Fate/False Order

Standing in front of an arcade, stood a giant of a man, his eyes squarely focused on the game, while his hands moved with inhuman speed using the controls.

As he stood there, enthralled by his game, a much smaller man with dark hair made his way up to him, while nervously looking around.

"Rider," he said in a half whisper, while tugging at the tall man's white t-shirt, causing the man to give him a glance, before looking back at the game.

"What is it, Boy? I am rather busy," he said distractedly, causing Waver to sigh. "Haven't you noticed that this place has almost become deserted in a matter of minutes"?

Rider only nodded absentmindedly. "Yes, and I hope it isn't Caster's doing, or else we are in quite the pickle," he explained, causing Waver to groan.

Waver hadn't even felt the Bounded Field being deployed, and that alone caused him a lot of unease. Subtly setting one up needed a lot of practice, as most Magi would instantly notice the incised mysteries in the surroundings when a field is created.

"This isn't the time to play games, what if Ca–" "Fatality!" Came the abrupt exclamation from the arcade game, cutting Waver off before he could reprimand Rider. "Shao Kahn wins!"

Once the commentator's words fell, Rider's face morphed into a grin, and he allowed himself to let go of the machine's joystick.

Turning to look at Waver, he gave a raised brow. "Now then, I believe we should greet our allies," he proclaimed before he walked past Waver.

Quickly turning around, he followed Rider. Though as he walked with him, he started to notice the fact that the almost empty arcade had become fully empty during the short few seconds he had been speaking to Rider.

As they were about to leave the arcade, Rider's form glimmered, and in a flash of light, his casual clothing was replaced by his battle gear. With that done, he strutted confidently through the exit, Waver following in tow.

"Oh-ho, what is this?" Rider said with amusement, just as Waver stepped out of the arcade, allowing him to see what his Servant saw.

Outside stood three knights, each one wearing armor that screamed high end, along with Vivian, who looked professional while wearing a black overcoat and brown satchel.

The sight made Waver feel underdressed, as he himself was not wearing anything special, or anything suited for combat.

Raising a hand, Rider rubbed at the back of his neck while looking at the four. "Such fine equipment, though I fear that you're all making my Master feel a tad underdressed for our campaign," he commented, causing some color to make its way onto Waver's face.

Before anyone could comment on Rider's words, Waver's foot slammed onto Rider's own, causing the colossal Servant to look down at his own Master with confusion. "Did I say something wrong?" He questioned absentmindedly.

Seeing the look of mild confusion on his Servant's face, Waver could only sigh at the fact that his Servant could be incredibly dense from time to time.

Not seeing any response from his Master, Rider looked back at the new arrivals and flashed them a smile.

"It is good to see you," Saber said with a slight incline of her head, causing Rider to nod with clear satisfaction.

"Good, it's good to see you all as well," he said happily, before looking at the three others. "Are you three ready to leave? You all look ready at the very least."

At the question, the tallest of the knights shook his head and took a step forward. "Almost, but before we can go, we need Waver to sign a confidentiality geass scroll regarding any secrets we reveal tonight," he said confidently, causing the Servant to slightly frown.

"That was not a part of our agreement," he said somewhat sternly, causing Alistair to sigh.

"You are right," he admitted with a shrug. "But without it, none of us feel comfortable going all out, as if anyone learns of our secrets, we'd likely turn into targets for dissection and experimentation by crazed Magi."

Raising a hand, he casually waved it in the direction of Waver. "Just ask the kid, he can tell you how ruthless and crazy most Magi can be when they find something they think can improve their research," he stated matter-of-factly.

At that, Rider looked at Waver, who gave his Servant a hesitant nod. "He's not wrong," he explained curtly, before turning to look at Alistair. "Though I'd like to see the Geass before agreeing to anything."

Nodding approvingly, Alistair gestured towards Vivian, who flicked open her satchel, and pulled out a scroll, before tossing it to Waver.

Before Waver could catch it, Rider snatched it out of the air, and silently rolled it open.

Waver didn't even bother to complain, as he understood that his Servant was looking out for him, rather than undermining him.

As Rider read through it, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he glanced up from the scroll. "You will hold Waver responsible for my own words?" He said questioningly, causing Rosalind to cut in.

"You are currently by Magi definitions his Familiar, we just decided to include that you couldn't as a reminder, since you can notice that we have a section including the use of Familiars to spread the information," she explained.

"It's just that we don't want him falling into any pitfalls, so we added that part as a slight reminder for you to be careful with what you say."

Rider didn't look too pleased by being referred to as a Familiar, but he only let out a slight grunt of annoyance before he continued reading.

After another couple of seconds, Rider handed it to Waver. "I found nothing overtly outrageous, but look over it once for yourself," he said, causing Waver to quickly scan through the text.

It was mostly filled with clauses regarding who he could and couldn't talk to regarding what he'd learn during their mission, while outlining what would and wouldn't be seen as a breach of the contract.

There was a small section where the head of the house had guaranteed his safety, meaning that no harm would come to him from their end, including the use of third parties.

After a quick once over, he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a pen. Looking up from the contract, he fixed Rosalind with a stare, and quickly signed his name on the scroll.

Rolling it back up, he tossed it to Rosalind, who quickly unrolled it and checked his signature. "Good," she said in a pleased tone, while smiling at the signature, before she tossed it to Vivian.

Grabbing it midair, she flashed Waver a smile. "Thank you," she said before placing it back into her satchel. 

"Alistair," Rosalind said while looking at her son, who stretched out his arm.

Before Waver could question the action, motes of light formed at the tip of his hand, multiplying in number, creating a blinding light.

Raising a hand to shield his eyes, Waver missed the moment the lights disappeared, the particles of light replaced with a giant coiled metal lance.

Rider gave a sharp inhale of breath, while placing a hand on Waver's shoulder. The contact made Waver lower his arm, revealing the floating weapon in front of Alistair.

"Boy, I think you made the right decision," Rider said absentmindedly, which Waver could only numbly nod to.

He couldn't recognise what it was at a glance, but he'd be a fool to guess that it was anything less than a genuine Noble Phantasm. And if Rider's reaction was anything to go off on, it was a powerful one.

"My lance, Rhongomyniad," Saber said with a hint of pride, causing Rider's eyes to widen and turn to face Artoria.

"Is this your Noble Phantasm, or is it the real deal?" He asked wearily, causing the King of Knights to shake her head. "It is the genuine article."

At the confirmation, Waver could only dumbly nod his head. "I can see why you asked for the contract," he mumbled.

Shrugging, Alistair hoisted the lance up, and leaned its shaft on his shoulder. "Yeah, I'd become a mass murderer in a matter of weeks after dealing with the moronic thieves," he said with clear irritation.

Waver could only nod, but his eyes were fixed on the lance.

Seeing that things had calmed down, Rider spoke up. "If we're all done, then I'd like to get moving. The longer Caster has the Grail, the higher the chances are that she does irreparable damage to it."

The others only nodded at Rider's words. Seeing their reactions, Rider gave a theatrical wave, causing his mantle to flutter through the wind, while pointing past Fuyuki Bridge, towards the Civic Center.

"Then we march!"

~~Fate/False Order~~

The 'march' to the Civic Center had taken around double the normal time, thanks to Alistair and Vivian setting up bounded fields to keep civilians away to minimize casualties.

Everyone was in agreement that a sneak attack was implausible given the circumstances, so they agreed that discretion was the better part of valor, choosing to instead be slow and thorough, rather than rushing in the hopes that they could catch Caster off guard.

As they reached the Civic Center, each and every one of them felt it. The Mana in the air had thickened to a ridiculous degree.

Saber and Rosalind could instantly feel the difference between the strength of this Bounded Field compared to the one set up in Ryuudou Temple, and this one was several magnitudes more potent.

Neither of the two Servants reacted at the sudden increase, but the other's gave a visible reaction at the sudden change in climate.

Alistair and Vivian showed the least reaction, the two only momentarily stiffening before shrugging the effects off. Rosalind could be seen momentarily shivering, before moving a hand to rest it on her forehead, as if suffering from a migraine.

Waver had it the worst, his whole body shook, his pulse and breath becoming erratic.

With his nine low grade Magic Circuits, it meant that his body had rarely, if ever, experienced high strain through use of Magecraft, due to how pitiful his output was. If you paired that with his constitution being nothing to write home about, it becomes a foregone conclusion that he'd short circuit in a situation where his body was overwhelmed by such potent energy.

Before he could collapse, Alistair rested a hand on his back, and like magic Waver's state visibly improved. But it was clear that he was still under a lot of stress, as a few droplets of sweat still fell down his face.

"Stay close to me, I'll need to reapply this every fifteen minutes," Alistair explained, causing the Master of Rider to gratefully nod his head.

Seeing that he was fine, Alistair let go of Waver's back, and turned to look up at the building.

As he stood and looked up at the building, everyone felt multiple small privacy Bounded Field's erect themselves, with Alistair being the point of origin.

Gingerly tapping his gauntlet against his armor, Alistair glanced over at Vivian, before looking at the building. "Please tell me you haven't come to the same conclusion as myself," he said with a hint of annoyance.

Vivian stepped forwards, a frown marring her pretty face as she looked up at the building with clear disgust. "Caster is insane," she grunted out, causing the others to look at them with a hint of worry.

"Would you care to clue us in on your speculations?" Artoria asked with a hint of weariness, as while she thought highly of their understanding of Magcraft, she knew that anything that made them sound so bitter with the situation was bound to be bad news.

"The crazy bitch is using the Grail as the Field's anchor stone, effectively boosting the barrier, while making it near impossible to tamper with without damaging the Grail itself," she said bitterly, causing everyone else to look like they had bit a lemon.

Seeing everyone's expression, Rosalind turned to look directly at her son, while looking him dead in his eyes. "Are you capable of dismantling it, or unraveling some of its effects?"

The question caught the others, except Vivian off guard. Which was understandable, as Vivian had just laid out how foolish it was to even think of trying such a thing.

Alistair broke eye contact with his mother, turning to look back at the building instead. Thanks to the angle and his helmet, no one could see his eyes rapidly change color, passing through a kaleidoscopic range of colors, before turning back to their former green.

Raising a gauntleted hand, he placed it against his helmet while releasing a slight wince.

"It's possible—" he cut himself off with a shake of the head, before looking back at his mother. "No, I certainly can," he asserted confidently before continuing.

"But as I'm dealing with Divine Words rather than Magecraft, it's giving me quite the headache, so I'd like to only dismantle them all at once, rather than doing a few now and allowing Caster to fix them at her leisure," he explained, causing his mother to sigh.

"Um, excuse you?" Waver said with bafflement, causing Alistair to look at him. "Did I say something wrong?" He asked with a tilt of his head, causing Waver to fume.

"Do you have any idea of how outrageous the words that just came out of your mouth were?!" He said in a clear bafflement. "How little do you think of a Caster that is from the Age of Gods, one who worked side by side with the greatest heroes of Greece! I'm fairly sure that she can mimic True Ma—" before Waver could continue his rant, Rider had placed a hand over his mouth, while giving his Master a tired look.

"Boy, calm yourself, you're making a scene," he said sternly, causing his Master to visibly deflate. 

Seeing that, he nodded before continuing.

"Good, now let us give Alistair the benefit of the doubt, after all, we never considered the fact that he was capable of pulling something like he claims off. So it will only be a boon if he can pull it off, and not a determinant," he explained, causing his Master to give a reserved nod.

Seeing that, he removed his hand while turning to look at the others.

"The field's strength means nothing more than we must proceed with more caution!"

His words were followed by the clap of thunder, as a jolt of lightning struck the ground beside him.

In a flash, the Gordius Wheel shimmered into existence beside him, its bulls roaring and stamping their hooves, clearly ready to go.

Jumping onto his chariot, he gestured for the others to join him. "Make sure to grab the railings, this won't be a smooth ride," he said while grabbing the reins.

Waver was the first to jump onto the carriage, quickly positioning himself next to his Servant before anyone else could grab it.

Saber was the next, followed by Rosalind and Alistair, leaving Vivian the last one to hop on the chariot. Before she could get on by herself, Alistair extended a hand to her.

Smiling, she grabbed it, and Alistair gently helped her onto the Gordius Wheel. "Thank you," she said before letting go of his hand, and grabbing onto the railing.

Seeing that everyone was onboard, Rider cracked the reins. "Charge!"

With his proclamation the Gordius Wheel sprang into action, and it lurched forwards, causing the passenger's to tighten their grip to keep themselves steady as they took to the sky.

As the chariot left the ground, multiple green magic circles littered the building. This caused Saber and Alistair to move to the side of the chariot facing the building while readying their respective weapons.

Tightening his grip on the reins, Rider gave them a tug. "Light that is at the end of the world…"

Blue lightning coiled around the wheels and bulls of the chariot, just as multiple green beams of energy blasted forth from the magic circles.

As they got close, the lightning around the chariot intensified. "Conquer! Via Expugnatio!" he roared, causing the electricity around his chariot to go haywire, and his bulls to hooves to strike the air fast enough to cause sonic booms.

Glass shattered, lights flickered, and the wind cracked due to Rider's Noble Phantasm, which showed it's might as the energy beams spluttered out of existence due to the sudden attack.

Not waiting a moment, the Gordius Wheel flew up the building, breaking windows, shattering magic circles and short circuiting any electronics in the building.

"Hahaha!" Rider threw back his head in joyous laughter at the sight, as he zipped past the middle floors of the building, quickly bridging the distance to the fourteenth floor.

But as Rider was momentarily distracted, he could not see the tiny tear in space rapidly approaching them.

Before anyone could stop him, Alistair lunged forwards, grabbing Rider's mantle, and pulled him backwards, causing the giant of a man to stumble backwards.

Rider widened his eyes in surprise at the sudden sneak attack, only to see a cloaked arm holding a jagged dagger appear from nowhere and slash at the spot where his neck had been not a second earlier.

Having failed at her sneak attack, Caster's arm quickly retreated through the hole in space, revealing a short glimpse of her hooded face on the other side, which had a slight smirk on it.

But as it was about to fully close, Alistiar was one step ahead, and rammed his lance into the crack in space.

The action stopped the space from fully closing, but it hadn't done any damage to Caster, a fact Alistair seemed ready to change.

Motes of golden light started pouring out of Alistair and his lance, as he gripped it with his other hand. "Sacred Lance," he said seriously, causing the glow to intensify.

"Removing restrai—" his chant was cut short, as his lance was unceremoniously ejected out of the crack in space with prejudice, causing him to take a step back at the sudden pushback.

The motes of light around him vanished as if they had never existed, causing him to click his tongue. "Worth a try," he muttered bitterly under his breath.

Glancing down at the downed Servant, he extended an arm, causing the large man to clasp onto his forearm, allowing Alistair to pull him up.

"The kid was onto something when he said Caster could mimic True Magic, be careful and stay on your toes," he asserted while looking around, keeping an eye open for another tear in space.

Grunting in affirmation, Rider gets himself back onto his feet and lets go of Alistair. "I shall keep that in mind," he confirmed, before grabbing the reins once more.

With another cracking of the reins, the chariot's speed intensified to an absurd degree. "Hold on, we are entering the building!"

His passengers only had a moment to tighten their grip, before the Gordius Wheel took a sharp turn, using its battering ram to the building.

The wall stood no chance, and instantly shattered, not even halting any of the chariot's momentum.

The inside of the building was filled with Dragon Tooth Warriors, which were all but useless. As the moment they turned to look at what was causing the disturbance, they'd be struck by an arch of lightning, or run over by the Gordius Wheel.

"HA!" Rider yelled as he cracked the reins, causing the bulls to roar and expel even more electricity as they stampeded through the building.

After destroying the horde, Rider didn't change trajectory, and quickly slammed through another wall without care.

This action was repeated a multitude of times, reaching further and further into the building by breaking any obstacle in their way.

But as things had been going too smoothly for them, something finally went awry.

Just as Rider was about to slam into another wall, the entire carriage stopped in its place, and everyone onboard froze as well.

Everyone's eyes could be seen darting from side to side trying to see what happened to them.

If one looked closely, you could see the slightest outline of a circular barrier around the chariot, locking space for all those inside it.

Then, just in front of Rider's frozen chariot, reality seemed to warp.

A hole no bigger than a man's torso ripped open in midair, expanding in an oval shape. From within that portal stepped a slender, hooded figure.

Even with the hood obscuring most of her face, one could see a faint smirk shaping her lips.

Volumen Hydrargyrum could be seen coiling sinuously around where her other arm should be. Causing it to glow with an unearthly silver luster, the mercury-like substance forming smooth, ever-shifting shapes.

For a moment, Caster simply surveyed her trapped foes. Her gaze flicked from Saber's eyes, to Rider's brawny shoulders, and then to each of the armored newcomers, lingering on Alistair's lance for more than a moment.

The tension in the air was stifling, though none could move to break it.

"Truly…did you think you could trample my workshop so brazenly?" Caster asked, her voice calm yet dripping with derision. She extended her metal-laced limb, the fluid silver forming a faint ring around her wrist.

"I suppose I should commend your audacity. Yet you are all so pathetically ignorant of the consequences of such a foolish assault. A witch of my caliber is not so easily cornered." Her lips curved further upward.

In that instant, the barrier around the chariot flickered once more—and abruptly shattered into glimmering shards of greenish light.

The air pressure changed drastically, almost popping eardrums with the sudden release. Freed from their invisible bonds, the group stumbled. Bulls snorted and thrashed their massive heads, and Rider's hands instantly snapped the reins taut.

Caster only clicked her tongue, while idly turning to glance at Alistair, not bothering to interfere. Content in watching her prey scramble.

"Scatter!" Saber commanded, her voice firm.

She leapt from the chariot first, pivoting midair and landing on a section of collapsed concrete.

Alistair, Vivian, Rosalind, and Waver followed suit, each jumping off in a different direction to avoid presenting a single, clumped target. While Rider remained on his chariot, deciding on controlling Gordius Wheel as the beasts pawed at the ground.

Caster let out a low, amused chuckle. "Bravado will only carry you so far," she sneered.

With a fluid motion, she waved her working hand through the air, causing green mist to enter the room.

The moment the green mist entered the room, skeletal hands erupted from the ground in a wide circle around her.

Sharp, white finger bones clawed up from beneath the floor's tile, each set attached to a partial ribcage and draconic skull. One after another, the half-formed monsters stretched their jaws open in a rattling hiss.

Alistair dashed around the perimeter, circling wide.

He whipped Rhongomyniad around in a guarded stance, scanning for a potential opening to strike at Caster directly.

Rosalind brandished her sword, causing sparks of electricity to crackle up and down its edges, she took a position not far from her son, matching his posture with her blade held ready.

Neither mother nor son advanced just yet, as they were fully aware of the threat a Caster from the Age of Gods posed.

Meanwhile, Vivian quickly reached into her satchel, retrieving several inscribed runestones. She pressed one against her coat, the rune bursting into faint amber light, reinforcing her physical defenses.

Waver, catching his breath, slid behind a broken column for partial cover. He had no illusions of matching an ancient witch in direct combat, but he raised both hands, incanting a protective spell.

A faint circle of light shimmered into existence around him, which was hopefully enough to keep lesser threats at bay.

A chorus of rattles and clanks filled the corridor as the Dragon Bone Soldiers skittered on all fours.

Caster, taking advantage of the moment's confusion, tore a hole in space, allowing her to slip into it.

Before it closed, a multitude of skeletal constructs poured out from it, which quickly lunged towards the room's occupants.

"Hold them back!" Saber bellowed as she took the lead.

She gripped her invisible Excalibur, surging forward with a swift slash at the nearest abomination.

The blow cleaved through bone and sinew effortlessly, scattering shards of vertebrae onto the floor. Another undead soldier lunged from her left, only to be met by a sharp kick that shattered its flimsy ribcage.

Rosalind advanced as well, with lightning crackling around her blade.

She moved in tandem with Saber, driving her sword through the ribcage of a nearby bone soldier. A loud pop followed the impact, as electricity surged through the creature's bones, reducing it to a heap of smoking fragments.

Alistair scanned the battlefield, watching Saber and Rosalind carve through the first wave of Dragon Bone Soldiers.

He spotted Vivian at the back, calmly flicking her runestones into the air. Each one flared a different color, summoning tiny sparks of flame or gusts of wind that cut down any approaching monstrosity.

Off to the side, Waver lurked behind his broken column, breathing heavily. Despite his fear, he tried his best to contribute.

Raising both hands, he let out a shaky chant, scattering several motes of faint light into the air. Some creatures turned their skulls at him, distracted by the gentle glow.

Saber capitalized on that moment, delivering a sweeping slash that beheaded two of them in one motion.

"Smart," Alistair muttered under his breath, though he kept his eyes on the real threat.

Caster was nowhere to be seen.

She had slipped away, leaving only her minions to fight in her place.

From time to time, flickers of warped air appeared along the edges of the corridor—remnants of her teleportation attempts. Alistair guessed she was waiting for an opening, a chance to strike at Rider or Saber when they least expected it.

He crouched low, turning his head to keep track of Rider's position.

The King of Conquerors stood tall atop his chariot, reins gripped firmly. His bulls roared, sparks dancing around their hooves. Rider watched as Saber and Rosalind engaged the enemy on the ground. Now and again, he whipped the reins, sending arcs of electricity flying from the Gordius Wheel into the crowd of skeletal beasts.

A tall, draconic soldier lunged at the chariot, claws raking the air, but Rider only cracked the reins harder. One of the bulls charged, goring the monster straight through the sternum. The creature collapsed with a dull crunch, leaving streaks of bone dust on the ground.

"Hah!" Rider's laugh echoed. "Come at me! I'll crush every last one of you!"

Suddenly, another tear formed behind him, nearly silent in its appearance.

A pale, hooded arm emerged through the rift, the jagged dagger poised to slash at his neck once more.

"Rider!" Waver yelled, furiously pointing at the cut in space behind his Servant.

He wasn't close enough to do anything, but the warning snapped Rider's focus back. The muscular Servant twisted his body just in time, allowing the dagger's blade to cut only a small gash across his mantle.

Before the arm could pull back, Alistair hurled a bolt of fire from his palm. The flames struck the edge of the portal, forcing the limb to retreat.

Caster's mocking chuckle echoed as the tear closed, leaving behind only a wisp of green mist.

Rider smirked and glanced towards his Master.

"Well done, Boy," he said gratefully, nodding at Waver.

Before Waver could reply, more skeletal warriors rose from beneath cracked tiles, brandishing rusted blades and jagged claws. Some of their skulls appeared larger, and small arcs of greenish energy oozed from between their teeth, as if they were preparing to spew curses or acid.

Vivian quickly noticed them, causing her to press two runes together, which sparked in her hands.

Turning them toward the closest skeleton, she released a surge of wind that slammed the monster into a crumbling wall. It shattered in an explosion of bone shards.

Yet, a group of three advanced on her from the left. They were cunning enough to spread out, planning to trap her between them.

Vivian bit her lip. She reached into her satchel, fumbling for another pair of stones. But before she could cast, the lead skeleton pounced.

"Vivian!" Rosalind shouted. She darted in, sword crackling.

The older woman's blade cut cleanly through the skeleton's midsection. Electricity arced through the air, striking the second one in the face and sending it reeling.

Vivian took the chance to slam a runestone into the ground, conjuring a glowing circle that pulsed with pale light, momentarily locking the third creature in place.

"Thanks," Vivian said, letting out a shaky breath.

Rosalind smirked. "Stay focused."

They regrouped, forming a small ring of defense. Nearby, Saber continued to slice through any foe in her path. Her invisible sword flashed with each swing, cleaving dragon-bone frames with precision.

Alistair picked off stragglers at range, conjuring lances of ice in the air, before launching them at his unfortunate targets.

Waver stayed behind cover, occasionally distracting the odd skeleton, or informing others of potential danger. He knew he lacked firepower, a lot of that being thanks to the constraint drain from powering Rider, but he could still provided openings or information.

Minutes passed in this frantic dance, and the corridor began to clear. Dozens of shattered skeletons lay scattered, forming small piles of bone and dust.

Alistair scanned for any sign of Caster.

He found her the moment she reappeared—she stepped out of a swirling distortion behind Saber.

"Artoria! Behind you!" Alistair shouted.

Before Saber could turn fully, Caster stabbed forward with her cursed dagger, aiming at the back of Saber's armor.

The King of Knights managed to spin, parrying the dagger with a quick shift of her invisible sword. The clang of metal against metal filled the corridor.

Caster's hood slipped back a bit, revealing tangled blue locks and eyes filled with scorn. She bared her teeth, frustration coloring her features.

Again, Caster vanished into another tear before Saber could counterattack.

"She's toying with us," Rosalind growled, causing electric sparks to start flaring off from her sword. "If she wants to kill us, she'll try to pick us off one by one by locking the space around us, leaving us vulnerable to even her weakest of attacks."

Waver agreed to her logic.

He could tell Caster was waiting for a perfect opportunity, especially where Saber and Rider were concerned.

From what Rider had told him about Caster's Noble Phantasm, Waver knew it was bad news. Even if it wasn't destructive in nature, a mere graze of it could allow her to tie one of the Servants to her side, effectively crippling their assault plan, and turning the odds against them.

"Stay together," he advised, stepping out from his hiding spot, and getting closer to Saber and Rider.

Just then, a jagged, silver spike shot out of thin air, aimed at Rider's chest.

Volumen Hydrargyrum had morphed from Caster's missing arm, extending through a small portal. Rider caught it in one hand, muscles bulging as he forced it to the side.

Blood flowed from where it had cut his hand, which he quickly dried off on his mantle, not wishing to have a slippery grip on his sword.

A second spike curved from behind him, but Saber was there, knocking it away with a swift slash.

Caster tried to yank the mercury back, but not before Rider slashed at the fluid with his own short blade.

Some droplets splashed to the floor, sizzling like acid.

A frustrated hiss sounded from somewhere above them.

A swirl of green energy flickered at the ceiling, and Caster dropped down behind a patch of rubble. Her one remaining hand moved in tight motions, weaving a new spell. The mercury-limb reformed into a curved shield, tinted with a faint, silvery glow.

Rider clenched his fists. "Let's finish this."

He leapt off Gordius Wheel, landing heavily on the ground. The bulls snorted and waited, trailing arcs of lightning from their harness.

Saber nodded, shifting her stance. Alistair inched closer, making sure none of them stood in each other's way.

Caster sneered. "Fools. You dare to continue to challenge a sorceress in her seat of power!?"

She thrust her silver shield outward, sending a wave of swirling green flames across the corridor. Saber reacted first, calling forth her Invisible Air to deflect the blaze.

A vortex of wind formed around her blade, pushing the flames aside. Smoke filled the air, stinging everyone's eyes.

Ignoring the thick haze, Caster teleported again, and emerged on Saber's right flank, where her eyes fixed themselves on the King of Knights.

In a flash, she slashed forward with her dagger.

But Saber barely managed to twist away, the dagger's edge skidding across a bit of her armor.

Spark and metal scraped together, forcing Saber back a step.

Rider rushed in, slashing at the silver shield with a powerful cut from his sword.

But Caster had already slipped away, reappearing near the back of the corridor.

She sent one more wave of green fire, forcing them all to dodge or block.

Then, she hissed a quick incantation, and fresh Dragon Bone Soldiers burst from the ground, though fewer in number than before.

"Deal with them," Saber ordered. "I'll hold Caster's attention."

Rosalind and Vivian exchanged a quick nod, then darted forward to meet the new undead. Alistair, however, kept his eyes on Caster, refusing to let her vanish out of sight.

Saber advanced in a flash towards Caster, who had preemptively thrusted her dagger towards Saber, knowing far too well the Servant of the Swords speed.

But the King of Knights was no amateur, easily parrying the dagger thrust.

Rider saw an opening. He lunged around Saber's side, rearing back his fist.

The silver shield rose to block him. Yet, Rider bellowed a war cry, throwing his entire weight into the blow.

The impact was tremendous. Volumen Hydrargyrum rippled and wavered, but Rider's strength was overwhelming. The mercury barrier shattered in a burst of droplets, forcing Caster to take the full brunt of the punch.

Her body flew back with a scream, crashing into a thick wall.

Stone and steel cracked from the force, causing the entire section to collapse.

Dust billowed out, revealing a large hidden chamber beyond the destroyed wall.

Everyone froze for a moment, staring at the area uncovered by the impact.

The new room was filled with odd shapes, half-drawn magic circles, and strange jars brimming with dark liquids.

Flickering lights lined the walls, giving the space an eerie glow.

And in the very center, an orb of writhing black flesh pulsated, floating ominously in the center of the room.

"That must be her workshop," Alistair said, narrowing his eyes behind his helmet.

Saber wasted no time. She hopped over the debris, ready to finish the fight.

Rider followed, stepping around the rubble. Alistair joined them, gripping Rhongomyniad with both hands.

Caster lay in a heap of broken stones, coughing as she tried to stand. Her hood was fully down now, her expression twisted into anger and annoyance.

The small cuts littering her form quickly glowed green before vanishing, leaving her only a bit dusty and disheveled looking.

Volumen Hydrargyrum coiled around her partially, trying to reshape itself into some form of defense.

Saber moved in, slashing in a diagonal arc. Caster rolled aside, forcing Saber's blade to cut through the floor instead, sending sparks everywhere.

Rider charged next, but Caster raised a small barrier in time. Silver fluid clashed with the broad stroke of his short blade, halting his attack. He let out a grunt, leaning his strength against the barrier.

Alistair saw his chance. He circled around the rubble, positioning himself behind Caster. She was still holding off Rider, so she had no way to guard her back.

Yet, at the last second, Caster teleported again.

She appeared this time near a tall pillar of stone in the corner of the workshop, stumbling slightly.

She glared at Alistair, clearly aware that he was the biggest annoyance here, beyond the Servants.

Her eyes flicked to Saber, then to Rider, then back to Alistair.

She muttered something under her breath, likely cursing them for cornering her.

"Surrender, you are surrounded," Rider taunted, while tightening his grip on his sword.

Caster tried one last trick. She lifted her dagger, chanting a few hurried words. The space around them flickered, as if she was attempting another large-scale teleport. But Saber and Rider were on guard, closing in from both sides.

At this, Alistair decided to act.

He hefted Rhongomyniad in one hand, bracing his stance. In a swift motion, he hurled the lance like a javelin. The Sacred Lance tore through the air, its tip blazing with a golden-white sheen.

Caster twisted away, causing the lance to smash into the wall behind her. Stone exploded from the impact, sending debris showering the floor.

Caster's eyes lit with triumph. Seeing him unarmed, along with the only two who could protect him rushing at her, too far to help Alistair, she smiled.

Space twisted in front of her, and in a flash, she was in front of Alistair, the dagger poised to strike the less protected parts of his armor.

But before she could strike, Alistair's open arm started to emit light. In the blink of an eye, Rhongomyniad shimmered into existence in his open hand, and vanished from the wall it was lodged in.

Seeing this, Caster's eyes went wide.

The lance was poised to strike, she was too close to dodge, or even too close to deploy a proper defensive barrier.

Her shock at the sudden turn of events lasted only for a second, and all could see the annoyance on her face as space coiled around her.

But before the teleportation spell could whisk her away, Alistair's arm seemed to momentarily glow, before a giant boom emitted.

Everyone looked dumbfounded as Caster coughed a mouthful of blood.

In the blink of an eye, Rhongomyniad had bridged the gap, piercing Caster's chest, impaling her while disrupting the spell.

Mana started to gush out from Caster in droves, followed by golden particles, causing all to know Alistair had landed a fatal blow to her core. Something that even a witch from the Age of Gods would have issues with healing while on the fly.

Caster twitched, trying to lift her dagger for a final strike. But Alistair caught her wrist with his free hand, crushing her attempt.

With a snap, her wrist went numb, and the dagger dropped out from her hand. Letting go of her broken wrist, he moved to firmly grab her by the head, forcing her to face him.

"Checkmate," he said, voice low and final.

Caster's form began to glow, and her body started to violently twitch.

Before anyone had the chance to catch on, Caster's body exploded in a violent burst of Mana, causing blood to splatter against the walls and floor, as well as painting his armor a light coat of crimson.

"Wasn't that a bit brutal?" Vivian chimed in, causing Alistair to sigh. "I'd rather not give her a chance to pull something, but you're not wrong." he admitted, with a nod, before turning to look at the others, who looked relieved that Caster was dead, but a smidge disturbed at her popping like a balloon.

"Snap out of it! We're not finished yet!" He said aloud, causing them all to look at him with various degrees of confusion. "This place is still a deathtrap, and I'd rather fix things before they become too unstable due to some mechanism turning unstable due to Caster's absence."

This caused the others to look at him seriously. Taking a step forward, Artoria gave him an appraising look. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Nodding, he pointed at the hallway. "Bring Mom, and start wiping the floors clear of those golems. Make sure to be careful, there could still be active traps."

Artoria glanced at Rosalind, who had sheathed her blade, and quickly nodded at her son's suggestion.

"I'd rather not deal with any rogue golems that escape this place. It would be a mess to clean up if anyone caught sight of them," Rosalind added on, causing Artoria to walk towards the exit.

"Then we have no time to waste, we shall return swiftly," she said as she left the room, Rosalind hurriedly following her.

Turning to look at Rider, he pointed at the documents. "You should be able to read these, have your Master help you with understanding the content," he explained matter-of-factly. "Who knows, there might be crucial information on the Grail's supposed curse, or something about how to undo the Bounded Fields, case in point, I need to know if there is any crucial or useful information in them," he said, causing the Servant to nod.

"You make a fine point," he said approvingly, before grabbing the scruff of his Master's shirt and pulling him away. "We shall inform you of anything newsworthy," he said dismissively, as he dragged a resigned looking Waver.

Turning to look at Vivian, he spoke. "You lo—" "Look for Irisviel," she said with a wink, causing Alistair to smile behind his helmet. "It's almost as if you knew," he said with amusement, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Then I shall leave you with the undoing of the Bounded Field," she said with a huff, spinning on the spot, and walking away from her boyfriend.

Smiling to himself, he turned to face the floating orb of black flesh. "Right you are," he mumbled under his breath.

—

7 Hours, 12 Minutes And 5 Seconds Until Zero 

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A/N

Welcome back, my reader Overlords, please add this to your library and give me some comments, stones and reviews, as it would be much appreciated.

Ooof, that was a lot of words... 7K to be preces, so like an entire weeks worth of words...

Truth be told, this was my 3rd rendition of the chapter, and I am still not super satisfied with it, but it is the best I'll get out of it for now. 

I hope you all found the plan and execution to be logical, though do take it with a grain of salt, as Medea would probably have taken it a lot more seriously, while Morgan just needed to look like she was toying with them before slipping up with Alistair.

Overall, I think it's decent.

Now, any predictions? I am all ears!

Anyways, I'm on a flight right now, so I probably won't be able to answer, unless this flight has actual functioning Wi-Fi, which is unfortunately not a given, even when the flight is 10 hours...

https://discord.gg/HAPhryp5M2

Now I'm tired as I'm hung over and feel a bit loopy due to weed! So have a nice day, or at least one better than mine, and send me some stones or some shit (Not literal shit), as I need motivation!