Outside castle two servants clashed at the battle.
Saber invisible sword blocked tip of Lancer's red spear. She noticed that he wasn't using his golden cursed spear and wondered why. The moment Lancer tried to hit her with a base of his golden spear, Saber used the opening to strike with her sword but because of curse on her hand, Saber was unable to make a quick move. Her opponent saw an incoming strike and made a counter-attack. Last time he learned the length of her sword and therefore now can see an opportunity. Before the invisible sword was able to touch Lancer, he aimed his red spear at the middle of the sword, forcing it to hit the ground before trying to stab Saber with his cursed spear.
She jumped back, dodging what might have been a fatal strike. Her blue eyes studied Lancer trying to foresee what he will do next.' He will attack but where?'
While Saber was busy guessing his move, Lancer took moment to notice the place where he stroke her with his cursed spear last night. She was holding her sword with only right hand. Wounds wouldn't heal unless his spear was destroyed. His eyes moved from her hand to her face and he saw how she was focused, ready to meet his next strike.
"King of Knights." started Lancer, Saber didn't move but her eyes now met his, waiting for him to continue."Our last fight was interrupted by pretty much everyone but now I want to finish it the right way." Rider, Archer, Berserker and this new servant Avenger. He was more than annoyed that honourable duel between two knights was interrupted. but Lancer also was embarrassed by his actions. He was unable to do anything. ordered by his lord to stand and see how wild Berserker rushed at Saber.
He understood that since both Rider and Avenger were standing nearby, he couldn't leave his back open for attack from either of them. It didn't mean that Lancer was happy with this, at least his master didn't order him to assist Berserker. Lancer pointed his red spear at Saber before saying.
"I, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne knights of Fianna, challenge you to duel between knights!" he smirked when Saber stared at him with disbelief.
"Lancer, why would you reveal your name to me?"
"Because I can't fight another knight while hiding my own identity. Saber, no King of Knights, Arthur Pendragon! We are knights and should fight as knights with honour!" he declared while pointing his red spear at her.
Saber stared at him for a moment before smiling, happy to see something familiar in this war."Indeed, as knights should." she stood in more common position, her sword while not visible, aimed at him."Diarmuid Ua Duibhne! I, Artoria Pendragon, accept your offer! Let's us fight as a knight should!" she screamed before launching forward, forcing him to quickly move into the defensive stand.
Artoria moved quickly, making quick strikes, forcing Lancer to move back. She could fight with only one hand but it was enough for her, she had a good teacher after all. Lancer had to block or dodge every strike that she sent his way. He knew that these hits were not well aimed and were meant to confuse him. He was forced back while Saber Kept going forward if he tried to counter-attack he might give her enough room to strike him down.
Instead, Lancer continued to fall back before jumping at the side, his shorter golden spear sent at Saber torse to stop her assault. Gaining some distance from her, Diarmuid started to slowly move at the side, his red spear aimed at her while the golden one was behind the back. His eyes never leaving Saber who started to walk in another direction, now two of them were walking at a circle and she tried to close distance.
Lancer waited for her to rush at him but Saber didn't do it. Instead, she slowly walked before stopping and asking.
"Lancer, no, Diarmuid." she quickly called him by his name."Tell me, are you satisfied by your master?" he raised an eyebrow at this question.
"Where this coming from?"
"I want to know how you feel about your master. He did order you to stand down when Berserker attacked me. As a knight, I can imagine what you felt." he let out a sigh.
"If you worried about that, don't be. My lord, while easy to displease is a still confident man who wants to win Grail. He might have a different understanding of honour as magi but he has his pride as noble." not to mention his master, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, without doubt, loves his fiancee. Diarmuid felt pain knowing that Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri might become another victim of his curse. The last thing he needed was to repeat a mistake that cost him his honour and life.
"I see...Sadly, I don't know if I can say the same about my master." Artoria didn't want to think badly of other people, she forgave sins of another. but her real master Kiritsugu was a difficult man to say at least. She met likes of him in the past and remembered what they did to achieve their goals. In some sense, her master was reminding her of her sister.' She was ready to do whatever it takes to achieve her goal but unlike Morgana, Kiritsugu has a noble goal. I can respect his wish but his actions and plans anything but noble.'
"Are you unhappy with your master, Saber?' asked Diarmuid but she shook her head.
"We just have a difficult time understanding each other that's all. I was just curious if other servants were facing similar problems." she smiled."Sorry, for stopping our duel for something so trivial."
"No problems," said Diarmuid before rushing at her while Saber was caught off guard. Sadly, her reaction was immediate and she blocked his attack before striking back, Her sword and his spears clashed against each other."How unlucky, I hoped it will work."
"Don't underestimate me, knight of Fianna." smiled King of Knights before raising her sword and forcing spears to raise as well. She quickly lowered her blade and aimed at his stomach but Lancer stopped her sword by pressing the bottom of his red spear against her blade. Saber used only one arm and her sword was lowered to the ground as he launched his second weapon at her, aiming for the head. However, before he could finish her, Artoria put more strength at her hand to raise her invisible sword with his red spear still on it. She stopped at the middle of it when the tip of her blade was on the level of his knee. She rushed forward, he stepped back.
'It was a desperate move.' thought Artoria not happy by her performance. The curse on hand was bothersome if this continued like this Lancer might have a chance to win their duel.
Diarmuid took a moment before he threw his shorter spear at her. Saber wanted to prepare for a block but Lancer surprised her and jumped at her. She could destroy his spear if she made precise hit but it would have left her open for Lancer. Thinking quickly, Saber rolled at the side, as spear and owner missed her. Artoria immediately stood up and prepared for another strike.
Two knights stared at each other for a moment, thinking about the next move before rushing at each other again.
______________________________
In the forest.
Gilles back slammed against one of the trees as Avenger made another kick. Red energy still flowing around her heel when she rushed further to finish Caster. However, before she could arrive any closer few monsters jumped before her, buying as much time as they could, which wasn't a lot. She had a little problem dealing with little bastards. They weren't servants and didn't know any fighting style besides rushing at her or trying to capture her with their tentacles which were abominable to Avenger.
'Strange, according to Grail he used to be a skilled warrior if anything he might have been summoned as Saber.' Avenger red eyes didn't leave his figure. Caster tried to increase the distance between them, using his tentacle or minions to do it. But it was useless against Avenger who had such a wonderful thing as a rifle and her minigun. He couldn't fight her in close combat or on long-range. His magecraft was made mostly of summoning spells from what she learned.
Caster would summon more minions, she would kill them all, he would try to hit her with his tentacle, she would cut or dodge it. Her actual first battle one on one was getting boring and repetitive quick. Didn't help that Caster didn't say anything interesting or sarcastic. He would just yell with a high scream or shout at her about how he and Jeanne d'Arc will punish her together.
"My Jeanne and I will make you pay for this!"
"You can't even reach her. Seriously, I'm both surprised and disappointed that she didn't kill you when you showed your face," commented Avenger while dodging another strike. He was using his temporary tentacles as whips but they were too slow and heavy to catch her. Avenger jumped in the air to dodge the first tentacle before crushing at the second one and digging her heel in it. Her disappointment of enemy let out another furious scream."I was expecting more from someone known as an ally of Jeanne d'Arc. She would have been disappointed if she saw this pathetic fight."
Avenger was honest this fight, she had an advantage in this fight. Gilles monsters couldn't be called worthy opponent, they only had their numbers and raw power which couldn't be to her own. Their creator himself wasn't meant to fight someone who could fight in close distance and on long-range. Granted, her matchlock rifles were not the most accurate thing, just like when she was alive, but she could just increase their number. Besides, giant tentacles that Caster was summoning to protect himself when she fired at him was too big of a target to miss.
Not wasting time Avenger rushed forward, the distance between her and Caster getting shorter. Panic was seen in Gilles's eyes as she approached him. His arm tentacles quickly disappeared and he pulled out his magic book. Second, later next to his legs appeared dozens of small tentacles that moved at her direction. As they moved, their size increased and in several seconds they were bigger than Avenger.
She saw it too late. Before Avenger could dodge this attack, tentacles crashed at her with incredible force. Avenger winced and closed one of her eyes. She didn't want to admit it but it was first actual strike from Caster that managed to hurt. Furt appeared in her eyes, as red energy started to appear around her body, A moment later her entire body was covered in powerful red energy which exploded, destroying giant tentacles.
Caster tried to repeat this trick but Avenger wouldn't let him. She had run towards him, cutting down anything that he sent her way. Caster tried to make another spell but this time she was faster.
Before he could make any move, Avenger raised her katana and went for a kill. In the last attempt of defence, Gilles raised his right hand as any kind of block. Unsurprisingly, her katana easily cut down his right hand all the down to the elbow. He let out ears bleeding scream that made even Avenger flinch but her arm stayed strong on her blade. It stopped on level of his torso as she tried to stab him.
However, before she could make the last strike and kill servant in front of her, another giant tentacle burst out of the ground and rushed at its target but unlike before its aim wasn't Avenger. No, tentacle hit its master Caster in the torso from the side. sending flying away and making Caster scream again. Avenger couldn't stop or change the direction of her sword before it stabbed organic mass. She slashed tentacle and turned at the place were Caster was sent flying, only to see his creepy smile as he transformed at spirit form.
"Enjoy your victory, Avenger. Next time both I and Holy Maiden will deal with you." Avenger jumped the moment when he opened his mouth but right before her katana could reach him, Gilles de Rais disappeared.
"ARG!" roared Avenger in fury as she slammed the ground with her heel covered in red energy. It left little flames that quickly burned out. Avenger calmed down, but her eyes still held murderous gaze."To think that some low servant as this Caster would run away from me!"
She was furious but taking time to rethink this battle, Avenger started to think about how much she gained. Not only she learned Caster fighting style and some of his most repetitive moves but most importantly his and Saber's true identity. She closed her eyes before starting to laugh that didn't sound healthy. This night wasn't so worthless as she first thought. At that moment, she felt something.
'Well, it would seem that I wasn't only fighting tonight. This night isn't over yet."