Chapter Text
Forest outside of Kyo, Japan, 1565
Inoa and Asuna would have been smashed without the Touken shielding them with their bodies, three to each of the Masters; they pushed the girls to the ground, taking the brunt of the wave of energy that pressed down on them.
Once the magical pressure retreated, leaving a cloud of dust and debris in its wake, the only sound that floated through the air was the sound of coughing as they all tried to breathe before curses from Asuna followed.
Tsurumaru laughed, looking down at the blonde Master, "Well, I'm glad you're okay." He, along with Yamanbagiri and Mikazuki, had shielded her. Ichigo, Shokudaikiri, and Hasebe had protected Inoa.
For a moment, Asuna stared at the group that protected her, once again surprised by their willingness to protect a stranger and an enemy. "... thank you." She finally said. She looked around, a small sense of relief filling her when she saw that the other Master seemed unharmed, but she was shaken.
She then focused on Dark Berserker as the dust cleared and growled in frustration. Although the powerful outburst of magic was destructive enough, it didn't seem like Dark Berserker was done. He now had a dark swirling energy around him, like a coat of armor, and he was no longer alone.
Their group was surrounded by dozens of unknown creatures, all of them cloaked by a dark aura that was similar to the Berserker they were fighting; thankfully, it seemed like the Dark Assassin was still keeping a low profile.
"What the hell are these!?" Asuna demanded, looking around. They weren't Servants, familiars, maybe? Extremely strong ones at that.
"The Time Retrograde Army," Yamanbagiri explained quietly. "They are the soldiers of the Historical Revisionist, people who want to change history."
"Huh?" Asuna looked even more confused, and belatedly, Yamanbagiri realized that they had yet to explain the situation to her.
"They are our enemies," Mikazuki explained. "And yours too, from the looks of it."
"This war is going to be interesting." Lancer appeared at Inoa's side, making sure that her Master didn't have any serious injuries while nonchalantly wiping dust off her clothes. Except for a few bruises here and there and a small red line on his right cheek, she seemed undamaged. "I guess I should get serious."
"What? You weren't before?" Saber asked, helping Asuna to a standing position and once again shooting the sword warriors a thankful look for protecting her Master. "Should I be offended?"
Lancer laughed back, "You're still holding back, too, so you can't complain."
Saber just hummed in response, noting that the sun had just finished setting on the horizon. The sky had darkened, and twinkling stars appeared on the dark canvas. "I wasn't holding back on purpose."
Asuna followed her gaze and huffed. Finally! What was with the sky? It had to have been the longest sunset in history. "Listen, Saber, go all out on that stupid Berserker, send him flying back to the Ninth Grail War, where he belongs."
"I don't think he was pulled from that period," Lancer spoke up, studying Dark Berserker intently. "More like he was resummoned by darker means."
Saber looked at Lancer with a calculating look before turning to her Master, "I have every intention to Master, but..." Saber looked around at the creatures. "These guys may make it hard to reach him."
"You take care of Berserker," Ichigo spoke up, unsheathing his blade and looking at the other Touken. "We'll deal with the Time Revisionist Army."
"I was itching for a fight," Tsurumaru grinned, following Ichigo's lead. "I hate standing around when others are having fun."
"Fair enough, shall we charge that expired Berserker Lancer?" Saber asked, smiling at the other Servant.
"If these guys take care of the Time Retrograde Army, I don't see why not." Lancer grinned back.
"Be careful," Inoa said, looking at the Servants before looking at Asuna. How was the blonde so calm?
"I'm always careful, Master," Lancer said, charging at Dark Berserker with a burst of mana, she jumped into the air, spear swinging down on his head.
While the Servants faced Dark Berserker, the Touken Danshi turned to face the Time Retrograde Army, ensuring the Masters were safely surrounded.
"It's our moment to shine," Shokudaikiri stepped forward and drew his blade, eye set on the Uchigatanas and Wakizashi before him. "Let's make it cool!"
The Uchigatanas charged simultaneously at him, and he easily parried the first one's strike, forcing it back before slicing through its neck with one stroke of his long sword.
The remaining Uchigatana and Wakizashi tried to corner him, attacking from different angles.
He side-stepped the Wakizashi, turning on his heel and stabbing it through the chest before he blocked the last Uchigatana's blade with his own, pushing it back before striking it down with a brutal slash.
He straightened up and stabbed his sword over his shoulder, piercing a Uchigatana that had been trying to sneak up on him through the mouth before slicing his blade up through its head, turning it into purplish-black dust.
"Nice try, but I wouldn't be cool if you could sneak up on me so easily."
Further to the left, Hasebe was facing off with his own group, scowl on his face, "I don't have anything against you, but it's an order from my Master. Die."
He brutally cut through a Wakizashi that lunged at him, parrying the blade of a Uchigatana before kneeling low and slicing it in half with surprising strength. He made it seem like cutting through its rotten corpse was nothing.
Another Uchigatana tried to take advantage of his lower position, swinging its blade down on his head, but he pivoted, swinging up just as the Uchigatana's blade missed him and cleaving the Revisionist in half instead.
"Nothing will stop my blade," He swore, pushing himself up and slicing through a Tanto's body.
"Here I go," Yamanbagiri said, launching himself at a group of Uchigatana. His sword whipped out, and he cut through two of the Revisionists before his feet even touched back on the group, his tattered cloak whipping around behind him.
He dodged the strike of the third Uchigatana, slicing through its throat with a single stroke of his blade.
He leaped back to avoid a Wakizashi that charged at him, putting his other hand on the handle of his blade before charging at it, slicing through its waist, cutting its body from its bony, horned stead.
He turned to survey the rest of the Unit, finding that the other members were handling themselves well. He suddenly raised his sword, blocking the above strike from the Tachi that suddenly appeared behind him, gritting his teeth.
He broke their parry, jumping back and charging at the larger enemy, his blade finding its mark as it cut through pale flesh.
"Let's go this," Mikazuki smiled at the Time retrograde Army that surrounded him, he hadn't unsheathed his blade yet.
When the Tachi and Uchigatana charged at him, Mikazuki quickly drew his beautiful blade, dispatching the Uchigatana with one stroke of his blade, moving quicker than the eyes could see.
He blocked the Tachi's strike with one hand before pushing him away and cutting through his chest.
He then turned on his heel, dodging the strike of two Uchigatanas, he made it seem both effortless and elegant, the large sword in his hand twisting with ease as he brought it closer to his body, twirling through the air as it cut through each of the Uchigatanas heads before they could react.
Instead of fighting, it seemed more like he was dancing, his actions smooth and flawless.
An Ootachi then appeared in front of him, and he blocked that strike with one hand, too, locking their blades just over his head.
"Yamanbagiri," The Tenka Goken said smoothly, and a flash of blonde hair and a tattered cape flew by him, cutting deeply across the Ootachi and sending a splash of blood through the air. "Thank you for the assistance."
"Damn, old man," Yamanbagiri frowned at him, "You could have handled that yourself."
Mikazuki laughed, "I'm an Old man, I should leave it to you youngsters to be flashy."
"Slow! Too slow! Too slow!" Tsurumaru was laughing happily as he jumped from tree to tree, evading the attacks of the Time Retrograde Army as they chased him.
He landed on a branch and jumped at a Tachi just as it charged at him, slicing down and cutting the enemy clean in half. He then jumped up and out of the way of a Wakizashi, landing on its bony body and stabbing through it with his blade.
The Wakizashi made an interesting sound before he cut through its head.
He shifted the sword in his hand as he turned around, parrying the strike of a Uchigatana with enough strength to send it skidding several feet back. "Don't think you can surprise me!" He laughed, charging after it, he jumped through the air and sliced that one in half, too, a smile never leaving his face.
"You look like you're having fun, Tsuru-san." Shokudaikiri appeared at his side, slashing at a Tanto before it could even reach him.
Tsurumaru laughed, stabbing a Uchigatana that tried to strike at Shokudaikiri in turn. "I wouldn't be anywhere else."
Ichigo held his sword at the ready in front of him, "I am Ichigo Hitofuri, here I come!" He charged at a Tanto, slicing his blade across its body and causing it to disappear in a burst of purplish-black dust.
He slashed his blade across the chest of a Uchigatana before jumping back onto the bark of a tree as a Wakizashi tried to slash at him. Using the trunk of the tree as a platform, Ichigo leaped off it, piercing through the Wakizashi's chest before turning to behead another charging Uchigatana.
He heard a scream from behind him and quickly turned to see that two Tanto had gotten past their defenses and were charging at Inoa.
Without a second thought, he charged after them, cutting through one of the Tanto before swinging up and bisecting the other before it could even touch the brunette.
"Are you alright, Kusanagi-san?" Ichigo asked, giving her a gentle smile. He turned away before she could answer, his sword swinging through the air and cutting through Uchigatana.
He spun his sword through the air, shaking off any remnants of blood before sheathing it. "Hopefully, that wasn't too scary for you." He continued as if he hadn't been disrupted; he knelt in front of the brunette.
"I-I'm fine." Inoa gave him a shaky smile, eyes going around frantically. "Are you?"
"I'm fine, too." He reassured her. He helped her back to her feet while taking a look around. It seemed like the Retrograde Army had been taken care of, and now all that they had to worry about was the Servant.
He turned around at the sound of steel on steel, watching as Dark Berserker slashed viciously at Lancer, sending the white-haired Servant skidding back.
He didn't like the looks of this. Lancer was looking a bit more worn, and there was a new gash on Saber's arm, staining the midnight blue of her sleeve with blood. If the Servants couldn't win against that monster, then what chance did they have?
"Damn! This guy is tough!" Saber panted, wiping at a new cut on her face. She parried another strike of his large sword, but the force of the strike sent her skidding back. Her eyes went up to the sky again, a small smile playing across her features when she noted that it was fully night now.
"Hey, Master, I can go all out, right?" She asked, glancing back at the blonde. She noted that the white-hair warrior was standing next to her; he seemed drawn to the blonde in a way the black-haired Servant couldn't explain, his golden-amber eyes curious and confused every time he looked at her, as if he couldn't understand why he was so drawn to her either. It made her curious, too, especially since her Master didn't seem to notice, but she pushed her curiosity back, right now, she had a big lump of muscle to beat back.
"No Noble phantasm," Asuna said, "We don't know if any other Masters are watching somehow."
Saber nodded, glancing at Lancer. "Well, Lancer? Are you going to show me what you got?"
"You first," Lancer said, waving a hand at Dark Berserker, who was rearing up to charge at them again.
Saber laughed and raised her sword, pointing the tip toward the night sky, she hadn't changed it from the longsword that had the wolf's head as a cross guard. "I would have liked a full moon, but I suppose a quarter moon will have to do for the likes of you, Berserker."
Her rich, dark violet-blue eyes changed, turning into a shimmering silver as a silvery-white aura enveloped her.
Berserker snarled and lunged at her, his large, jagged sword swinging down on her head, but his movement was stopped when Saber easily parried the blow, stopping his movement with her blade. All watching gaped, she hadn't been able to do that before.
"I thank the Goddess of the Night for her blessing," Saber said softly, breaking their parry and smashing her blade against Dark Berserker's, sending him skidding across the field.
She charged after him, the silvery-white aura never leaving her body as she jumped over Dark Berserker's blade, her own swinging down on him and slashing him along his left shoulder, leaving a decently deep gash.
The two Servants clashed again, both surprisingly equal in strength; when before Saber would have been pushed back by Dark Berserker's blows, she now stood firm, the ground cracking under their feet as their blades pressed against each other, both Servants trying to gain ground.
Lancer watched with wide eyes; Saber had become faster and stronger, cloaked in starlight... or was it moonlight? She looked up at the night sky. Was it just her, or did the moon and stars seem brighter, there was a silvery glow in the air that reflected the light around Saber's body.
She heard Dark Berserker roar in anger, a whirlwind of magical energy once again enveloping his body and pushing Saber back. Once the whirlwind settled, Lancer gritted her teeth when she saw that Dark Berserker was all but healed.
"I guess I better do my part," Lancer muttered, she gripped her spear tightly and began twirling it through the air, the orange gem in the center of her blade glowing brightly.
She charged at Dark Berserker, dragging the tip of her spear along the ground and slashing up across her chest, drawing blood but not only that; the moment her spear had lifted off the ground, the earth followed, elongating and sharpening until the earth was as sharp as her spear, piercing his flesh.
Lancer then slammed the butt of her spear into the ground, sending a chunk of earth flying up to slam into the mad Servant's abdomen, sending him flying. But she wasn't done, she slashed her spear through the air, large, sharp chunks of rock materializing when she did and launching after the mad Servant, impaling him further.
She heard a low whistle and turned to see Saber standing behind her, looking impressed.
"So that's what you were hiding." Saber grinned; she was still cloaked in the silvery aura, and there was something more feral about her smile.
"Upset?" Lancer raised a brow. "You were hiding a great deal of strength when we fought." It seemed like Saber had gone up a class ever since she started to glow.
Saber shrugged, looking at her hand, "... this has conditions." She raised her sword and blocked an attack from the recovered Dark Berserker, sparks flying through the air as their blades pushed against each other.
She was using her own silver aura to keep the dark, swirling mist that enveloped Dark Berserker from touching her, a smart move since that energy hurt; it was as if her skin was being burned by an incinerating flame.
Lancer used the opportunity Saber gave her to strike at Dark Berserker from behind, stabbing into his back with her spear and the pieces of earth she summoned.
She jumped back, spinning her spear through the air and summoning jagged shards of earth from the air above Dark Berserker's head, slashing down with her gold spear as the shards of earth burst downwards.
The rock shattered upon contact with Dark Berserker's skin and head before the remnants pierced into his flesh, drawing blood.
Saber then jumped back and slashed at him with a silvery burst of mana that took the shape of a crescent moon, leaving a deep gash on his chest. "Let's dance you a lump of muscle." Saber smiled, charging after him and handing out strike after strike at the larger Servant in quick, consecutive strokes of her blade.
Dark Berserker roared and smashed his blade against Saber's from below with enough force to send her flying up into the air.
"Saber!" Lancer charged at Dark Berserker, her golden spear slashing against his waist and sending blade-like rocks into Dark Berserker's back.
His sword swung back at her, easily destroying the hard earth she created and swatting her away like she was a fly. She jumped over his sword and thrust her spear down into his shoulder, piercing through the veil of mana before he shook her off.
Lancer jumped back to avoid his strike, and that's when she noticed it: the white light shining from above. Both she and Dark Berserker glanced up to see Saber falling back to the ground, her longsword glowing with a brilliant white light; the metal was swirling with tightly condensed mana.
Lancer acted immediately, stabbing her spear into the ground and shooting her mana into the earth that surrounded Dark Berserker; she molded the rock into spikes, stabbing into his feet and legs, desperately holding him in place.
Noticing that Dark Berserker was trapped, Saber swung her sword downward, condensed silver-white energy shooting down like a shooting star from her blade and bisecting the giant Servant before he could react, the ground shattering on the impact.
"They got him!" Inoa said she sounded dazed and was wobbling on her feet from relief or shock; she didn't know. She would have fallen over if Ichigo wasn't there beside her.
"Gross," Asuna wrinkled her nose at the sight of Dark Berserker; he was cut nearly vertically in half, blood spilling out from his body.
Saber landed lightly on the ground, the silvery aura disappearing from her body as she looked at the Berserker. "Lancer, are you okay?"
"I should be asking you that," Lancer looked at the dark-haired Servant. She was strong, almost as strong as... "You-"
Whatever Lancer was going to say was cut off by Dark Berserker's scream of rage, both Servants immediately readying themselves when another burst of mana exploded from his body, enveloping him as his body knitted back together.
"What?!" Lancer could hear her master's voice from somewhere behind her; it sounded nearly hysterical. Honestly, she was neat throwing a fit, too... after everything she and Saber had done, how was the Darkened Berserker not dead?
Dark Berserker slowly stood up but didn't move, his red eyes set on them. Teeth bared in a silent snarl.
"That's enough, Berserker," The Dark Assassin appeared out of thin air, looking disinterested at the results. "We have the data we need?"
"Data?" Saber asked, her eyes narrowing.
"This was a test to see how strong you were," Dark Assassin shrugged uncaringly. "It's no wonder the Saber-class is considered the strongest in the Holy Grail War. I never would have thought you could hurt Berserker as much as you did."
"Such knowledge will help us later in the war," He continued as dark swirling shadows appeared at his and Dark Berserker's feet, pulling them down and away.
"Retreating?" Lancer asked in surprise. "Not going to stay and fight, Kirigakure Saizo?" Unlike Dark Berserker, she learned Assassin's true name in the last war, she had been the one to defeat him in the Ninth, after all.
"Kirigakure Saizo?" Saber asked in confusion.
Dark Assassin pushed off his hood, revealing milky pale skin, spiky dark silver hair, flat pale-yellow eyes, and a cold smile on his face. "Our rematch will have to wait, Lancer. Our true Master has called us home." With that, the shadows swallowed the two Dark Servants whole.
There was silence in the field before Inoa collapsed, the tension draining from her. "I thought we were toast when Berserker healed." She sighed.
Tsurumaru laughed, "That was certainly a surprise."
"Are you okay, Master?" Lancer made her way to Inoa, checking her over.
"I should be asking you that," Inoa smiled slightly at Lancer, "Sorry I wasn't able to help."
Lancer shook her head, "I'm grateful you stood with me instead of hiding like I know you wanted to. As long as you come to the battlefield with me, I'm satisfied."
Inoa looked at Lancer in surprise, biting her lip, she wasn't satisfied at all. Watching Lancer fight so hard had made her want to help despite how scared she had been, even Saber's Master had been able to help slightly with her own magic. She had been completely useless and realized that she didn't like it.
Next time, she'd find a way to be useful. This time, all she did was cower, but hopefully, she wouldn't drag Lancer or the Touken Danshi down the next time they went out. The first step was to stop complaining about her situation; whining hadn't helped her, it just got her dragged around.
Lancer blinked, "What are you thinking so seriously about, Master? I'm fine, you're fine. Why don't we head back for today? After all, we accomplished our mission." She smiled, glancing behind her to look at Saber and her Master.
Inoa stood up, "You're right." She took a breath and made her way to the other Servant and Master pair, "Excuse me, I'm Kusanagi Inoa, may we explain the situation to you?"
"Asuna Kivelä," The blonde introduced herself as well, blinking at Inoa's sudden boldness. "After all that's happened... I wouldn't mind an explanation." Her eyes went to Lancer, "I'm curious about how Lancer knew that Assassin's identity and... them." She nodded at the Touken Danshi.
"We'll happily explain," Ichigo spoke up, sounding relieved as he took a step forward. "Is it safe to assume that this is a ceasefire?"
Asuna glanced at Saber. The black-haired Servant looked worse for wear, and though she stood tall, she saw in her eyes that she was exhausted.
" A ceasefire until the situation is under control is best for us too." Asuna sighed, she looked over at Tsurumaru and made her way over to him. "I owe you anyway since you protected me."
Tsurumaru just smiled at her, "Just doing my job- hey!" He blinked in surprise when she tugged him down to get a better look at the wound he received from Dark Assassin when he protected her.
"Just hold still," Asuna said, a soft green light in her palm as she pressed it against the wound. "It's healing magic, you protected me, so it's the least I can do."
Inoa ventured closer to watch Asuna heal the white-haired warrior. "Will a mage's healing magic work on a sword?"
" A sword?" Asuna echoed, confused.
"It's a long story," Inoa sighed, but still, she started to explain how they all ended up here.
Himeji Honmaru 2205
Once again, Inoa found herself and Lancer in a meeting with Shinobu in the Saniwa's office, but this time, Asuna and Saber were there too.
The latter two were able to be in the Honmaru because of the extra time devices Shinobu had given the team; she had been hoping for an alliance and rightfully thought they'd need extra equipment to transport the Master and Servant pair.
All of which Inoa thought was fine; she just wished she had been given more time to rest after they returned; after all, the Touken Danshi were given orders to rest and be repaired; instead, she had been swept up in a meeting, so that Shinobu could get to know Asuna and Saber.
"Sounds like you had an exciting day. Good job," Shinobu said once everything that had happened in 1565 was explained to her. She smiled gently at Inoa, "And thank you for your hard work."
"I didn't do anything," Inoa immediately waved off her compliment.
"You found the Master in 1565, you did everything I asked of you," Shinobu argued. "I think that deserves praise."
Inoa blushed and looked down at her hands, "We only found them because Kivelä-san fell on Tsurumaru-san."
Asuna blushed at that, and Saber laughed at her Master's expense. "It is true." She turned to Lancer, "Still though, who would have thought you'd be summoned two wars in a row?"
"It's just by chance," Lancer shrugged.
"But we can use that, right?" Asuna spoke up as well. "If Servants from the Ninth War are appearing, we have an advantage since you know who they are."
Lancer shook her head, "Not for all of them. I never found out the identities of Berserker, Caster, or Rider. I know Assassin, Archer, since I defeated them."
"You don't know the previous Saber's identity?" The current Saber asked curiously.
"How did the war end?" Asuna asked at the same time. "My father was a Master for the Ninth Holy Grail War, and I know he lasted till the end. Do you know what happened to him?"
Lancer's eyes widened at the question. "Kivelä... no wonder your name sounded familiar. If I remember correctly, your family also summoned a Saber for the Ninth War. Did you never find out her true name?"
Asuna shook her head, "I was sent away for my safety once the war started, and my father didn't think it was safe for a child to know his Servant's true name."
Inoa nodded along; it was the same for her. Her father had sent her away with her mother at the start of the war, too, in hopes of protecting them. But it had failed, hadn't it? In the end, she was still caught up in the war, and her parents had died.
"I'm surprised you never learned it," Saber said, talking to both Asuna and Lancer.
Lancer sighed, "All I know is that the Saber from the Ninth War is strong. After all, I can't tell you how the Ninth Holy Grail War ended because she defeated me at the very end."
Inoa stared at Lancer, stunned, "What?" Was someone able to beat Lancer?
Lancer just smiled bitterly, her eyes going around the room before settling on Saber. "Sabers... they truly are the strongest class."
Location Unknown
A woman with pale skin, thick wavy blonde hair that fell to her waist, and fiery orange-red eyes sat on a makeshift golden throne.
She was wearing thick, golden armor that exposed her midriff and upper arms, her shoulder pauldrons designed after the head of a roaring lion, and she wore a blood-red sash around her waist.
"So that Lancer is back?" She asked lazily, her eyes set on Kirigakure Saizo as he reported the events that happened in Kyo to her.
"Yes," he said, sounding displeased. "And not only that, but the Saber for this war seems exceptionally strong, it's a nuisance that she's joined forces with Lancer."
"Hmm," The blonde straightened up on the throne. "I doubt she's as strong as me."
Saizo hesitated. "I believe she is your equal." He said slowly, "It isn't definite proof, but I believe this Saber is blessed by the stars. She grew stronger at night. I think I know her true name."
"Oh?" A cold edge entered the blonde's voice. Her eyes were suddenly like frozen flames. "Tell me."
Wise up!
Here are the Servant Stats for Lancer and Saber!
Lancer:
True Name: Ame no Nuboko
Master: Inoa Kusanagi
Class Skills:
Riding: C
Magic Resistance: A
Personal Skills:
Land Creation: A
Charisma: B
Parameters:
Strength: B
Endurance: B
Agility: A
Mana: B
Luck: C
NP: C
Noble Phantasm:
N/A
Saber:
True Name: N/A
Master: Asuna Kivelä
Class Skills:
Riding: B
Magic Resistance: A
Personal Skills:
Instinct: A+
Charisma: A
Champion of the Night: A
Parameters:
Strength: A
Endurance: B
Agility: B
Mana: A+
Luck: A
NP: EX
Noble Phantasm:
N/A