Guns, Bullets and Tentacles?
Outside Fuyuki.
Dozens of red lights flew towards its target but before they could touch Caster, several tentacles burst out of one of the children that was standing next to him. They took a hit of a surprise attack, saving their creator but dying themselves.
The shock was visible on Caster's face, however, it was quickly replaced by anger as he opened his mouth and shouted an indecipherable cry. While he was screaming Avenger annoyingly clicked her tongue.
"How dare you?!" shouted the hideous servant, not even seeing his opponent but having a general idea where she was. Now, making another shot from her position wasn't going to work. Avenger noticed how Caster was holding a book in hands, probably his noble phantasm. "I was bringing these children as a gift to Holy Maiden but because of you one of them spoiled!" he waved at children who were terrified by what they just saw."Don't you have the decency to show yourself?!"
Instead of an answer, what Caster got was another barrage of magic bullets. However, this time he created a shield using his tentacles that come out of the earth. While he managed to protect himself, the former french marshal couldn't sense his attacker. Before dismissing his organic shield, Caster made another spell while he had a moment. While his eyes were glancing in a different direction, he didn't see or sense how figure made her way, her katana aimed at his back.
'Let's see how your shields block this.' red energy formed around her sword as Avenger launched at Caster from behind. She wasn't an Assassin but even she could make this trick. She was a few meters away from her target when something burst out from the ground. Another tentacle appeared around her. Redhead warlord had less than a second to cut two of them but another three wrapped around Avenger. Fury was easily seen in her eyes.
"Oh, so you are the new servant? Avenger?" asked Caster who now had a good look at her. He brought up his palm to his chin to rest on."Hmm, you look strong even if you cannot be compared to Holy Maiden." concluded servant after making his analysis.
Avenger glared at him with fire in her eyes. Her? Compared to someone else? Was Caster talking about Saber when he said 'Holy Maiden'? Only one way to find out. She looked at her surroundings, tentacles holding her back, for now. Behind Caster, she saw a group of children terrified most likely by both of them.
"This Holy Maiden you talking about? It is Saber? I take it, two of you know each other." Caster looked at her with an open mouth before nodding with a huge smile on his face.
"Of course! There is no person in the world who knows Jeanne d'Arc better than me! Gilles de Rais." he declared happily, not bothered by the fact he just revealed his and Saber's true name. At the same time, Avenger's brain immediately started to analyze the information she just learned.
'So foolish knight is Jeanne d'Arc? Well, sounds believable enough.' It was obvious that Saber was from the west, most likely Europe and certainly not Portugal in Avenger opinion. The fact that someone as French Holy Maiden was acting honourably was another proof to her. Grail was proving her with information about Saber and this Caster. "Jeanne d'Arc? The one who was burned at the stake? And you're that french marshal who is famous for killing little kids? Huh, I'm curious how Saber will react when she sees your ugly face," she asked mockingly.
"Shut up!" yelled Caster. "She didn't deserve this! My poor Jeanne didn't deserve any of this but the Grail heard my wish and granted me victory!" he spread his arms at the sides, making a pose with closed eyes as he smiled. Avenger decided to listen for another moment, expecting to hear another useful information."But, my Jeanne denies the truth, damned God played with her mind. I planned to show her reality, to bring her back with the help of these children." he smilingly glanced back at children who froze. "But you! You dared to interfere!"
Avenger who listened to all of this proudly nodded from her position. "Don't be sad. It isn't like Jeanne d'Arc was going to welcome you anyway. To see her old friend turned into a hideous monster like yourself? My, that foolish Saber is probably disgusted by you." she smirked when she saw how veins popped out on Caster's face.
"YOU!"
Shouted Caster and tried to punch her. However, Avenger had enough of this game. She opened her mouth and breathed in before breathing red fire in his direction. Caster, caught off guard, had a moment to react and fall back, but flame reached its target and was now burning in Gilles's arms. He screamed in agony while Avenger burned down the rest of the tentacles that were holding her back.
Dozens of matchlock rifles appeared in the air around her as Avenger aimed her katana at the direction of Caster and opened fire. However, children that were until now frozen on the spot suddenly jumped before bullets. It was obvious that they were under spell, but this spell left them conscious, probably one of Caster's kinks. Just like the first kid, all of them explode leaving only tentacle monsters at their place. They protectively surrounded the lying figure of Gilles de Rais and hissed at her.
"It is time to stop playing around." coldly said Avenger, when her minigun appeared in her left hand with katana still in her right arm. She aimed her weapon and dozens of matchlock rifles at the mass of monsters before her.
"Indeed!" shouted Caster who raised from the ground. Damage from the fire was visible on his arms in the form of bubbles. However, Caster clenched his fists and mumbled something under his breath. At the same moment, two tentacles materialized around his arms. Now with new appendages and the small army of monsters next to him, Gilles glared at her."You will suffer for daring to interrupt my and Jeanne reunion!"
"Hahaha, my, you're both pathetic and hilarious at the same time, Gilles de Rais. I wish Jeanne d'Arc was here so you could see the disgust on her face." Avenger taunted him with a pleased smile as her opponent's army rushed at while Caster was cursing her name. Avenger met ugly creatures with a sword and gun at her hands.
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Einzbern Castle.
Inside the German castle, the master of Saber and his assistant were on the second floor in one of the rooms watching the fight on TV, while his servant and wife were somewhere at the castle. Kiritsugu made sure familiars weren't the only method of security system in the forest and now it was paying off. He carefully analyzed the fight between two Servants. He narrowed his eyes when children around Caster, Gilles de Rais were transformed as monsters.
"Saber shouldn't see this," he said and Maiya obediently nodded. If Kind of Knights saw what Caster was doing, then they could forget about their plan to deal with him. However, taking into account the battle between Avenger and Caster, Kiritsugu wondered if they needed to come out with a different idea. The redhead servant didn't have a problem cutting former children at pieces. No hesitation at all. On another hand, these creatures didn't stop to appear and Caster himself tried to hit her with his tentacles but Avenger was too quick for him.
"She fights ferociously." pointed out Maiya.
Avenger was stabbing and cutting everything in her path with her katana. When one monster tried to get closer, either it would be shot by one of the matchlock rifles that were following her or Avenger would just hit it with her minigun, the sheer strength alone was enough to crush creatures. At the same time, she was constantly moving, not staying at one place for too long. Occasionally she would jump at another place, leaving miniature crater whenever she landed, thanks to this strange red energy that was forming around her legs and arms.
'Maybe we should leave Avenger to deal with Caster and then finish her while she is exhausted from a fight.' thought Kiritsugu. If they attacked Avenger right after she killed Caster then technically they weren't breaking the temporary ceasefire between masters. 'Let them fight, then I will send Saber after the winner.'
However, his plans wouldn't be fulfilled. An explosion thundered outside and both of them immediately turned to the direction it has come from.
"The main entrance," concluded Maiya but Kiritsugu already rushed outside.
'Was Caster or Avenger's attack just distraction?' He didn't have time to find an answer.
Kiritsugu had run towards the main entrance, Maiya behind him, both armed with a Calico M950. They were inside one of the hallways that lead into the entrance, however, before they entered the main room, inside the hallway he noticed the silver bird, one of Iris's familiar. It has sat on the floor, waiting for them. Kiritsugu didn't understand what it meant until he heard a new voice.
"I, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, challenge the master of the Einzbern family! Master against Master, Servant against Servant!"
Kiritsugu saw his wife and standing next to her Saber in her armour. His Iris had stern look, something that was rare for her, as she looked at the man before her. Kiritsugu and Maiya didn't see Kayneth but the heir Archibald family no doubt was with his Lancer. Good, while Saber and Lancer fought he would kill Kayneth. He turned to Maiya who immediately understand what he was thinking and nodded. Two of them turned and went away, they were going to strike Kayneth from the flank.
Irisviel and Saber looked down on their uninvited guests from the second floor. Entrance door destroyed from an explosion that Kayneth made upon entering the castle. His servants standing before him with his spears aimed at the floor. Both Saber and Lancer stared at each other, waiting for their rematch.
"I, Irisviel von Einzbern accept your challenge. Our servants will have to fight outside," she said with a serious tone and Kayneth smiled.
"Finally, a proper duel between masters of the Holy Grail war! Lancer, deal with Saber!" commanded Kayneth and his servant obeyed.
Lancer slowly made his way towards Saber, smiling, happy to finish what they started the previous night. Saber moved forward, stepping away from Irisviel. Artoria would lie if she said she didn't want this is much as Lancer. Both of them went outside, leaving their masters alone, or so they thought.
"I will admit I was a little disappointed when I learned that Einzbern family would be again represented by homunculus," commented Kayneth. Neither of masters moved since their servants left, waiting for another to make the first strike.
What Kayneth didn't know was the fact that two assassins were surrounding him, with Kiritsugu moving between rooms on the first floor. He wanted to strike Kayneth from the side and Maiya was doing the same from another side. When the master of Saber was where he wanted, Kiritsugu slowly opened one of the doors that leading to entrance hall. However, his eyes noticed something next to Kayneth. There was some liquid near his legs, what alarmed Kiritsugu was the fact that this liquid was slowly moving and making its way to Irisviel. Magus Killer eyes narrowed as pulled out Thompson Contender and slowly aimed at Kayneth.
What Kiritsugu didn't notice was the liquid that slowly flowed next to his legs and making contact with one of his boots.
"So who will attack first, Einzbern? You or I'm?" asked with a smirk Kayneth before turning and looking at the direction where Kiritsugu was hiding."Or one of your dogs?!" he yelled and raised his arm, commanding silver under Kiritsugu to attack.
Magus Killer had a second to react and dodge the strike. Rolling back, he immediately started to shoot with Calico M950. Bullets made went through the door but never pierced Kayneth, his liquid of mercury that was he hide under his clothes leaked out and formed a barrier around him. Standing inside it, Kayneth couldn't help clenching his teeth.
"You using mere guns against my magecraft? How tasteless." commented master of Lancer. Unseen to him Maiya threw at him flashbang but mercury shield reacted and caught it before it exploded."Is that all dogs of Einzbern can do? Use weapons of peasants?" he asked his enemies.
Irisviel glared at mercury barrier where Kayneth was hiding, angry that he dared to call her husband dog."As a master of Einzbern, I won't allow you to badmouth our family members." as she said it, Irisviel pulled out wires which transformed at her familiars. Two small creatures at the form of eagles flew around the silver wall before diving into it.
Her familiars reinforced and therefore were able to create holes on top of Kayneth's shield. Maiya used this moment to fire while she has a chance. Dozens of bullets flew inside Kayneth little safe zone, some of them were stopped by mercury that stretched out as fast as it could to protect its master but some of them found its target. Kayneth clothes were reinforced as well in case his shield failed. He wasn't died or bleeding but it didn't mean he didn't feel pain from impact.
Sweat formed on his forehead as he placed his arm on the place where bullets landed."Enough! I'm done with this!" he yelled before making another spell. Mercury shield that was covering Kayneth divided into three parts. One part jumped on the second floor at the direction where a fire has come from. The second one rushed at a room where Kiritsugu was hiding in and combined with mercury liquid that Magus Killer dodged. Last one and most massive stayed with its master, Kayneth started to walk towards Irisviel.
"No more games, Einzbern! I will show you what real magi look like!"
To be Continued!
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Another chapter is done with 2,352 words! Hope you like it! I know this chapter is short and I really want to make it longer but I also want some cliphanger to make it exciting for the part 2 XD