MPC 50x - 49A: Fate/Digital Monsters
May 17, 2018 5:58:48 GMT
Post by Hideo Kino on May 17, 2018 5:58:48 GMT
MPC Name: Wild Card! (And Now for Something Completely Different)
MPC Number: 50x (49A)
Reward Requested: Posts
Note: Due to length, I'm hiding this under several spoiler tags, so it isn't just a giant block of text (also, for dramatic effect)
They had to have been stuck wandering for an hour by now, and still they were no closer to knowing which way to go. The intricate stone labyrinth went on without end, and it defied every attempt they made to discern its layout; it repelled any magic that would determine its layout, and the ceiling prevented them from just escaping the maze. Even with familiars they had scouting the area, spread out into every path possible, only found branching pathways or dead ends.
This Berserker's Noble Phantasm had them trapped, in a maze that changed the very landscape so even the moon was hidden from them, even if its light illuminated the way for them.
So Assassin and her master, Hideo, blindly wandered through the maze, to search for an exit that may not even exist, hand-in-hand. Each step they took echoed through the halls, the only noise either of them made since they began their trek. She had it in her mind to silence her own footsteps - her abilities made it easy to hide her own presence - but that would do little for her young master.
The silence didn't last, as the child meekly spoke up, gripping tightly onto his coat with his free hand as he spoke.
"I'm sorry I got us into this mess..."
Assassin kept guiding him along, her focus always forward, and her answer was quick.
"I understand that you're apprehensive about killing another Master, but the nature of the Grail War is a bloody struggle for your wish. Until one Servant is left, the fighting will continue. You can't hold anything back if you plan on getting out of this alive."
She stopped, tightening her grip on the boy's hand, prompting him to halt as well. Her grip loosened as she carefully brushed her thumb over the back of his hand, observing the markings on top of it. Two sections remained, two more absolute orders he could make that she would be forced to follow, even if it were to kill herself. The effect of the first one still had its hold over her.
"My class has an inherent disadvantage in a battle against the other Servants. If we're to survive this war, I will have to kill their Masters. So please, disable the Command Spell. If you don't, then I can assure you neither of us will be leaving here alive."
The miserable expression on his face was enough to tell how conflicted he was over this predicament. He even looked as if he were about to cry. He clearly hadn't been prepared for all this, as up to this point, every action he took was at odds with her goals. Had her Master been anyone else, she would have assumed, she'd have assumed that they wanted to die - a desire she wouldn't have hesitated to fulfill.
But she couldn't be mad at him. It was all the behavior of a scared child who was too kind and innocent to understand what had to be done. Even if all his actions were counter-intuitive, she couldn't help but pity him - unable to enjoy the pleasures of art from his birth, forever forced to wander in darkness. A curse she didn't wish on anyone.
And he was so damned adorable, from his mannerisms to his face. She'd damn herself if she didn't want to keep him safe.
But their conversation would have to end there.
The echo of footsteps reverberated through the halls. Far heavier than either of theirs, like some monster was wandering these halls. There were only four people within this labyrinth - two Servants, two Masters. It was fairly obvious who it was, and the footsteps grew closer and closer. As to be expected - it was his labyrinth, so it'd be little surprise that he knew the fastest way to them.
She guided Hideo towards one of the walls, placing herself in front of him. She had sight of three passageways leading towards them; one ahead of them, one to the left, and one to the right - each one the same distance away before a turn. She could hear which direction the steps were coming from, but the twists and turns in this maze meant that sounds she heard from the left could have been a pathway from the right. Running now risked running right into him.
And soon, their captor was in sight: a hulking monstrosity of a man, a bull mask obscuring his face, with a pair of horns protruded from his head. White hair covered his neck and head, long and disheveled, like a lion's mane. A guttural noise came from the Berserker as it spotted his prey. But it didn't charge at them just yet - a teenage girl squeaked her way past the lumbering Servant.
"Ironic, isn't it?" she laughed, a shrill laugh that bore into their skulls. "For all that work you did, you'd find yourself caught in our trap!"
Assassin merely glared at her, taking the time this girl spent gloating to prepare.
"It really is unfortunate; you might have actually killed me had your Master not gotten cold feet and stopped you. I really must thank him for him for doing that, though Berserker here is still fuming!"
One line around Hideo's wrist - a line she had attached to a familiar going down the hallway opposite of their opponents.
"I only need to kill Assassin, but I don't think he'll just stop there. I'd rather hold onto my Command Spells, so I'll just try to convince him to make it quick."
Another line around the arm opposite of the other line. This one, she'd hold onto.
"But I can't promise anything. Chances are he'll just eat the kid after tearing him in half, if he doesn't just eat him alive. Wouldn't be a first for either. I'm sure he'll enjoy eating something we know you haven't already tainted."
Assassin didn't look back to see her Master's terrified look, merely muttering a simple order. "The moment I go, follow the line on your wrist. Just keep running."
"Saying your last goodbyes? Well, let's not wait any longer: get at 'em Berserker - they're all yours!"
"Yes..." the Berserker groaned. Two black polearms, each as tall as the beast itself, materialized in each hand.
Assassin materialized weapons of her own - a pair of small blades, no longer than her forearms. Pitiful in comparison to the halberds this monster. Anyone could tell this was the worst possible scenario for her: forced to face a Berserker head-on, within its Noble Phantasm that limited her movements, unable to even try killing the enemy Master.
Just as the monster started to rush forward, Assassin was already moving, charging forward with both blades in hand. By the time the beast could swing a single one of his axes, her blades already moved to his unprotected stomach - and found that the merely scraped the beast's skin, as if she'd tried cutting across a steel plate.
No, a metal plate would at least show a scratch. Her blade didn't even leave a mark on him, and the poison she'd coated them with just clung to his body like sweat.
By the time the Servant's axe was down, there was nothing in that space left to hit - it was clear that Assassin was much faster than he was, and she was already by his side by the time his weapon hit the ground. She made one more strike, this time for the Berserker's wrist. If she could injure him there, she could at least limit his ability to fight.
But the result was the same: nothing. Truly, a monster she had no hope of slaying directly. His Master was right beside him, and she had it in her mind to just strike at her - but her body just locked up as she tried to make the motions. That Command Spell was still holding her back.
She glanced over to wear Hideo was - he'd listened to her and was running off, following the trail laid out by one of her familiars. Even he had to realize that staying around here was a poor decision, and as long as he followed the string, she knew his path and destination.
The Berserker tried to capitalize on her momentary distraction, but once again, his blades struck only the stone of the labyrinth; she'd jumped on top of his weapon, using the momentum to send herself over further into the maze. There had been three routes she could have gone down - the way her opponent came from, the one Hideo had gone down, or the one she and her Master had come from. The latter was the best choice, as she already had some familiarity with is layout, and there was no risk of accidentally drawing her opponent to Hideo.
So this would be the path she would take, but she couldn't just rush down it as fast as possible. If she went too far ahead, Berserker might lose interest and go for a closer target. And as she quickly learned, even if he wasn't as fast as she was, he was still faster than any human. If his attention ever changed, then she would lose this fight.
So she kited him along, infrequently taking swipes at areas that might have been more vulnerable - eyes, armpits, behind the knee. But her attempts either failed or proved this enemy to be an unstoppable juggernaut.
And her attempts weren't without risk; each of those metal polearms weighed far more than she did, and he wielded them as freely as she did her daggers. A single successful strike would tear through her body like paper, even with the enchanted robes she’d created for herself. A human struck by the same force would leave nothing but paste where they once stood.
Minutes passed as this dance continued, neither servant showing any signs of slowing down. But she was quickly running out of room to fight in - any further would be a dead end. And while she could easily outrun him, getting past him would prove very difficult at this point. It was only a matter of time until she was cornered.
But she was ready for this.
Rather than wait until the Servant backed her into a wall, she retreated there herself. A stone wall, with no paths on either side. The distance would take her opponent a mere eight seconds to cover - eight seconds until he would see her again, and once that time came to pass, he would kill her.
She discarded her daggers, letting them disappear. She had no use for them anymore. Instead, she materialized a different set of objects: sewing needles.
One second had passed.
She channeled her mana into these needles, into her arms. And into the limbs she'd kept hidden until now. She uttered a short phrase: "Mockery of the Gods!"
Two, three seconds had passed.
Four new limbs erupted from the sides of her body. Long, dark, pointed limbs, almost alien in comparison to the rest of her body. Countless threads of web materialized, and each of her limbs went to work, weaving the threads together.
Four seconds had passed.
What would have seemed like a chaotic mess of thread to anyone else was quickly woven into a work of art, a tapestry that was steadily covering the walls of this dead end. The rest of her body changed, a dark, thick carapace covering her body as her legs transformed into the same limbs that erupted from her body, each one now working just as hard as the rest.
Five, six, seven seconds had passed.
The tapestry was complete. A work of art that would leave anyone in awe - a great many characters engaging in debaucherous acts, guided by divine-looking characters in the skies above, who were laughing at the sin and torment of the people below.
And by now, her transformation was complete.
Eight seconds had passed.
The bull had found its way into the dead end, and had full view of the Assassin's work. It seemed to take a moment to observe the tapestry, taking in each and every detail - before it tightly gripped its weapons and let out a bestial roar. It charged at the tapestry, tearing it apart with all the force it could. The webs making up the tapestry wove its way around the Berserker, attempting to bind him, though he tore through it with ease. Still, the tapestry moved on its own, robbing him of his focus as he furiously tore it to shreds.
Though it pained her to have this piece of artwork destroyed, her Noble Phantasm served it purpose well; "Mockery of The Gods" had no offensive potential, but anyone that gazed upon it (save herself) would be utterly enraged by it and be compelled to tear it apart. A Berserker, already blinded by rage, would no doubt have its attention drawn to such a thing.
But a simple distraction wouldn't have let her slip past him - even with her ability to conceal her presence, his ability to track anyone within this labyrinth would negate it.
And yet, this also possessed a simple weakness - the Berserker was looking for a Servant, so something as small as a spider could easily avoid his detection. And it was what she became - a small spider, who skittered her way around the colossal Berserker whose rage blinded him to reason.
It was only once she determined he was finished tearing the tapestry apart that she turned back into her human form - the bull had realized he'd been had, but by then, she was gone, following the line she'd tied to her Master's arm.
How long had he been running for? Five minutes? Ten minutes? He wasn't sure - all he knew was that his lungs were burning and his legs were going to give out at any moment. Yet he kept running and running as this line just kept going on and on. The Servants' battle echoed through the entire labyrinth, and he had no idea how the fight was going or how close they were to him.
He was scared: scared of that massive monster whose every strike sounded it like could cause an earthquake, scared that they'd be stuck in this labyrinth until he starved to death, with no idea if there was even an exit. Scared that his Servant was very likely going to die.
He pushed himself until he just couldn't go any further. He stopped, a single hand on one of the walls while the thread was still tied on his wrist, guiding further into the maze. Just how long did this go for? There was no way for him to know: any attempts at tracing the area with magecraftwent no further than the next turn of the maze - it was just as effective as someone looking around the area.
Once he caught his breath, he continued along, though he much slower than before. He dared not push his legs any harder, or he might end up face-first on the ground. The sounds of battle were so far away now that he felt that he could get away with that little.
But that small mistake was all that was needed.
The line on his wrist grew taut, even moving around. He paused, unsure what was going on - that familiar was supposed to have just planted the string along the way. So had he finally reached the end?
No. The line began to pull on him. He was able to resist for a moment, but the strength in his legs was gone, and he flew forward, hitting the ground belly-first. He could feel it continue to pull at him, so he tried prying it off his wrist - put it was on there too tight.
It pulled him a few feet forward before stopping. He tried to lift himself up off the ground - and was met with a swift kick to his side, pushing him on his back as he yelped in pain. Before he could even move his hands over, there was a foot on chest. He tried to squirm out of it, but he made no progress - he was pinned.
"Well well well, looks like I reeled in a good catch!" It was hard to mistake that voice for anyone else. "Gotta say, even with those spiders slowing me down, I could've caught you three other times. But it was still pretty amusing watching you tire yourself out."
Dang it. Of course she would be able to catch him - it was her Servant's maze. It only made sense that she too would have some amount of familiarity with it. And just because he followed a path set by one of Assassin's familiars, didn't mean he was going the shortest way - merely the route it had traveled.
"I'd have thought you'd noticed by now, but I guess you really are blind. Guess you have my sympathies, getting mixed up in this grownup war and whatnot. This is where it ends for you, though."
With one hand on the ground, he channeled his mana into the area. It traced the area around him, giving him an idea of where everything was around him. It was definitely the Berserker's Master holding him down, and now she had a blade in her hand - a ritual dagger. There were four routes they could take, but save for the one he came from, they were all dead ends.
"Wish I could just take your command seals and let you go, but Berserker's probably worked up an appetite by now, so I'll try and make this quick."
The moment her foot was off his body, he could hear the metal whoosh through the air. Before he could react, the blade went down - aimed at his chest, for his heart.
But while the blade was aimed properly, it failed to meet its mark. It pierced his jacket, and it pierced his sweater, but the undershirt he had underneath that, the one Assassin had made for him and insisted he always wear, held firm. Much of the force was diffused through the entire shirt, preventing it from bruising him.
"What the hell?" he heard her mutter as she pulled her blade back. He had to brush his hand over the area just to be sure - and through the two holes, he could feel his undershirt was very much intact, with no bleeding underneath. He hadn't realized it was actually a Mystic Code made to protect him.
Even if he survived that without harm, it didn't change the fact that she just tried to kill him - and it was impossible for him to deny that.
But once again, she pinned him down, this time with both of her knees, her full weight down on him. Even with the aid of his Mystic Code, it was hard for him to breathe, let alone move.
"Didn't think an Assassin could make something like that, but whatever. Destroying your heart would've made it quick. Even if I cut your head off, you'll feel it for a little while, and it won't be a clean cut with this thing." She pressed the flat end of the cold metal against his neck. "I'll just have to cut your throat then. It'll take a minute, but it's better than the alternative."
...
The impending threat of death brought on a realization for the young boy: this girl was crazy. She said she felt bad for him, but she was still going to murder him, and she let him get trapped in the labyrinth knowing full-well that if her Servant didn't kill him first, then he'd spent the rest of his life wandering around here - and with no food or water, that wouldn't be too long.
This was a cruel girl. And if she'd probably inflict the same fate on anyone else if she stayed alive. But that was the nature of this war, wasn't it? Kill or be killed.
...
The Command Spell he used was pretty dumb, he realized. It was the only reason he was in this situation. "Don't hurt her!" If he'd just let Assassin act without obstruction, they'd never have been trapped in here. She wouldn't have been forced into a direct fight with that Berserker.
So he silently dismissed the Command Spell. A last, futile act before his demise.
But it was not for nothing, as the moment he dismissed it, he could immediately detect Assassin's presence. Had she been standing there the entire time, unable to act? He didn't know - her Presence Concealment hid her even from his own detection thaumatergy.
The other Master could notice her too, as she paused in her gloating, looking back.
Hideo noticed mana channeling into a web connected to him - another web that he hadn't noticed, wrapped around his other arm. The web broke off his arm, and he could follow the trail to the girl's arm, the web wrapping around it it tightly. The once-flexible web hardened, now akin to a wire, yet still tightening.
It wasn't long until it severed her arm, a moment passing before it was in his Servant's hands And a moment before he could hear her scream.
He felt her get thrown off of him, finally allowing him to breathe easily.
But they weren't safe yet - he heard the girl begin shouting: "Asterios-" Her Servant's True Name, spoken in panic. A mistake he was taught never to make, to limit how much anyone could learn about your Servant, but her intent was clear; a Command Spell could do more than just force the Servant to perform (or not perform) certain actions - it held the power to affect the Servant's body. Including forcing it to appear wherever ordered, which would no doubt be where they all were.
But Assassin already had a response. With the dagger pried from her dismembered arm, she silenced the Master, a single slash. She struggled to finish her order, but choked out nothing before falling to the ground.
Assassin wasn't done with her yet.
One, two, three. Hideo knew what was happening, and immediately cancelled the spell he was using to observe. He didn't want to watch.
Four, five, six. He covered his ears - he didn't want to hear it anymore. But the noise got through, along with the roars of Berserker, too far away to reach them on his own.
Seven, eight, nine. It shouldn't have taken her this many to kill her - this was to hurt her.
"Assassin...please...don't make her suffer." A request, unsupported by anything beyond his whimpering. His Servant paused, seeming as if to take a moment to consider his request.
Then one last stab, this time through the Master's heart.
A pained roar echoing in the distance. No doubt he'd know the moment his Master died; every Servant relied on their Master as a source of mana, and as an anchor to this world. The moment they lost that, they wouldn't even be able to maintain their form in this world. The labyrinth, in its size and complexity, must have taken a considerable amount of mana to maintain, and Berserkers rarely moderated their usage.
The signs were already apparent - the area around them began reverting back to its original state. Hideo could feel the stone on the ground turn back into asphalt, the sounds of the night city ringing in the distance when there was once eerie silence. A quick trace of the area made it clear they were right where they were when the labyrinth as first formed: close to his house.
As quickly as it appeared, the labyrinth was gone.
But its source was still here. He could still hear its breathing, heavier than before, across from them.
"You...kill Master..." he growled, "You...Die!..."
The minotaur ran towards him, but he was much slower than before. Hideo could feel his soul struggle to maintain a physical form, and that was greatly limiting his ability to move. He didn't even hear his weapons grinding against the asphalt - he must have dismissed them already to save energy.
And he tripped over several wires hastily placed by Assassin. He tried to stand back up, but more and more wires appeared, holding him down. He tried to wriggle his way out, but every tiny bit of progress was countered with another wire. The monster that could tear a person apart without a second thought, now lacked the strength to escape from a spider's web.
And with one last roar - a pitiful noise, not of a monster, but of an exhausted animal - his bodied disappeared in a golden light.
It was over. Berserker was gone.
They'd won.
...
But it didn't feel like a victory to Hideo. It was a victory won not by a fair fight, but by murdering the enemy Master before her Servant could intervene.
Her body hadn't neatly disappeared, lying on the ground nearby.
He wanted to convince himself it had to be done, to make himself listen to the truth that if it wasn't, he'd be the one lying on the ground there, with Assassin dying as well.
But it just made him nauseous.
This was what the Grail War was about, wasn't it? To win by any means, no matter how horrible?
...
...
His thoughts were interrupted when he felt himself being lifted up in someone's arms. It was Assassin, carrying him off in the direction of his house.
He meekly protested, though not for his own sake. "Wait...we can't just...leave her body there..." It wasn't just a personal concern: they had to make sure nobody outside of the Grail War was aware of its existence. And a body just lying on the street like that was bound to attract attention.
In contrast to her Master, Assassin was absolutely calm about this situation. Kind of expected, but it was still scary that she showed so little concern. "It's alright. I've already got that covered."
He could hear the skittering noises pass by them. More of her familiars - those spiders - moving over towards the corpse. He couldn't tell how many there were, nor did he care. He knew full-well what they were going to do.
He said nothing as she entered his house, careful to make as little noise as possible as she brought him to his room. He couldn't help but feel some amount of relief being back in a familiar place, a warm place.
As she laid him onto his bed, she made a quick assessment of his body, poking and prodding him to see if he was injured. Apart from some soreness where he was stabbed, he was fine - not even a bruise. That undershirt really was an effective Mystic Code.
"You seem to be unharmed, but I'd suggest you stay home for the next few days. It should give you enough time to rest after all this. I imagine it must have been a lot for you."
Rest. Yeah, that was what he needed. He was exhausted - physically, mentally, emotionally, and magically. And he didn't know how late it was now - the adrenaline rush had finally run its course. All he had on his mind now was to rest, so he just nodded.
He let her pull his sheets over him, not even bothering to change into pajamas. He didn't even have enough energy for that much.
But as he heard Assassin walk out of his room - no doubt to learn more about the other Servants - he had one last thing to say. "Arachne..." he said, not even catching that now he was speaking her True Name.
It was enough for her to pause.
"Thank you. You really are the best Servant."
A moment of silence, before he heard the door creak. But he still heard a response before the door closed completely.
"You're welcome, Hideo."
MPC Number: 50x (49A)
Reward Requested: Posts
Note: Due to length, I'm hiding this under several spoiler tags, so it isn't just a giant block of text (also, for dramatic effect)
They had to have been stuck wandering for an hour by now, and still they were no closer to knowing which way to go. The intricate stone labyrinth went on without end, and it defied every attempt they made to discern its layout; it repelled any magic that would determine its layout, and the ceiling prevented them from just escaping the maze. Even with familiars they had scouting the area, spread out into every path possible, only found branching pathways or dead ends.
This Berserker's Noble Phantasm had them trapped, in a maze that changed the very landscape so even the moon was hidden from them, even if its light illuminated the way for them.
So Assassin and her master, Hideo, blindly wandered through the maze, to search for an exit that may not even exist, hand-in-hand. Each step they took echoed through the halls, the only noise either of them made since they began their trek. She had it in her mind to silence her own footsteps - her abilities made it easy to hide her own presence - but that would do little for her young master.
The silence didn't last, as the child meekly spoke up, gripping tightly onto his coat with his free hand as he spoke.
"I'm sorry I got us into this mess..."
Assassin kept guiding him along, her focus always forward, and her answer was quick.
"I understand that you're apprehensive about killing another Master, but the nature of the Grail War is a bloody struggle for your wish. Until one Servant is left, the fighting will continue. You can't hold anything back if you plan on getting out of this alive."
She stopped, tightening her grip on the boy's hand, prompting him to halt as well. Her grip loosened as she carefully brushed her thumb over the back of his hand, observing the markings on top of it. Two sections remained, two more absolute orders he could make that she would be forced to follow, even if it were to kill herself. The effect of the first one still had its hold over her.
"My class has an inherent disadvantage in a battle against the other Servants. If we're to survive this war, I will have to kill their Masters. So please, disable the Command Spell. If you don't, then I can assure you neither of us will be leaving here alive."
The miserable expression on his face was enough to tell how conflicted he was over this predicament. He even looked as if he were about to cry. He clearly hadn't been prepared for all this, as up to this point, every action he took was at odds with her goals. Had her Master been anyone else, she would have assumed, she'd have assumed that they wanted to die - a desire she wouldn't have hesitated to fulfill.
But she couldn't be mad at him. It was all the behavior of a scared child who was too kind and innocent to understand what had to be done. Even if all his actions were counter-intuitive, she couldn't help but pity him - unable to enjoy the pleasures of art from his birth, forever forced to wander in darkness. A curse she didn't wish on anyone.
And he was so damned adorable, from his mannerisms to his face. She'd damn herself if she didn't want to keep him safe.
But their conversation would have to end there.
The echo of footsteps reverberated through the halls. Far heavier than either of theirs, like some monster was wandering these halls. There were only four people within this labyrinth - two Servants, two Masters. It was fairly obvious who it was, and the footsteps grew closer and closer. As to be expected - it was his labyrinth, so it'd be little surprise that he knew the fastest way to them.
She guided Hideo towards one of the walls, placing herself in front of him. She had sight of three passageways leading towards them; one ahead of them, one to the left, and one to the right - each one the same distance away before a turn. She could hear which direction the steps were coming from, but the twists and turns in this maze meant that sounds she heard from the left could have been a pathway from the right. Running now risked running right into him.
And soon, their captor was in sight: a hulking monstrosity of a man, a bull mask obscuring his face, with a pair of horns protruded from his head. White hair covered his neck and head, long and disheveled, like a lion's mane. A guttural noise came from the Berserker as it spotted his prey. But it didn't charge at them just yet - a teenage girl squeaked her way past the lumbering Servant.
"Ironic, isn't it?" she laughed, a shrill laugh that bore into their skulls. "For all that work you did, you'd find yourself caught in our trap!"
Assassin merely glared at her, taking the time this girl spent gloating to prepare.
"It really is unfortunate; you might have actually killed me had your Master not gotten cold feet and stopped you. I really must thank him for him for doing that, though Berserker here is still fuming!"
One line around Hideo's wrist - a line she had attached to a familiar going down the hallway opposite of their opponents.
"I only need to kill Assassin, but I don't think he'll just stop there. I'd rather hold onto my Command Spells, so I'll just try to convince him to make it quick."
Another line around the arm opposite of the other line. This one, she'd hold onto.
"But I can't promise anything. Chances are he'll just eat the kid after tearing him in half, if he doesn't just eat him alive. Wouldn't be a first for either. I'm sure he'll enjoy eating something we know you haven't already tainted."
Assassin didn't look back to see her Master's terrified look, merely muttering a simple order. "The moment I go, follow the line on your wrist. Just keep running."
"Saying your last goodbyes? Well, let's not wait any longer: get at 'em Berserker - they're all yours!"
"Yes..." the Berserker groaned. Two black polearms, each as tall as the beast itself, materialized in each hand.
Assassin materialized weapons of her own - a pair of small blades, no longer than her forearms. Pitiful in comparison to the halberds this monster. Anyone could tell this was the worst possible scenario for her: forced to face a Berserker head-on, within its Noble Phantasm that limited her movements, unable to even try killing the enemy Master.
Just as the monster started to rush forward, Assassin was already moving, charging forward with both blades in hand. By the time the beast could swing a single one of his axes, her blades already moved to his unprotected stomach - and found that the merely scraped the beast's skin, as if she'd tried cutting across a steel plate.
No, a metal plate would at least show a scratch. Her blade didn't even leave a mark on him, and the poison she'd coated them with just clung to his body like sweat.
By the time the Servant's axe was down, there was nothing in that space left to hit - it was clear that Assassin was much faster than he was, and she was already by his side by the time his weapon hit the ground. She made one more strike, this time for the Berserker's wrist. If she could injure him there, she could at least limit his ability to fight.
But the result was the same: nothing. Truly, a monster she had no hope of slaying directly. His Master was right beside him, and she had it in her mind to just strike at her - but her body just locked up as she tried to make the motions. That Command Spell was still holding her back.
She glanced over to wear Hideo was - he'd listened to her and was running off, following the trail laid out by one of her familiars. Even he had to realize that staying around here was a poor decision, and as long as he followed the string, she knew his path and destination.
The Berserker tried to capitalize on her momentary distraction, but once again, his blades struck only the stone of the labyrinth; she'd jumped on top of his weapon, using the momentum to send herself over further into the maze. There had been three routes she could have gone down - the way her opponent came from, the one Hideo had gone down, or the one she and her Master had come from. The latter was the best choice, as she already had some familiarity with is layout, and there was no risk of accidentally drawing her opponent to Hideo.
So this would be the path she would take, but she couldn't just rush down it as fast as possible. If she went too far ahead, Berserker might lose interest and go for a closer target. And as she quickly learned, even if he wasn't as fast as she was, he was still faster than any human. If his attention ever changed, then she would lose this fight.
So she kited him along, infrequently taking swipes at areas that might have been more vulnerable - eyes, armpits, behind the knee. But her attempts either failed or proved this enemy to be an unstoppable juggernaut.
And her attempts weren't without risk; each of those metal polearms weighed far more than she did, and he wielded them as freely as she did her daggers. A single successful strike would tear through her body like paper, even with the enchanted robes she’d created for herself. A human struck by the same force would leave nothing but paste where they once stood.
Minutes passed as this dance continued, neither servant showing any signs of slowing down. But she was quickly running out of room to fight in - any further would be a dead end. And while she could easily outrun him, getting past him would prove very difficult at this point. It was only a matter of time until she was cornered.
But she was ready for this.
Rather than wait until the Servant backed her into a wall, she retreated there herself. A stone wall, with no paths on either side. The distance would take her opponent a mere eight seconds to cover - eight seconds until he would see her again, and once that time came to pass, he would kill her.
She discarded her daggers, letting them disappear. She had no use for them anymore. Instead, she materialized a different set of objects: sewing needles.
One second had passed.
She channeled her mana into these needles, into her arms. And into the limbs she'd kept hidden until now. She uttered a short phrase: "Mockery of the Gods!"
Two, three seconds had passed.
Four new limbs erupted from the sides of her body. Long, dark, pointed limbs, almost alien in comparison to the rest of her body. Countless threads of web materialized, and each of her limbs went to work, weaving the threads together.
Four seconds had passed.
What would have seemed like a chaotic mess of thread to anyone else was quickly woven into a work of art, a tapestry that was steadily covering the walls of this dead end. The rest of her body changed, a dark, thick carapace covering her body as her legs transformed into the same limbs that erupted from her body, each one now working just as hard as the rest.
Five, six, seven seconds had passed.
The tapestry was complete. A work of art that would leave anyone in awe - a great many characters engaging in debaucherous acts, guided by divine-looking characters in the skies above, who were laughing at the sin and torment of the people below.
And by now, her transformation was complete.
Eight seconds had passed.
The bull had found its way into the dead end, and had full view of the Assassin's work. It seemed to take a moment to observe the tapestry, taking in each and every detail - before it tightly gripped its weapons and let out a bestial roar. It charged at the tapestry, tearing it apart with all the force it could. The webs making up the tapestry wove its way around the Berserker, attempting to bind him, though he tore through it with ease. Still, the tapestry moved on its own, robbing him of his focus as he furiously tore it to shreds.
Though it pained her to have this piece of artwork destroyed, her Noble Phantasm served it purpose well; "Mockery of The Gods" had no offensive potential, but anyone that gazed upon it (save herself) would be utterly enraged by it and be compelled to tear it apart. A Berserker, already blinded by rage, would no doubt have its attention drawn to such a thing.
But a simple distraction wouldn't have let her slip past him - even with her ability to conceal her presence, his ability to track anyone within this labyrinth would negate it.
And yet, this also possessed a simple weakness - the Berserker was looking for a Servant, so something as small as a spider could easily avoid his detection. And it was what she became - a small spider, who skittered her way around the colossal Berserker whose rage blinded him to reason.
It was only once she determined he was finished tearing the tapestry apart that she turned back into her human form - the bull had realized he'd been had, but by then, she was gone, following the line she'd tied to her Master's arm.
How long had he been running for? Five minutes? Ten minutes? He wasn't sure - all he knew was that his lungs were burning and his legs were going to give out at any moment. Yet he kept running and running as this line just kept going on and on. The Servants' battle echoed through the entire labyrinth, and he had no idea how the fight was going or how close they were to him.
He was scared: scared of that massive monster whose every strike sounded it like could cause an earthquake, scared that they'd be stuck in this labyrinth until he starved to death, with no idea if there was even an exit. Scared that his Servant was very likely going to die.
He pushed himself until he just couldn't go any further. He stopped, a single hand on one of the walls while the thread was still tied on his wrist, guiding further into the maze. Just how long did this go for? There was no way for him to know: any attempts at tracing the area with magecraftwent no further than the next turn of the maze - it was just as effective as someone looking around the area.
Once he caught his breath, he continued along, though he much slower than before. He dared not push his legs any harder, or he might end up face-first on the ground. The sounds of battle were so far away now that he felt that he could get away with that little.
But that small mistake was all that was needed.
The line on his wrist grew taut, even moving around. He paused, unsure what was going on - that familiar was supposed to have just planted the string along the way. So had he finally reached the end?
No. The line began to pull on him. He was able to resist for a moment, but the strength in his legs was gone, and he flew forward, hitting the ground belly-first. He could feel it continue to pull at him, so he tried prying it off his wrist - put it was on there too tight.
It pulled him a few feet forward before stopping. He tried to lift himself up off the ground - and was met with a swift kick to his side, pushing him on his back as he yelped in pain. Before he could even move his hands over, there was a foot on chest. He tried to squirm out of it, but he made no progress - he was pinned.
"Well well well, looks like I reeled in a good catch!" It was hard to mistake that voice for anyone else. "Gotta say, even with those spiders slowing me down, I could've caught you three other times. But it was still pretty amusing watching you tire yourself out."
Dang it. Of course she would be able to catch him - it was her Servant's maze. It only made sense that she too would have some amount of familiarity with it. And just because he followed a path set by one of Assassin's familiars, didn't mean he was going the shortest way - merely the route it had traveled.
"I'd have thought you'd noticed by now, but I guess you really are blind. Guess you have my sympathies, getting mixed up in this grownup war and whatnot. This is where it ends for you, though."
With one hand on the ground, he channeled his mana into the area. It traced the area around him, giving him an idea of where everything was around him. It was definitely the Berserker's Master holding him down, and now she had a blade in her hand - a ritual dagger. There were four routes they could take, but save for the one he came from, they were all dead ends.
"Wish I could just take your command seals and let you go, but Berserker's probably worked up an appetite by now, so I'll try and make this quick."
The moment her foot was off his body, he could hear the metal whoosh through the air. Before he could react, the blade went down - aimed at his chest, for his heart.
But while the blade was aimed properly, it failed to meet its mark. It pierced his jacket, and it pierced his sweater, but the undershirt he had underneath that, the one Assassin had made for him and insisted he always wear, held firm. Much of the force was diffused through the entire shirt, preventing it from bruising him.
"What the hell?" he heard her mutter as she pulled her blade back. He had to brush his hand over the area just to be sure - and through the two holes, he could feel his undershirt was very much intact, with no bleeding underneath. He hadn't realized it was actually a Mystic Code made to protect him.
Even if he survived that without harm, it didn't change the fact that she just tried to kill him - and it was impossible for him to deny that.
But once again, she pinned him down, this time with both of her knees, her full weight down on him. Even with the aid of his Mystic Code, it was hard for him to breathe, let alone move.
"Didn't think an Assassin could make something like that, but whatever. Destroying your heart would've made it quick. Even if I cut your head off, you'll feel it for a little while, and it won't be a clean cut with this thing." She pressed the flat end of the cold metal against his neck. "I'll just have to cut your throat then. It'll take a minute, but it's better than the alternative."
...
The impending threat of death brought on a realization for the young boy: this girl was crazy. She said she felt bad for him, but she was still going to murder him, and she let him get trapped in the labyrinth knowing full-well that if her Servant didn't kill him first, then he'd spent the rest of his life wandering around here - and with no food or water, that wouldn't be too long.
This was a cruel girl. And if she'd probably inflict the same fate on anyone else if she stayed alive. But that was the nature of this war, wasn't it? Kill or be killed.
...
The Command Spell he used was pretty dumb, he realized. It was the only reason he was in this situation. "Don't hurt her!" If he'd just let Assassin act without obstruction, they'd never have been trapped in here. She wouldn't have been forced into a direct fight with that Berserker.
So he silently dismissed the Command Spell. A last, futile act before his demise.
But it was not for nothing, as the moment he dismissed it, he could immediately detect Assassin's presence. Had she been standing there the entire time, unable to act? He didn't know - her Presence Concealment hid her even from his own detection thaumatergy.
The other Master could notice her too, as she paused in her gloating, looking back.
Hideo noticed mana channeling into a web connected to him - another web that he hadn't noticed, wrapped around his other arm. The web broke off his arm, and he could follow the trail to the girl's arm, the web wrapping around it it tightly. The once-flexible web hardened, now akin to a wire, yet still tightening.
It wasn't long until it severed her arm, a moment passing before it was in his Servant's hands And a moment before he could hear her scream.
He felt her get thrown off of him, finally allowing him to breathe easily.
But they weren't safe yet - he heard the girl begin shouting: "Asterios-" Her Servant's True Name, spoken in panic. A mistake he was taught never to make, to limit how much anyone could learn about your Servant, but her intent was clear; a Command Spell could do more than just force the Servant to perform (or not perform) certain actions - it held the power to affect the Servant's body. Including forcing it to appear wherever ordered, which would no doubt be where they all were.
But Assassin already had a response. With the dagger pried from her dismembered arm, she silenced the Master, a single slash. She struggled to finish her order, but choked out nothing before falling to the ground.
Assassin wasn't done with her yet.
One, two, three. Hideo knew what was happening, and immediately cancelled the spell he was using to observe. He didn't want to watch.
Four, five, six. He covered his ears - he didn't want to hear it anymore. But the noise got through, along with the roars of Berserker, too far away to reach them on his own.
Seven, eight, nine. It shouldn't have taken her this many to kill her - this was to hurt her.
"Assassin...please...don't make her suffer." A request, unsupported by anything beyond his whimpering. His Servant paused, seeming as if to take a moment to consider his request.
Then one last stab, this time through the Master's heart.
A pained roar echoing in the distance. No doubt he'd know the moment his Master died; every Servant relied on their Master as a source of mana, and as an anchor to this world. The moment they lost that, they wouldn't even be able to maintain their form in this world. The labyrinth, in its size and complexity, must have taken a considerable amount of mana to maintain, and Berserkers rarely moderated their usage.
The signs were already apparent - the area around them began reverting back to its original state. Hideo could feel the stone on the ground turn back into asphalt, the sounds of the night city ringing in the distance when there was once eerie silence. A quick trace of the area made it clear they were right where they were when the labyrinth as first formed: close to his house.
As quickly as it appeared, the labyrinth was gone.
But its source was still here. He could still hear its breathing, heavier than before, across from them.
"You...kill Master..." he growled, "You...Die!..."
The minotaur ran towards him, but he was much slower than before. Hideo could feel his soul struggle to maintain a physical form, and that was greatly limiting his ability to move. He didn't even hear his weapons grinding against the asphalt - he must have dismissed them already to save energy.
And he tripped over several wires hastily placed by Assassin. He tried to stand back up, but more and more wires appeared, holding him down. He tried to wriggle his way out, but every tiny bit of progress was countered with another wire. The monster that could tear a person apart without a second thought, now lacked the strength to escape from a spider's web.
And with one last roar - a pitiful noise, not of a monster, but of an exhausted animal - his bodied disappeared in a golden light.
It was over. Berserker was gone.
They'd won.
...
But it didn't feel like a victory to Hideo. It was a victory won not by a fair fight, but by murdering the enemy Master before her Servant could intervene.
Her body hadn't neatly disappeared, lying on the ground nearby.
He wanted to convince himself it had to be done, to make himself listen to the truth that if it wasn't, he'd be the one lying on the ground there, with Assassin dying as well.
But it just made him nauseous.
This was what the Grail War was about, wasn't it? To win by any means, no matter how horrible?
...
...
His thoughts were interrupted when he felt himself being lifted up in someone's arms. It was Assassin, carrying him off in the direction of his house.
He meekly protested, though not for his own sake. "Wait...we can't just...leave her body there..." It wasn't just a personal concern: they had to make sure nobody outside of the Grail War was aware of its existence. And a body just lying on the street like that was bound to attract attention.
In contrast to her Master, Assassin was absolutely calm about this situation. Kind of expected, but it was still scary that she showed so little concern. "It's alright. I've already got that covered."
He could hear the skittering noises pass by them. More of her familiars - those spiders - moving over towards the corpse. He couldn't tell how many there were, nor did he care. He knew full-well what they were going to do.
He said nothing as she entered his house, careful to make as little noise as possible as she brought him to his room. He couldn't help but feel some amount of relief being back in a familiar place, a warm place.
As she laid him onto his bed, she made a quick assessment of his body, poking and prodding him to see if he was injured. Apart from some soreness where he was stabbed, he was fine - not even a bruise. That undershirt really was an effective Mystic Code.
"You seem to be unharmed, but I'd suggest you stay home for the next few days. It should give you enough time to rest after all this. I imagine it must have been a lot for you."
Rest. Yeah, that was what he needed. He was exhausted - physically, mentally, emotionally, and magically. And he didn't know how late it was now - the adrenaline rush had finally run its course. All he had on his mind now was to rest, so he just nodded.
He let her pull his sheets over him, not even bothering to change into pajamas. He didn't even have enough energy for that much.
But as he heard Assassin walk out of his room - no doubt to learn more about the other Servants - he had one last thing to say. "Arachne..." he said, not even catching that now he was speaking her True Name.
It was enough for her to pause.
"Thank you. You really are the best Servant."
A moment of silence, before he heard the door creak. But he still heard a response before the door closed completely.
"You're welcome, Hideo."
