyer.]

Shiki stood and placed the Terminal back into his pocket. “Well, that's our cue. Let's go, Kara.”

“As you wish, Praetor,” Kara, once more in her guise of the red Saber nodded. “It is time.”

As they descended the stairs to the foyer, Shiki paused for a moment.

“Hey, Kara?”

“Hm? What is it, Praetor?”

“Does it worry you? Doing battle against an enemy you don't really know?”

“Not as much as the realization that his physical abilities vastly outstrips mine. In a straight fight, I'm rather outmatched.”

“I see,” they were now on the last flight of stairs.

“Well, all the more reason not to give him a straight fight!”

“I see,” and this time, Shiki did smile. “I'm counting on you, Kara.”

“Leave it to me, Praetor!”

When they reached the foyer, Father Kotomine was standing there once more, awaiting the Masters. Unlike other times, however, he appeared somewhat distracted as he flipped rapidly through a document. And standing slightly apart was -

“Rani.”

The homunculus turned and bowed slightly. “Shiki.”

“Your opponent – is he?”

“Julius is not here yet, no,” Rani shook her head once. “I was just finishing up my preparations for my match with him.”

“I see. Well... good luck.”

“Mm. And what of you? Are you prepared?”

“As much as I could hope to be, I guess.”

“Indeed,” Rani smiled slightly. “In that case, best of luck, Shiki. I shall see you after the match.”

“You too.”

Taking another deep breath, Shiki stepped towards Kotomine.

“Young Master Tohno. Your opponent is already awaiting you within. Are you ready? If you are, I shall open the gates to the Coliseum.”

“I am.”

“Very well. Then step forward and present your Triggers.”

A moment later...


MASTER ACKNOWLEDGED

IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: 1015-1301690-57-U

NAME: SHIKI TOHNO

A thin smile graced the priest's face, “I wish you the best of luck and pray for your safe return young Master. Remember, it's kill or be killed.”

*~*

As Shiki entered the lift, he saw Yuuno leaning at the far end of it, his Servant holding his glaive.

“What took you so long?” he demanded as soon as he caught sight of Shiki. “I was beginning to think you'd run away.”

“Don't worry about me,” Shiki said softly. “What about your Servant? I don't think his wound's healed up yet, is it?”

Yuuno's face twisted into a snarl, “I don't need to be at full power to get rid of the likes of you.”

“You didn't succeed earlier,” his voice was mild, but Yuuno visibly bristled at that remark.

“We weren't fighting for real, obviously. You think I'd give away all my cards just like that?”

“It's not as if Saber was fighting with everything she had either,” Shiki couldn't resist that last jab as he saw the floor of the Coliseum rapidly coming up beneath them.

With a clanking sound, the lift slowed to a halt and the doors slid open.

“Yeah?” Yuuno shook his head as he moved to exit the lift. “It's not going to help you any. Come on; the sooner we crush your Servant into the dust the sooner I can get to preparing for my next opponent.”

*~*

Surpassing Death – vs. Lancer

Kara levelled her crimson blade against the Lancer opposite her, steeling her heart for combat. After a month of the War, it had become almost routine. Of course, this particular Elimination Match presented its own set of difficulties (as did all of them.)

She herself didn't know much about the personshe faced. His identity, his past, and potential weaknesses were all unknown to her. That presented a problem.

That, and there was the simple fact that she was rather badly outmatched in terms of raw fighting skill. From the outset she had been forced into a defensive fight, and she didn't think that would change any time soon.

The fighting pattern had become almost repetitive by now – his strikes with inhuman precision, the split second of pain forcing him to move a fraction slower than he should, and her ability to play keep-away and to avoid suffering any injuries as a result.

Still, how long could it last?

Well, if she was going to have any hope of winning this fight, she'd have to change the game and play it more on her own terms.

Another strike, another quick skip backwards – except that as she did so she shed her current form and took up that of an Archer – one with a crossbow armed with silver-tipped arrows. She fired quickly at him, and thought most of the strikes glanced off his armour, she noted with some satisfaction that one, at least, appeared to have drawn blood and caused him pain.

“What -” she could hear Yuuno's shock and confusion in his voice, and she almost smiled. Being an utter enigma to all had its combat benefits.

Lancer advanced once more, more cautiously this time, and as he struck forward, Kara took the shape of a shadowy cloaked warrior, her new weapon a sickle and weight chain. She swung it, letting it tangle up Lancer's weapon as she advanced – and then she was a more conventional Assassin, the length of the chain melting away into a short knife that she stabbed forward.

Lancer's face was stoic, but she could tell that she had struck home – and more importantly, as he moved back and prepared for another strike, his stance was more unsteady – more uncertain. Now he had to fight without being able to make any assumptions of her reach or manner of attack.

And then pain streaked up her right leg and Kara found herself sinking to her knees. What...? A quick glance at the floor of the arena revealed a dark blossom of blood that was growing, and a deep gash along her knee.

When did he -? His weapon must have brushed against her as she had jumped back from her latest attack. Even that light touch had been enough to slice open her leg like it was wet paper. “Kh!”

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her Master reaching for an ether crystal, but at the same time, a yell came from the other end of the Coliseum.

“Now! Finish her! Don't hold back!”

His countenance grim, Lancer took a step forward, and Kara found herself wincing as she felt a surge of energy from within him. That could only be him unleashing his Noble Phantasm -

Tonbogiri – Relentless Cutting Gale

*~*

Chapter End

*~*

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.

[Fafnir]

First Xth Loop, now this. What the fuck is happening.

[Kieran]

When I stick with a story for a while, I stick with it to the end. Even when hideously, hideously long sabbaticals are involved. I won't blame anyone for having lost all faith and/or memory in this story, however.

As far as I'm concerned, it's just a great excuse to re-read it.

Also I might need an update on any significant changes to how Grail Works is doing.

You've been lucky enough to miss about three reboots, and returned just in time for the status quo to be restored.

The canon is more or less as you remember it (the revised "Beast of the Moon" should be up shortly, with a new title), with the origins thread being the only new/different thing. You are, of course, very welcome to contribute to that - maybe you can figure out the story of how the Tohno crew joined the Works, and save me the trouble.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.

You're welcome, and absolutely.

First Xth Loop, now this. What the fuck is happening.

The glorious zombie (fanfic) apocalypse, maybe?

[Mattias]

The glorious zombie (fanfic) apocalypse, maybe?

Now all we need is Fishie to continue a fic or for Solenoid Flux to update...

As for the chapter, pretty good to see Kara shifting in battle, but I feel like the enemy servant would have had more of an impact if I had actually known who he was.

[ZidanReign]

Dead Fic lives

i rejoiced

And also, now rereading Kara's profile, the Abnormal Survivor thing ticked me with another character in fiction that has a skill named just that.

In Armored Trooper Votoms, the MC Chirico Cuvie is an Abnormal Survivor due to various reasons, but it essentially lets him "Survive Anything" by having the Universe's Causality bend into his favor, it makes him in a sense immortal. Never dying from injuries, sickness, etc because he would always "Survive."

I eagerly await what exactly Kara's can do.

[ItsaRandomUsername]

I didn't expect to see this one again.

Let's see here, uh...I liked the musical choices in this chapter, and I...uh...also liked that there was Rani and......uh...ah who cares, Melancholy of One is back, huzzah.

[walrus]

Hope this fanfic will be completed.

[pureauthor]

Just as a heads up, I went back and reworked the latest update (Chapter 51) some, chiefly in areas relating to Shiki discovering the Servant's identity. In retrospect I probably should have spent more time going back over my old plot points after that long break.

I should also have a profile on Lancer up pretty soon.

[Ergast]

The song of the battle should have given the true identity of Lancer if I had bothered to read the title of the song. Besides that and the spear, I don't know much about him.

[pureauthor]

Lancer


Master: Yuuno Mikawa
True Name: Honda Tadakatsu
Sex: Male
Height/Weight: 210 cm/102 kg
Alignment: Lawful Neutral

*~*

Parameters:
Strength: B
Endurance: A(C)
Agility: C
Mana: D
Luck: E

*~*

Profile:
Known as 'The Warrior who had Surpassed Death Itself,' Tadakatsu Honda was the veteran of a hundred battles in the long, tumultuous Warring States era of Japan. Through it he gained fame as one of the mightiest warriors serving under the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, and for never receiving a single wound despite participating in many of the fiercest battles of the long wars. His reputation was so great that many of the periods other great figures such as Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi singled him out as a warrior without equal.

At the end of his life, he found himself gradually estranged from the echelons of government despite his years of loyal service – a warrior born, he was ill-prepared for the transition of a military government to a peacetime civilian bureaucracy. Nonetheless none doubted his valour or skill and to this day he is held up by many as the embodiment of a true warrior.

Bearing his two noble phantasms that signify both 'a perfect offence' and 'a perfect defence,' Lancer excels in the straightforward combat of the Moon Cell's Holy Grail War.

Upon qualifying for the Holy Grail War, Yuuno specifically arranged for Tadakatsu Honda to be summoned as his Servant, as a symbol of Japan's power and military might. Agreeing with his cause to elevate Japan's status in the world, Tadakatsu serves Yuuno faithfully, acting as a calming voice against his Master's more brash tendencies.

During the fourth round of the War, Lancer fought against Rin Tohsaka's own Lancer, the Hero of Ireland Cú Chulainn, who utilized his ultimate move, Gáe Bolg, in a bid to kill him in a single strike. Though Lancer was able to survive the blow, he suffered a grievous wound as a result, which impaired his abilities during the fifth round of the War.

*~*

Skills:

Class Skills:

Magic Resistance: Rank C
Protection from magic attacks. At Rank C, it cancels spells with chants of two verses or lower.

Battle Continuation: Rank D
The ability to survive and continue fighting despite being disadvantaged.

As Lancer is famed for never having receiving a wound, his level of Battle Continuation is actually quite low. Nevertheless he is granted ranks in this skill due to the class he was summoned as. In practical terms it helps alleviate the damage done by Gáe Bolg and helps him fight better even under such conditions.

Personal Skills:

One Man Army: Rank B (N/A)
The ability for a single man to face down a larger number of opponents and prevail. During the battle of the Komaki Campaign, Lancer rode out with a mere handful of man and issued a challenge to the approaching Toyotomi army from across the banks of the Shonai River, despite the opponents outnumbering them 50 to 60 times.

At Rank B, Strength and Agility are all increased by a rank when facing down opponents more than 50 times your number. Endurance is increased by 2 ranks.

After receiving Lancer as his Servant, Yuuno decided to seal this skill as he considered it useless due to the single-combat nature of the Moon Cell Grail War. As a tradeoff he was able to boost Lancer's 'Duelist' skill.

Duelist: Rank B (A)
The art of a man specialized in facing single opponents. During his long years of combat, Lancer bore his Deerhorn helmet in battle as a visual announcement of his presence and an open challenge for any to face him in fair combat.

At Rank B, Strength and Agility are increased by one rank when facing a single opponent who has issued or accepted a challenge. At Rank A, Endurance is increased by one rank as well.

This skill was boosted by Yuuno at the cost of sealing his 'One Man Army' skill.

This skill is negated if Lancer's Deerhorn helmet is for some reason not visible, most likely due to his true name still being concealed to his opponent at that point in time.

Riding: Rank C
The expertise to master beasts and vehicles as mounts. At Rank C, Lancer is able to master most ordinary beasts and mundane vehicles. However he lacks the ability to ride or pilot any magic or divine beasts and vehicles.

*~*

Noble Phantasms:

Tonbogiri: The Relentless Cutting Gale
Rank B
Type: Anti-Personnel
Range: 1 – 30
Maximum Targets: 20 People

Tadakatsu Honda's signature weapon, famed as 'one of the Three Great Spears' of Japan. It's name of “Dragonfly Cutter' was earned by the tale that at one point, as the spear was standing upright, a passing dragonfly landed on the edge of the spear to rest and was sliced cleanly in two.

In combat, it passively degrades the effectiveness of defensive measures used against it, such as shields, armour, or magic barriers. This effect is determined before the spear is actually swung, which allows it to catch many defenders by surprise. It's sharpness is also such that mere touches with only the barest of force can slice through all but the hardest of materials.

When activated as a Noble Phantasm, Tonbogiri will glow with a brilliant light, and the strike will pierce through any defences erected against it without fail. When activated, it is no longer a function of the weapons strength clashing against the defence's toughness, but rather creating a conceptual strike of 'an attack that cannot be defended against.' Parrying or otherwise attempting to alleviate the force of the blow is also rendered ineffectual. However, sufficient agility allows one to avoid the attack and never receive the blow in the first place.

Deerhorn Helmet: Horned Symbol of Might and Valour
Rank A
Type: Barrier
Range: 1

Tadakatsu Honda's signature helmet that he bore as an open challenge on the battlefield. During the course of the Grail War, the helmet is rendered invisible to opponents unless they have high-level detection spells or his true name is revealed. If it cannot be seen, Lancer's 'Duelist' skill cannot be used in combat, although the Noble Phantasm still functions in all other aspects.

The helmet invokes Lancer's legend as a warrior who had never received a wound in all his years of battle, and therefore manifests its power as making Lancer a warrior who cannot receive a wound in battle. The only way to surpass this defence to strike and overcome it in a battle of 'concept against concept.'

During the fourth round of the Holy Grail War, Rin Tohsaka's Lancer utilized Gáe Bolg, 'an attack that cannot be defended against' against Lancer, who defended himself with 'a defence that can withstand any attack.' The legend of Gáe Bolg proved stronger and was not only able to pierce Lancer's defences but to seal the Noble Phantasm from providing any further conceptual defence, even up the fifth round of the Holy Grail War. However, the protection afforded Lancer was enough to allow him to survive what should normally have been a fatal blow and he was able to cut down Rin Tohsaka's Lancer with his return strike.

Due to the Helmet being sealed as a result of withstanding Gáe Bolg, Lancer's Endurance parameter has also received a penalty, dropping from Rank A to Rank C.

[pureauthor]

Chapter Fifty Two: Immort/Al/ive

*~*

See, I can do quick updates!

*crickets chirp*

Okay, I may have kind of burned out all my goodwill on that one.

ALSO HOLY SHIT ETRIAN ODYSSEY X MYSTERY DUNGEON

AND ETRIAN ODYSSEY FIVE

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

*~*

Surpassing Death – vs. Lancer

As Shiki watched the fight between Kara and Lancer, he felt torn. Everything he had yelled at him to run up and help her against a foe she was clearly outmatched in skill against.

Yet if she was struggling as it was, the likelihood that he could do anything to help her would was ridiculously small. If Lancer tried attack him, Kara would also be forced to expend effort on his defence – effort she almost certainly could not afford.

And so he stood on the sidelines, trying to aid Kara as best he could with his meagre Codecasting skills, he could see her form starting to blur. It appeared she realized that she wasn't going to win this fight by sticking with the form of Saber.

As to whether she could win even if she utilized other forms and weapons...

It appeared to have given her a momentary advantage, true, but Lancer was already adapting, shifting his stance to better deal with the new threat.

And then, as Kara stepped back, the blade of his lance caught the side of her leg, and Kara sank to the floor, dark blood flowing out and pooling on the ground.

“Kara!” ether crystal in hand, Shiki was already in the process of throwing it to her when he heard Yuuno's yell.

And then a burst of cold blue light from Lancer's spear as he levelled it against Kara, a light so brilliant Shiki could not look at it directly.

Tonbogiri - Relentless Cutting Gale

With her leg wounded, Kara had no way to dodge the attack aside from throwing herself further back – a futile act against an opponent with a lance. As he closed on her with inhuman speed, she brought up her sword in a hasty gesture of defence – and it was pierced through as if it did not exist at all.

The sound of the spear slicing through Kara was less gruesome than Shiki had expected – if only because the cut had been so inhumanly clean that there was no ripping or tearing sound.

But the sight alone was horrific enough.

Kara's body had been torn open completely from shoulder to hip, the two halves of her body held together only by a few remaining strips of flesh along her torso. Her face was frozen into an expression of shocked incomprehension, the blow having been struck too quickly for her to understand or realize what was happening.

That had been immediately fatal. There was simply no other possibility.

Lancer drew his weapon back and stood in the ready position, although is was clearly unnecessary. Kara's body – no, her corpse – crumpled to the floor like a broken puppet, limbs splayed out in the dark wash of blood that covered the floor.

And then -

For the briefest moment, Kara's body faded into a transparent shell, dry and hollow in a manner that reminded Shiki of nothing so much as a moulted snakeskin. There was a gurgling sound that sound as if something were being sucked into something else – and Kara, alive and whole and once more in the guise of the red Saber, was picking herself up from the ground, crimson blade flashing upwards in diagonal slash from which Lancer dodged away.

“What?” he could hear Yuuno's bewildered declaration from across the room, and truth be told Shiki was just as stunned, but as the sound of combat between the Servants renewed he forced himself to focus on the situation and what needed to be done.

The inexplicable revival of Kara aside, she was faring no better in direct combat than she had earlier, and Shiki tried to focus and think of what needed to be done in order to help her win this fight.

Dammit, if only I could do something to help her... Shiki glared down at the knife he had instinctively grabbed, which may as well as have been a potato peeler for all the good it would do in this fight -

The Command Seals.

The markings carved into the back of his hand were still there, still functional, still offering him chance to make an absolute demand of his Servant.

Well, he wasn't entirely sure how strong the effects would be, but there was no time for second-guessing right now.

Raising his hand up, he focused, and he could feel the magic weaved into the Seal begin to flare.

A simple, direct command would probably be for the best, “Kara! Pierce Lancer's heart!”

The power of the command flowed through the room just as Kara jumped back from yet another clash with Lancer. The next move – a charging strike from a low angle – was performed at three or four times the speed that she had normally moved at, and she streaked towards Lancer in a blur of a motion.

And then, another light, so very similar to Shiki's own, shone through the room as well.

“Lancer!” Yuuno roared as he invoked his own Command Seal. “KILL HER!”

And now Lancer's own movement more than matched Kara's newfound speed. A wide sweep of his lance at the exact moment that Kara entered his striking distance – and a wide arc of blood was flung across the coliseum as Kara was cut completely in two.

Another brief instant of Kara's body becoming transparent and grey, and then, whole again and with her momentum not even arrested, she stabbed forward, her sword plunging deep into Lancer's chest.

Once again, silence reigned in the Coliseum.

And then Lancer nodded once.

“Well... fought...”

Her entire body trembing – from fear or exhaustion? Something else? - Kara took a step backwards, pulling her sword out as she did so.

And the red wall of light began to slide into place.

“I... damn it. DAMN IT!” Yuuno's howls of frustration were not diminished in the slightest even as his body began to be consumed. “I didn't lose to you, you hear?! It was that damn Tohsaka and her double-damned Servant! If that spear hadn't broken Lancer's armour, this wouldn't – I'd have never -”

“Master,” Lancer's own voice was laboured, the combination of Kara's mortal wound and his ongoing deletion making even speaking a trying task. “Defeat... is defeat. If we are to die, then let it be a dignified one.”

“...” Yuuno said nothing more as the black miasma consumed him and faded away, leaving nothing in its wake.

There was a dull 'thump' and Shiki turned to see Kara's sword hit the floor – and instant before Kara shed her guise and was once more a frail shivering girl.

Swiftly, Shiki crossed to her side, hands reaching out to prop her up.

“Kara,” he said, unsure of what to say about their recent battle. “Are you... are you all right?”

Kara made no reply for a long moment, simply continuing to take deep breaths.

“He,” she finally said after a long moment. “Should have ordered Lancer to just 'stop' me instead.”

Before Shiki could say anything more, he heard an excited shout.

“SHIIKKIII!”

“Arc?” he half-turned to see her running up to them.

“That was great! Both of you! You were great out there, Kara!”

“You were watching us?”

“Well,” Arcueid scratched behind her year. “I was kinda worried, so if it looked like you were going to lose or something I'd step in to help.”

Shiki shook his head, “Same old Arcueid,” he said with a smile.

“Oh yeah. Do you want to go see the other matches?”

“The other matches? You can do that?”

“Uh-huh. They're all pretty close by. I noticed you talking to the purple-haired girl from Atlas, so I thought you might want to check it out.”

After a moment's hesitation, Shiki turned to look Kara. “Uh...”

She nodded once, her expression oddly distant. She clearly wasn't paying much attention, but she still managed a nod. “Go ahead. I'll... meet up with you later at the foyer.”

*~*

Moon Cell, Digital Tsukumihara Academy, Coliseum

Tiger Hunting – Caster vs. Assassin

As Rani watched the ongoing combat between her Servant and Julius', she had to acknowledge that thus far, it was the Assassin who held the advantage in the fight.

On the face of it, that was something obvious. The Caster class was, as a rule, badly suited for being forced into a head-on confrontation in unfamiliar territory. Added to that the fact that Caster's greatest achievements were more along the lines of directing armies and, well. There it was.

The format of the Moon Cell Grail War was just not one that played to Caster's strengths, in the end.

Assassin, meanwhile, appeared to have gone against all the normal expectations set for the class. Assassins were generally thought to be weaker in direct combat and geared more for stealthily targeting Masters instead of Servants, but Julius' Assassin had a mastery of Martial Arts so complete that he would be a match for any of the esteemed Knight classes in a duel.

Well, it was true that if they had made it to the fifth round of the War, they would not be any ordinary Servant.

In turn, this made the fact that Caster had held out for so long against Assassin without receiving a single wound all the more amazing.

Caster floated through the Coliseum, his expression guarded. Every time Assassin struck at him, it turned out to not be Caster at all, but merely an effigy made of straw. Across the Coliseum, a deep mist had settled, magically restricting the vision of Assassin and Julius from the true location of their foe. All around, a mighty wind blew, its direction constantly shifting to ensure that Assassin was always battling against a headwind every time he attempted to charge.

By this, Caster had been able to avoid getting struck even once so far. Just barely. Everyone in the fight knew that if Assassin could land just one good hit in, it was over and the fight would be concluded right there.

And that was why Rani was concentrating all her codecasting ability on boosting Caster's offensive capabilities.

They had discussed this strategy before the battle had begun, of course. Both Master and Servant had agreed that further increasing defences was a pointless endeavour for this fight. Assassin's ability to disrupt energy flow was simply too potent.

Nor was focusing on agility and evasion. Any meagre payoff they might receive in that area was not going to avail them against a class that specialized in speed and manoeuvring. Caster had emphasized that everything in that regard was to be left to his own spells and skills. Rani's codecasting skills did not have the capacity to aid him in those areas.

Which left offense. The potential to eventually wear down Assassin before he could break them in an instant.

Every straw effigy struck by Assassin burst into flames upon contact. The mist turned biting cold as Assassin passed through, settling into his veins and slowing his movements. Every time Assassin turned against the wind the force of the gales focused and sharpened into cutting blades that tore at his skin. Every time Caster could tell his opponent was disoriented, he focused, and bolts of power, glowing bright green, seared from his hands towards the martial artist.

Just a little bit more... Rani's eyes narrowed. The floor of the Coliseum was coated in streaks of blood, testimony to the wounds Assassin was receiving even now. He cannot keep it up for much longer... he cannot.

*~*

Assassin stood in the middle of a whirling maelstrom of death and exulted.

Pain. Lightning crackled along his skin, fire burned in his lungs and gut. Each and every movement brought a fresh burst of sensation, and new feeling of life and joy.

Assassin was not a masochist. Far from it. He did not enjoy pain, but he knew to accept it and to embrace it, to let it empower him.

Assassin was a warrior. The thrill of the hunt, the fight – that he did enjoy.

And this fight!

Caster was utterly unlike the foes he had faced before. Through cunning, power of the mind, he had constantly been able to stay one step ahead of his ferocious rampage and had thus far managed to avoid all his blows.

Marvelous! Simply marvelous!

He knew others might have decried Caster's tactics and cheap and cowardly. Those people were fools. A warrior fought as best he knew how. Fists, spears, magic, cunning, guns, qi, it was all the same. All tools you used and mastered and applied as best you could.

Another flicker of movement, another ruined effigy, and Assassin smiled. He may have been a beast and a killer, but he was not a fool. As the fight progressed he had made sure to constantly observe the ways Caster moved, seeking out patterns and tells that would allow him to know what Caster would do next, and how to catch up with the alchemist's elusive Servant.

And he was slowly but surely closing the net.

He knew Caster could sense it too, and if anything the ferocity of the elements assaulting him only increased, seeking to end him before he could end Caster in turn.

One step, two.

One more broken effigy.

Another change in the wind's directions and – There!

Assassin lunged, putting the entire weight of his body into his next thrust, a hammer blow that would shatter Caster's body -

And a fraction of a second too late, realized he had miscalculated.

Yet another straw effigy burst into flame, and from directly behind him, a lance of energy struck clean through his chest.

“You were almost correct,” Caster said calmly. “But it appears you underestimated your opponent.”

“Yeah... I did,” Assassin smiled even as he felt the hot taste of blood in his mouth. “But... you did, too.”

Faster than Caster could react, Assassin whirled, leapt and lashed out once more.

This time, his clawed hand struck home.

*~*

A tiny detail.

So tiny they had missed it.

No, perhaps Caster had not. Even now, Rani could not find it to think that Caster would have overlooked it.

For small as it was, it had been vital.

Caster's single finishing blow, designed to strike Assassin down once he was weak enough.

A spell of such power that it could only come from the true Servant.

One that would instantly reveal his location.

Had he overlooked it?

No, Rani could not believe so.

More likely, he had miscalculated on the single crucial matter of Assassin's endurance.

And that was what it all came down to.

Assassin stood before Caster, who now leaned heavily against a large boulder, and bowed once.

A gesture of respect for a worthy foe.

For some reason, Rani felt the deep, unbidden desire to laugh, even as she felt the searing sensation on her right hand signifying the end of her Servant's life.

Rani closed her eyes. So it had come to that.

Raising her hand, she hesitated only for the briefest of seconds before plunging it deep into her chest.

There was no pain – almost. She knew enough to deaden the appropriate nerves beforehand.

Her hand seizing down on her heart, she wrenched it free of her chest cavity and held it up to the air.

In the event of my failure to secure the Holy Grail, I am to use my Final Option instead... and to destroy the Moon Cell itself.

Preparing for Magic Circuit overload in 3... 2...

And then, from far away, came a voice.

“Rani!”

Shock caused her to open her eyes, and she saw, from the far corner of the realm, Shiki and the True Ancestor running over to her.

*~*

“Assassin! Stop her!”

Truth be told, Assassin hadn't the faintest idea what it was the alchemist was trying to do, but his Master looked openly alarmed, which was probably not a good sign.

“Tch!” whirling, his muscles tensed, ready to leap at the alchemist. One good hit would probably tear the head clean off her shoulders...

“I think not,” a hand grasped his wrist firmly, and before Assassin could wrench free, a second bolt of piercing energy tore through his body.

“You...” he stared up in shock at Caster. “How did you...” even as he spoke, he could feel his body shutting down – that one last blow had finally succeeded in killing him.

Caster shook his head once, a small smile on his face. “Oh, I did not.”

Assassin blinked. Caster was gone, a wooden statue in his likeness now the one grasping his arm. And behind that, he could see Caster's body crumpled and lifeless on the floor.

“Heh... heheh...” Assassin chuckled as he knelt on the floor and felt the world growing dark. “Not bad... not bad at... all...”

To think a Caster was the one who could fight me to this extent. He closed his eyes, revelling in the memory of that last, brilliant battle.

I have no regrets. This fight... it may have killed me, and yet it made me feel alive.

What more could I ask for?

Silence and darkness swallowed up Li Shuwen, the Assassin.

*~*

Stargazer – Rani's Theme

“Shiki...?” Rani's voice was unsteady. “What are you doing here?”

“I – I wanted to see how you were – but that's not important! Rani, you have to get out of there! The Moon Cell is -”

Abruptly the crimson walls rose up around her... no, around them. She could see Assassin kneeling on the ground, far too still and far too rigid, and she realized that he was dead too.

So that was how the Moon Cell wished to play it. If both Masters lost their Servant in the same battle, both were to be deleted.

She was running out of time. She had ten seconds at most, before she was too far gone to...

To...

She stared at Shiki's face from the other side of the crimson wall. His eyes were wide with horror and dismay.

What does it mean to be a person?

What does it mean to live?

She had felt strangely happy whenever she had the chance to offer aid unbidden. To Shiki Tohno, chiefly, but to others as well. Was that part of what it meant to be a person?

Rani didn't know, couldn't know. Even if in extreme situations, five weeks is still woefully short in terms of learning what those truly meant.

What she did realize was that now, after everything, she did not want Shiki Tohno to die needlessly.

Even if that meant rejecting her mission.

Slowly, she opened her hand, letting her heart fall to the floor.
Instead, with shaking hands and fingers that felt ever more indistinct, she fumbled through her pockets until she found the tiny cube of data she had brought with her.

With the last of her remaining strength, she tossed it on the floor in the direction of Shiki.

“Take...” even her voice was fading now. “Infor...ion on... Saber... protect... agai... hac...”

Her very last act in life had been to extend help to another, once again.

To the very end, she still did not fully understand.

But she felt... fulfilled.

Perhaps that was enough to be considered 'alive.'

*~*

Leo...?

Where are you now?

I have done all I can.

The rest is up to you.

Mother... I did as you asked.

To the very end... I fought to eliminate threats against Leo...

That was the life I lived.

Now... I have no regrets... I can... join you again...

Mother...

*~*

The instant Arcueid had seen the miasma of deletion begin to spread across Rani, she rammed her fist into the crimson barrier, shattering a large hole in it.

But even as she stepped through, she realized it was too late.

Perhaps because both Servants were already dead – which meant there was vastly less data to handle – the miasma spread across Rani and the other creepy, black-coated man with frightening speed.

Rani turned to look at the two of them – and Arcueid was struck by how calm, how serene she looked.

She could vaguely remember a feeling like that... long ago.

Rani was barely able to move her arm, throwing a small data disk in their direction.

Her final whispered words, almost too soft even for Arcueid's superhuman hearing, indicated that this would help Kara somehow.

Before she could say or do anything else, the miasma consumed her entirely.

And in her place was nothing at all.

*~*

Moon Cell, Digital Tsukumihara Academy, 1st Floor Foyer

“...” Kara closed her eyes.

More death.

Yet more death.

Always and forever.

To win is to kill.

To lose is to die.

People lose.

People die.

*~*

Moon Cell, Digital Tsukumihara Academy, Coliseum

“Attention. Due to two Masters eliminating each other in a single Elimination Match, the current ongoing match is to be postponed.”

“Ah, this is unexpected,” Leo blinked and smiled. “It appears our match will not be concluded today.”

“WAHAHAHAHA!” the opponent's Servant let out a bellow of laughter. “So, it looks like you've been granted a stay of execution, Saber! Aren't you delighted?”

“...” Instead of rising to the bait, King Arthur spat a gobbet of thick blood on the floor and silently walked back to her Master's side.

“Well, that was a most invigorating match,” Leonard smiled at his opponent. “I look forward to us facing each other again down the line. Farewell.”

It was only when he turned to leave the Coliseum that the true meaning of what had been said struck him.

There were only four elimination matches this week. If two Masters succeeded in killing each other, there's a good chance that Julius -

“King Arthur, we're leaving. Now.”

With a nod, his Servant hurried after him as he broke into a jog – almost a run for the Coliseum's exit.

*~*

Kara's Profile has been updated

*~*

Chapter End

*~*

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.

*~*

Apparently it doesn't allow me to make three posts in a row. Meh. Now how am I going to post Caster's profile?

[ItsaRandomUsername]

Fare thee well, Rani. Fare thee well, last homunculus in the EXTRAverse. (T_T)7

[Laith]

Rani ;_;

Julius ;_;

[Kieran]

I'll weep for Rani, at least - I liked her.

[pureauthor]

Caster


Master: Rani VIII
True Name: Zhuge Liang
Sex: Male
Height/Weight: 160 cm/82 kg
Alignment: Unknown

*~*

Parameters:
Strength: E
Endurance: D
Agility: D
Mana: A
Luck: A+

*~*

Profile:
The famed strategist known as 'The Sleeping Dragon' of the Three Kingdoms period of China. His tactical genius and political acumen were known by all and his skills were sought after by the eventual ruler of Shu, Liu Bei. After making three visits to the reclusive Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei impressed him enough that he agreed to lend him his skills, proclaiming that 'Wu has the land, and Wei has the blessings of heaven. You, my lord, will have the heart of the people and thus complete the trinity.'

A truly accomplished strategist and tactician, Zhuge Liang organized several victories over superior enemy forces throughout his long career, the most famous of which would have been the Great Battle of Chi Bi, where the combined forces of Wu and Shu were able to crush a vastly superior Wei naval force.

The historicity of the actual events aside, they have still fed into Zhuge Liang's legend, which endures even today.

Summoned by Rani VIII for the purposes of helping her secure the Holy Grail in the Moon Cell's Grail War, Zhuge Liang agreed primarily as a way to test his skills. He had succeeded again and again in commanding armies and in negotiating treaties and alliances – how would his mind fare when dealing with heroes of legend in single combat?

He also accepted because he decided it would be fun to try to get a rise out of the reserved Atlas alchemist. Despite his jabs, he serves her loyally.

He fought alongside Rani for five rounds and was defeated during the Fifth Elimination match, although not before he successfully killed his opponent as well.

*~*

Skills:

Class Skills:

Territory Creation: Rank E
The ability for a mage to create his own workshop with which to craft tools.

A truly execrable rank of Territory Creation for the Caster class, Caster claims it is of no importance - he knows well the value of being able to fight on the move and an elaborate workshop just gets in the way of that.

When given the time and opportunity to create a workshop, he appears mostly content with filling it with lots of books, mundane or otherwise, and to spend his free time reading for leisure.

Item Crafting: Rank C+
The ability to craft items.

Caster is moderately skilled in such matters, although he will without fail praise his wife as a true genius of construction. Caster is also strongly associated with the creation of effigies on at least two occasions, and so he gains a bonus when crafting those – they can be created nigh-instantly and instilled with basic spells at the same time.

Personal Skills:

Tactical Genius: Rank A+++
The ability to anticipate and plan for your opponent's next moves in the overarching sense.

Famed as a genius of tactics, Caster is almost always able to accurately predict his opponent's next actions, and further, the proper course of action to take in order to waylay them.

As Caster's specialty was the command of armies, he gains bonuses when directing large-scale operations.

For some reason, this skill also allows you to sneak units into position without being discovered, no matter the disparity of the size of the unit and the size of the hiding place.

Negotiator: Rank B
The ability to speak well and to convince others of the position you hold.

As a diplomat often sent to parley with Wu and to ask concessions from them, Caster is well versed in the art of negotiations.

This skill can also be seen in the form of possessing an acerbic tongue that can get under an opponent's skin. Caster is known for insulting and demeaning fellow strategist Zhou Yu so badly that he died from the stress, although if questioned Caster will insist he genuinely did not mean for those words to sting so badly.

Bluffing: Rank B
A subset of the 'Negotiator' skill, the ability to trick your opponents and convince them of that which is not true. Caster very rarely uses this skill, which makes it all the more effective when he finally decides to deceive.

The legend follows that Wei strategist Sima Yi was bearing down on an undefended city with Caster within. Zhuge Liang ordered the gates of the city thrown open, the civilians to go about their daily lives, and the few remaining soldiers to engage in sweeping the streets instead of manning the defences. He then sat on the outer wall and played the lyre.

Upon seeing the open city, Sima Yi saw only the most incredibly obvious ambush ever and immediately turned his army around.

Final Gambit: Rank C
The ability to affect events on the battlefield after you have died.

Differs from the Battle Continuation skill in that the action(s) must be preplanned, and that the Servant must be well and truly dead before the action can take place.

In Caster's specific case, it allows for two actions to be performed by a likeness of him, before that likeness gets revealed to be a mere wooden statue.

This skill comes from Caster's death in the past, whereupon he arranged for it to appear as if he were still alive in a successful bid to frighten off Sima Yi, who was attempting to strike the retreating Shu army during their perceived weakness. From this comes the saying 'A dead Zhuge Liang scared off a living Sima Yi.'

*~*

Noble Phantasms:

The South-Eastern Winds: The Favour of the Heavens and the Earth
Rank C
Type: Anti-Army
Range: 1 – 200
Maximum Targets: 2000 People

Caster's Noble Phantasm is taken from the account where he summoned the south-eastern winds just prior to the great battle of Chi Bi. The winds thus helped in ensuring that the planned fire attack would spread to all of Wei's ships as quickly as possible.

In battle, invoking the Noble Phantasm has the quality of turning the conditions of the battlefield to be as favourable for Caster as possible. Winds will blow to boost Caster's speed and slow his enemies, mists will cover the battlefield to impair visibility, strong rains can come to waylay soldiers in terrain with poor footing, earthquakes and landslides to destroy encampments, and raging fires to wipe out entire fleets or armies.

Natural phenomena such as winds and rains are the easiest to manipulate, conditions of the earth are far harder to effect but can be managed it there is sufficient time. In effect, this can be likened to a weaker version of the Marble Phantasm, for it can only achieve what is ordinarily accomplished by natural causes.

[Kieran]

I admit, I'm not as up on Chinese legend as I could be (I'm a little better with its history, though that class was several years ago), so learning about all these Servants is kind of fun.