Fate/Zero:Act 7 Part 2

-130:32:40

The battlefield of the Heroic Spirits had already turned into a swamp full of filthy mud.

The horde of alien demonic monsters which appeared endlessly regardless of how many were slaughtered; piled into mountains of corpses, the spraying innards and bodily fluids mixed, was kicked and stirred by two pairs of feet, and formed a chaos even more terrifying than Hell itself.

More rancid that the stench of rot, the smell of the demonic monsters’ internal organs was thick as mist and filled the air - just like lethal poisonous gas. Living humans will probably die from lung corrosion just from inhaling.

By now, the number of enemies cut down by Saber and Lancer had long surpassed five hundred.

"...To make no progress at all for this long, this is a surprise beyond amazement."

Although Lancer had yet to show signs of tiredness, his muttering was full of bitterness.

The tide of battle cannot be determined. Despite facing the might of two knight class Servants, the number of alien demons still didn't decrease, being summoned again and again to fill the gaps in the encircling horde.

"It’s that grimoire, Lancer. As long as his Noble Phantasm is here… this situation won’t change."

"I see, so that’s what it is."

Lancer gave a depressed sigh after he heard Saber’s muttered words.

"But, if we want to remove the book from the weakling's hands, we have to break through this wall of minions no matter what."

The demonic monsters grouped together and approached them slowly as they waved their tentacles mockingly. Perhaps these alien creatures do not feel fear of death or pain. As if feeling that happiness only come from being slaughtered, they endlessly attacked the two Servants.

Even now, facing both Saber and Lancer, Caster continues his battle of attrition. If this is his strategy, it would obviously promise him victory. The amount of prana wielded by Caster and his Noble Phantasm might as well be infinite.

"...Lancer, at this desperate time, do you want to make a gamble?"

"Although it annoys me to appear outlasted, playing with his minions like this will accomplish nothing.

Fine. I accept, Saber."

After Lancer's ready consent, Saber stared at the repulsive wall of flesh which stretched back to Caster, carefully calculating its thickness and density.

This is her greatest secret skill - intuition told her this idea is 'correct', and worth putting all her stakes into.

"I'll open the way. There is only one chance. Lancer, can you run with the wind?"

"Hm? – Hehe, so that's what it is. Simply done."

Despite Saber's puzzling words, Lancer nodded with a smile.

Although it was only once, they were enemies who fought with their lives on the line. Both of them have etched into their memory all the secret techniques the other used. Even without an explanation, Lancer could understand the skills and intentions of Servant Saber.

"What are you quietly mumbling about? Your dying prayers, perhaps?"

Caster mocked the two Servants calmly and evenly. Right now it wasn't him who was fighting Saber and Lancer, but his Noble Phantasm, Prelati's Spellbook. Caster was like the audience observing the battle from outside the ring. For him to elegantly and composedly taunt his opponents and get on their nerves is enough to be considered an 'attack'.

"Feel the terror. Feel the despair! There is a limit to the 'difference in numbers' that brute force can overcome. Hahaha, it's humiliating, isn't it? To be crushed and suffocated by these ignoble, nameless evils! For heroes, there is nothing more humiliating than this!"

Even awashed by her opponent's joyful scorn, Saber, emotionless and unfaltering, merely wielded the sword in her right hand with a decisive and calm expression.

Those unwavering eyes were only staring at – the victory that must be obtained.

"Haha, that beautiful face... now twist in agony for me, Jeanne!"

Giiiiiiii!

The horde of demonic monsters roared together. They surged towards the center of their ring for the kill as they made alien strange sounds, indistinguishable as joy or hatred.

Now it would be – the time to decide who will become the victor.

With a loud voice, the King of Knights commanded the noble holy sword.

"Strike Air!"

In the middle of the whirling air, the resplendent brilliance of gold shone through.

The sheath of super-high pressured air that protected the holy sword was released from the bondage of the invisible barrier – bellowing forth like a savage dragon's roar.

The secret sword technique that guaranteed the kill. It is a different way to use the Noble Phantasm Invisible Air. Last night in the battle against Lancer she released this extreme air pressure to accelerate quickly. If it was released towards the enemy it would become a tempest, a crushing hammer that blows away entire armies.

Thoughtlessly packed together, the demonic beasts took the blow all the harder. The super-high pressure tempest, compacted like a solid force, smashed the demonic monsters to smithereens, mixing the minced flesh together with gravel and broken wood. It was as if an invisible giant hand swept across the entire earth and opened up a dead straight path. The instant they were blown apart by the air pressure, a perfect hole appeared in the demonic monsters' ranks.

The destructive power of Strike Air was countered by the many layers of demonic monsters, reduced to a strong gust of wind that merely blew at the ends of Caster’s robe when it reached him.

The penetrated gap would serve as a path. However, against the density of the demonic monsters summoned, it could only count as a temporary opening that could be sealed off immediately.

"What - ?!"

Even so, Caster still made a sound of shock. It wasn't just the blow of wind which penetrated the ranks.

When objects move extremely quickly in the atmosphere they are capable of tearing apart the air in front of them, while leaving a vacuum behind. Of course, that vacuum would draw in the surrounding air, and become a surge that follows the object which passed through it. There are techniques in autoracing that allow cars to follow right behind the car in front of it, using that 'slipstream' to accelerate faster.

The air pressure resulting from the release of Saber's Invisible Air triggered a similar phenomenon. It created a vacuum behind the passing gale at the same time it destroyed the army of demonic monsters, and prepared a point of in-rushing air.

Then, the one who sprang into this converging surge without hesitation was the one who was waiting for this one strike – Lancer.

"Come - prepare yourself!"

It was an ultimate skill that not only demanded superhuman physique, but complete synchronization with his partner. However, Lancer achieved this miraculous combination with watching his enemy Saber using the secret sword of wind for just once.

With one leap Lancer passed through the passage twirling with gales of blood and flesh, like a swallow that tucked in its feathered wings by its side as it chased the wind. When his feet once again touched earth he was barely ten strides away from Caster, with no obstructing barriers between them.

"I have you, Caster!"

"Ahhh!?"

The demonic monsters that turned around due to their master's crisis stretched their tentacles together towards Lancer's back. But Lancer didn't turn back. He brandished the short spear in his left hand behind him like a windmill to cut down the pursuing attacks, while he turned half his body and approached Caster with the long spear in his right hand extended.

He was just short of the killing blow. The long spear's strike only resulted in the tip cutting slightly into the surface, and didn't make a serious tear.

But the Noble Phantasm in the enchanting spearman's hand was such a weapon that would decide the victor on the battlefield even with such a slight touch.

"Gouge, Gáe Dearg!"

His growl was followed by a crimson stab. The tip of the spear did not touch Caster’s fragile body – but the cover of the grimoire in his hand.

That is the red spearhead which once penetrated Saber’s Invisible Air and canceled out her magical armor. It is a fatal "Noble Phantasm killer", capable of severing all ties of prana. For Caster, who completely relied on the mighty power of the grimoire to summon demonic monsters to manipulate, it was a decisive blow equal to a checkmate.

"Boom", a sound akin to waves breaking against rocks beside the sea echoed in the forest.

The countless alien demonic monsters on the ground all liquefied in the blink of an eye. The demonic monsters, which were originally created from the flesh and blood of the sacrifices, changed back into blood and scattered away. They lost the power to materialize into being the moment the prana supply from Prelati's Spellbook was terminated.

Within the rapidly retreating Caster’s hands, the grimoire immediately activated its ability as a prana furnace and quickly regenerated the damaged cover. The prana was only cut off during the brief moment when Gáe Dearg’s blade was in contact with the grimoire; the spear had no power to damage the Noble Phantasm itself. However, once canceled, the magecraft can’t be salvaged. Even if he wanted to repeat the summoning spell, Saber and Lancer’s holy sword and twin spears wouldn’t give him the time either.

"You bastard- BASTARD bastard BASTARD bastard BASTARD BASTARD BASTARDDDDDD!!"

Faced with such a desperate situation, Caster’s expression twisted until his eyes were rolled to the back of his head and he raged while foaming around the mouth. Lancer nonchalantly gave the smile of a rascal that he was born with.

"How was that? Now that Saber’s taken back her ‘left hand’, this is something that can be done with just lifting her little finger."

But Saber wasn’t in the mood to joke like Lancer.

Until the moment victory is decided, the only thing that echoed in her mind were the final screams and tears that the children gave out as they were torn apart and cruelly slaughtered.

"...You had better prepare yourself, heretic."

The King of Knights muttered in a quiet sound of anger as she lifted the golden holy sword with her right hand. The sword tip was pointed straight towards Caster.

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