"Kekekekeek! Try harder, Saber!" Assassin's laughter echoed throughout the chapel as he bounced off the walls, evading each slash Altera sent his way while counterattacking with flaming knives and clocks garbed in dark blue fire. The Servant of the Sword's eyes trained on them as she cut them down, only to find an explosion of blue inferno implode in front of her. The flames barely touched her, but it was enough to unsettle her. Once again, she had to remind herself that she was not dealing with a mere lowly Assassin, but a Servant that was meant for the Caster class. "Try harder so I can rip off your head! You're so pretty—So exotic! You'll look so beautiful on my Master's mantle!"
Altera gave no reaction to his threats. Rather, without a word, she continued to fight back. Leaping high into the air, she gathered power into her sword and sent a gust of wind throttling towards Assassin. The enemy Servant countered with his scissor blades, dismembering the assaulting gale and leaving it to slice up several wooden columns. Her red eyes frowned slightly. "Magic Resistance?" she wondered. "No. Not quite. More like... Interference."
An Assassin like Mephistopheles shouldn't have Magic Resistance. Yet her attack was repelled and did no damage to him. That meant someone else was interfering in their battle.
The very notion of it enflamed her. Her attack was not magic based, but it was close. She could also conjure a spiral of flames to reduce the clown to ashes or freeze him solid, yet somehow, after this, she knew that those tricks were useless. Either someone was interfering and providing aide, or the homonculus had something else up his sleeve.
She had to re-evaluate, yet the plan did not change. She would destroy Assassin. She just needed to work harder.
Meanwhile, Haru was fairing slight better, having managed to score a few hits off of Freed after making him bite his tongue, though he learned the hard way that Reinforcement didn't work the way he thought. He could tank the bastard's hits easier… but it still hurt like hell. He didn't move any faster and he only it marginally harder. He also felt himself starting to tire out.
[Boost!]
Another increase. The exhaustion was growing. Haru backed away, dodging a strike. This time, he felt his speed pick up before he countered with a roundhouse punch. Freed grabbed it with ease, flipping his light sword into an underhanded fashion before proceeding to jab it straight into Haru's shoulder. The redhead nearly let out a scream, feeling the intense heat burning into his body, marking him for death. His legs buckled while his clawed hand grabbed Freed's wrist, trying to pull him away.
At the sight of his suffering, Freed gave a wicked smile. "It's so awesome, right?" he asked, pushing harder and shoving the light sword deeper. "The pain of feeling your shoulder being cooked like a piece of meat on the grill... The blood draining from your body! I can't tell you how good the pain feels! Especially when I'm the one who's been causing it! It's so fucking awesome! Fuck, I'm getting an erection right now!"
"Y-You..." Haru gritted his teeth. Insanity aside, that was just too much information. "... Really are crazy!"
"Insanity? Oh no! Nonono! I'm perfectly sane! I'm just a sadist!" Freed corrected him as he pushed again. Haru's legs gave way and he was forced down to his knees. "And to be perfectly honest, your pain ESPECIALLY makes me wanna blow a load in my pants! You remind me of that red-haired bastard so much!" The psychotic priest's expression contorted into rage without any warning before he rammed his foot into Haru's chest. On one hand, the sword was now pulled out of his shoulder. On the other hand, Freed's words from earlier were accurate. The flesh was horribly burned. The intense heat from his weapon had cauterized the wound completely. "Every time I think of that motherfucker, I get so pissed off! He had the nerve to try and cut off my arm! Preaching on and on about justice and useless shit!"
"What..." Haru gasped as he struggled to pull himself up, grabbing his shoulder in a futile attempt to numb the pain. He felt like he was about to pass out. His vision was swimming. His strength was fading. He bit the inside of his lip, drawing blood and forcing him to remain alert. Awake. If he passed out now, he was as good as dead. "W-What the hell are you talking about?!"
Freed opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it and tilted his head, expression shifting before he shrugged. "... You know what? Forget it." he said before his grin returned. "It ain't gonna matter. I'mma gonna rip off your head, fuck your corpse, and then fuck that little nun right in front of your severed head! Hahahahaha!"
That was it. Something inside Haru just snapped, his previous exhaustion forgotten. He could not die here, he refused to end it here! If he died, then who would protect Asia from this sick and twisted fuck?!
Not to mention… what would happen to Altera?
[Boost!]
He refused to die.
"Well, as you Japanese say: Sayonara you asswipe!" The exorcist brought down his blade to decapitate him, but Haru's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, crushing it in his raged induced grip. "Oi, oi… so you still got some fight left? Just keel over and die already!"
Freed moved to shoot him with his free hand, but in a show of sheer strength and determination, Haru forcibly twisted Freed's sword arm, laser sword included, to slice off his other hand which held his gun.
"AAAAAH! MOTHERFUCKING SON OF A CUNT!"
In agony, Freed dropped his sword and backed off. He clutched the cauterized stump with his other hand. Haru fell on his knees as he felt his body creak from the strain of the added boosts and Reinforcement. At the very least, he made sure to grab the sword so the psychopath couldn't use it again. The maddened and pained howls he released were music to his ears. However, he no longer had anymore strength to give. He collapsed to the floor, gasping for air. Boosted Gear shined again, and suddenly he felt even weaker than before as an announcement rang.
[Reset!]
S-Shit... Is this what happens...when you run out of steam?
"Y-You motherfu—! That is it!" Freed roared as he rammed his foot into Haru's chest. The poor teen coughed haphazardly as he was thrown back, bouncing off the floor like a rag doll and landing uncomfortably at his side. The sword fell from his grasp, allowing its original holder to grab it and glare at him with seething, raging eyes. "I changed my mind! I'm going to fucking tear you limb from limb while that slutty nun watches!"
"As… interesting as that may sound, I'm afraid I must intervene."
At this moment, Altera forced Assassin up to the second floor of the Church while she landed next to the ruined idol of the virgin mary before all eyes fell upon Caren Hortensia, who revealed herself as she stepped out from the shadows, hands at her sides.
"H-Hortensia-san?" Haru asked weakly. "What're...you doing here?"
Caren gave a wry smile. "My word, Namikaze-kun... You look positively beaten to high heaven." She looked back at Freed, taking note of his missing limb. "And you managed to cut off his hand as well. It seems you have a little of your grandfather in you after all."
"You! You're that fucking overseer bitch!" Freed snarled. "You wanna stop me, huh?! You wanna die that badly, you stupid bitch?!"
"No. Not quite. However, I'm afraid the same can't be quite said of you." Caren's eyes narrowed as she folded her arms. "Not only have you robbed me of my Servant with the blatant usage of Assassin's Noble Phantasm, you went so far as to attack a place that is, by law, neutral. As far as I am concerned, Freed Sellzan, you're life is forfeit... Or as you would say, fucked."
If he had the strength, Haru's jaw would have dropped. Caren… lost her Servant? When did this happen?! He never knew that the Overseer lost her Servant during the battle. Did Freed and Assassin ambush her?!
Freed growled. "And so what?! You and that slutty nun are gonna be joinin' her after I rip her Sacred Gear right outta her!"
"I see... Now I understand." Caren smirked knowingly, shifting to the left side. "Raynare wanted to obtain Asia Argento's Sacred Gear by extracting it. Of course, that process would kill her, as a Sacred Gear is apart of one's soul. Of all the plans I thought she had in mind, that was, by far, the stupidest I've ever heard."
Slowly, her smirk grew.
"What say you... Rider?"
Without any warning and nary a word, the ground beneath Freed's feet exploded and he was sent flying, sent crashing straight into the upper levels of the church and falling into a pile of broken wood and debris. Almost immediately, Altera became tense and focused her attention on a single figure that stood where Freed once did. Her presence alone identified her nature, though the most striking feature was the enormous cross she carried. It looked like a staff at first, but the way she held it made it seem more like a spear or perhaps a javelin.
At first, there was only silence from everyone. Caren who was merely amused and very much overjoyed by the fact that the foul-mouthed nutjob had been silenced. Haru who was too tired to even show emotion but still grateful for knocking Freed down a peg. Altera who gazed at her with quiet indifference and surmise, gauging her and studying her. Assassin who gulped as he slowly began to inch away from the railing in the hopes of hiding from sight.
Unfortunately, it would do him no good as the recently summoned Second Rider looked up and found him, her face set into what could only be considered tranquil fury.
"... There are three things I hate more than anything." she spoke. "One. Blasphemous men who slander the name of God with such fervor that would make even a denizen of Hell sound tame. Two. Ghosts that serve only to possess tortured souls and torment the living because of whatever lingering grudges they have. And three. The most hateful thing I despise in the whole world."
She slammed her cross down and her calm mask broke for a second, making Assassin yelp as he jumped back in fright.
"... Fucking demons."
The tip of her staff glowed brightly as it became saturated in holy energy. Without hesitation, she swung her weapon and a blast of light erupted forth before impacting Assassin. The Homuculus screeched in agony as the bright light burned him. It also sent him straight into the Church's wall, leaving behind an indenture where he hanged, dazed for a moment, before he shook his head. As he regained his senses, he promptly panicked when he saw Altera leaping forward, sword overhead. Biting his lip, he gathered power and instantly disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind only several dozen clocks, each ticking with flames around them. The Saber was nonplussed and simply spun in a wide arc, destroying the clocks before they had a chance to explode.
This, of course, left her back exposed. Assassin stood on the ceiling, myriads of burning knives around him. "I gotta finish this quick." he said, clearly panicked. He was only able to knock off Archer because she was so horribly weak and his Master had provided him more than enough mana for his Noble Phantasm to REALLY blow her sky-high, but he was fighting two Servants at once here! Saber by herself was dangerous, but with his tricks, he had no doubt he could beat her. But… that Second Rider? Something about her just SCREAMED danger. "Then I nab the nun, get Master, and finish this job!"
"No, you won't! Do you think I'll just sit by and watch?!" Assassin's eyes widened as he looked back down at the ground, catching sight of Second Rider charging straight at him, staff in hand. "Accept your divine punishment!" With a twirl, she threw the staff with incredible force, sending it flying at supersonic speed. Assassin narrowedly avoided it, but his concentration was not gone. Instead, he directed his attention to the Second Rider and sent the knives after her instead. She clicked her tongue in annoyance before clenching her fists. "Annoying!"
With proficient skill, and much to the surprise of the others in the room, Rider knocked them all away using her fists alone. Her FISTS! They clattered to the ground uselessly before she resumed her charge. Mephistopheles was panicking even more than before. He leaped back to make a hasty retreat to regroup. But due to his focus on the second Rider, he failed to notice Saber right behind him with her sword raised, the tip pointed straight at him, blade rotating. With a swing, brilliant scorching light ripped the ceiling open, bringing it down upon him. His scissors could barely block it as he found himself being smashed straight into the ground. It nearly gave way, creating spider-web cracks beneath him before he staggered up just in time to hear the cross slam down behind him. He turned, but found the Second Rider nowhere. When he turned back around, he paled and found her right in front of him, fist cocked back.
Then she proceeded to give him a no-holds barred beatdown, pinning him to the staff and refusing to let him move. "Shtohp! Shtohp higt!" he shouted in dismay as she beat him further into her weapon, each strike equal to a truck hitting the average man at full force. The Second Rider didn't stop whatsoever. She continued to throw punch after punch after punch at him. The Assassin couldn't even move to retaliate due to his opponent's strikes being so swift and precise. If he hadn't been a servant, he would've been beaten to death long ago. Rider eventually, literally, beat him into the ground, his body sinking in further with each blow, cracking the earth around them. As the coup de grace, she grabbed him by the head and delivered a solid blow to his face, which proceeded to then throw him up to the balcony and into a stone column that proceeded to be reduced to smithereens and bits of dusts upon impact. Assassin then hit the ground, groaning faintly and rubbing his face. "Owwie..." he moaned in pain. "Ma-Master... I think we're in trouble...!"
"F-Fucking shit..." Freed growled as he pulled himself out of the pile, finally regaining consciousness and holding his hand to his head. "Fuck this. Assassin!" He held up his hand again as another segment of his Command Seals lit up, fading away while providing the Servant with an increase of power. "Waste these motherfuckers with your Noble Phantasm!"
"Right!" The Homunculus nodded as he felt a surge of Mana surge throughout his body. All around him materialized a series of clocks arranged in a line. Like a serpent it lunged at the opposing group with the intent to kill.
It encircled the group of three, spinning around and around as the flames around it danced wildly. Haru pulled himself up, using a half-demolished bench for support. "What's… going on?" he asked weakly. "What's he doing?"
"A Noble Phantasm." Caren answered, looking eerily calm despite being within range of the attack that would soon come. "All Servants possess them. Their powers are apart of their legend."
Altera narrowed her eyes, looking around as the ticking clocks slithered around them, tightening their hold. She could easily cut through this and eliminate both Assassin and his Master. Rider could no doubt evade it with ease, or at the very least power straight on through it. The nun could possibly survive the blast. Given how unconcerned she was, she must have been very confident, given the fact that she was going to be facing the blast of a Noble Phantasm.
But...
Her eyes drifted to her Master. Unable to stand up, body shaking, and looking so afraid. Even if she could blast straight through the attack, he would not survive. He'd be killed in the blast. The chance he'd survive was next to nothing. She bit her lip, tightening her hold over her sword. As it stood, there was one option to where she could save her Master's life, though doing so might put a heavy strain on him. It might even kill him if she wasn't careful.
"Master..." she called out. "Are you alright?"
"Just..." Haru panted. "Peachy. Do you think… you can cut… straight through all of this?"
She closed her eyes. She would be truthful to him. Unless she were to use her Noble Phantasm, he would die. If she did use it, she might end up killing him. A partial release wouldn't work. At best, she'd only be able to kill one of them and the strain would, at the very least, render him unconscious for a good while. But would it really work? There was a chance she would fail and he'd die regardless.
"... I can." she answered with some hesitation. "However, if I were to unleash my own Phantasm here..."
"You'd die." Caren answered for her when she couldn't with brutal honesty. "The strain would kill you."
Up above, Assassin giggled. "That's riiight!" he said with a sing-song voice. "So choose, little master! Death by being squeezed dry for every last drop of mana? Or death by my Ticktock Bomb?!"
Haru gritted his teeth, lowering his head. Altera bit her lip. For once, shame filled her. What could she possibly do here now? Her Master would be killed if she couldn't do this properly. She hated this feeling of hesitation. No matter what adversary she faced, she faced them with cold calculation and with the intent to destroy them. There would be no stopping her. So why was she hesitating now? Was it because of the idea she could lose her Master? That her anchor would be gone? No, that wasn't it. It was certainly apart of the reason why, but not completely. There was something else. What was this feeling? It was incomprehensible to describe and felt so strange, yet wonderful. Simply being around her Master made her feel at peace.
If she were to lose him now...
[Boost!]
Altera's eyes widened, whirling around to find Haru struggling and failing to rise up to his feet. His attempt nearly sent him to the floor. In a panic, she dashed to his side, catching him before he fell. "Master! Please don't—!"
[Transfer!]
Altera felt a surge of power rush through her. A familiar sensation that she had felt long ago. The image of a red dragon that irritated her to no end reared its head, resounding a roar. "I told you, didn't I...?" Haru gave her a weak grin. "Take 'em down..." Unable to withstand the strain of fueling her with any more Mana, Haru passed out in her arms.
Saber's expression fell neutral as she gently laid her Master on the ground. She then stood up, the grip on her sword tightened. "... Thank you, Master."
Freed growled. "So you gave power to your little slut! So what?!" He turned to Assassin. "Waste these assholes!"
"Aye aye!"
The spinning clocks tightened the circle. In a few moments, they would entrap the three and reduce them to ash. Saber, however, remained standing and unflinching while the Second Rider, realizing that this was now her battle, wisely stepped aside and tended to the unconscious redhead. Caren just smirked, waiting for the fireworks to go off as the maiden of battle stepped forward, slowly raising her sword high into the air.
"... Mephistopheles. A mere puppet. That is all you are." she spoke coldly, her red eyes glaring at the Servant of the Knife before she undid the restraints on her Noble Phantasm. As it stood now, she would no longer need a full release to end his miserable life. "I won't settle for cutting your strings. I will destroy you. Now, allow me to show you..."
She raised her sword high into the air. The pieces that made up the hilt clicked together, shifting before suddenly, the sword became a beam of light, obliterating the ceiling in its entirety and burning away all traces of it. Not even ash was left behind. What was a beam of rainbow-colored lights had now become a towering pillar that reached up to the heavens. The sight was breathtaking. Beautiful even. However, such grace would also come with the sweet embrace of death. The overwhelming power that flowed was enough to make Freed and Assassin realize that there was no way out of this.
Their lives were forfeit. And their fates were sealed with two words,
"Photon Ray."
The pillar of light spun as smaller streams of light twirled around the hilt in her hand. She swung her weapon, the radiant light following her action. Freed and Assassin didn't even have time to scream before they were engulfed by the multi-colored light of death. The towering pillar came crashing down, destroying and burning everything in its path. It reached past the church, scorching a trail that led all the way up to the mountains and leaving behind a blackened scar. Any wildlife caught in its path was erased. There was naught a trace of it left. As the light faded and the dust settled, Altera stared at the sight before her. A giant gaping hole that revealed the path of the destruction she created. An unsightly scar etched into the green life of Gaea.
Yet she felt nothing from it. It was by her hand that created it, but she couldn't care less. She was resigned to this fate. To destroy whatever it is that she was faced with. Such was her nature.
She closed her eyes, feeling the familiar presence wash over her. "Assassin has perished." she announced as she dismissed her sword. "Now, only six Servants remain."
"That you are aware of." Caren told her as she approached, hands clasped. "How likely are the chances that the Master survived?"
"Slim."
The sharp-tongued woman shrugged her shoulders. "Well, it doesn't matter. If, somehow, he did survive that, he'll be on the run. He failed his mission, so whatever Fallen Angel wanted Asia Argento's Sacred Gear won't be happy with his blunder. The Church will also be after him, since he blatantly attacked the neutral territory that provides safe haven for all Masters who seek refuge here. He won't get very far." She turned her head, finding Altera staring at the Second Rider. Haru's unconscious form was in her care, head sitting atop her lap while she watched over him. "You won't have to worry about Rider."
"... Was she summoned by Asia Argento?"
Caren nodded. "The girl was deathly terrified of what she was going to get herself into, but she wanted to help that idiotic Master of yours. I was half-expecting him to use his last Command Seal to give you the power to unleash your Noble Phantasm."
Altera shook her head softly, glad that it didn't come to that. Even so, after tonight, she knew that Haru would now be at a major disadvantage. He only had a single Command Seal left. One was used out of instinct: to protect himself and the girl. The second was used to fight Assassin. Now, he was only left with a single Seal. She would have to make sure he would treasure that sigil and use it carefully, only in the most dire of matters. Her eyes then drifted to the Second Rider, contemplating whether or not to draw her sword again and cut her down here. It was a brief debate, however, as she realized that the woman had no malicious intent. It changed nothing in the long run, though. They were still enemies. Thus, they would meet on the battlefield soon enough.
For now, though... She wanted her Master to rest.