In the forest.
Saber and Lancer crossed weapons once more in a flash.
Both knights too caught up their duel, remained permanently oblivious to their surroundings. To them, it wasn't as crucial as finally finishing their duel. No. But their resolve to right their wrongs burned harder than ever before, obliterating the ground around them, smashing and felling the trees and brush in their wake.
However, it was easy to see where this was going. Lancer was fighting with only one spear against a foe who already knew about his tricks. Not to mention the giant monster that was helping her, of course.
It would seem Avenger was able to draw its attention, albeit barely. The number of attacks from the beast dramatically decreased but didn't disappear entirely. Some of its tentacles would try to strike him but Diarmuid was sure that Caster and his pet were focused on Avenger while struggling to maintain some protection for his beloved 'maiden of Orleans'.
'I can't see her but I can hear gunshots. Whatever she is doing, it's working.' Try as he might to hate her and her master, Diarmuid had to admit, the crimson-haired woman was no pushover if she was able to hold her own against this monstrosity alone.
However, no matter what Avenger did to the monster, it wouldn't help him in his duel against Saber. Not when she held the advantage even without the tentacles that sought to distract him every now and then.
The King of Knights was winning. Lancer was had been forced to adopt a defensive style as her attacks became faster and faster. It would appear Saber wanted to finish this fight as quickly as possible. Her invisible sword would make strike after strike, exploding in the wind when he crossed it with his spear, but not giving him an opening to counter-attack at her current range.
His remaining spear was too long and wasn't as useful in close combat as Gae Buidhe. And it wasn't as if Saber would fall for Gae Dearg's one and only trick after being exposed to it twice over now. Lancer was used to fighting with two spears, forcing his enemies to pay attention to both noble phantasms until he was able to wear them down. But now, it was he that was being worn down as Saber needed to worry only about one.
'She won't allow me to strike back or escape. I have a bad feeling about it.'
Despite being in a disadvantageous position, Diarmuid didn't even think about running away. He was the proper knight and, the world unjustly damn him for it, he would stay and act like one. No matter if it meant dying at this fight. After everything that happened so far in this war, an honourable death would be welcomed, more so than the disgrace of retreat. Especially with a shameful foe as her!
He was not about to give up just yet!
Instead of allowing himself to remain being forced into defence, Lancer attempted for an offensive. Long as his weapon was, it wouldn't stop him from drawing its tip closer to his body as he struck forward.
Saber narrowed her eyes as she avoided the sudden thrust before striking at him once again. This time, however, Lancer managed to block her blade with the centre of his spear's shaft. He clenched both of his hands as Artoria put more pressure into her attack, forcing him back. However, because of this Saber moved forward and left an opening for him. Lancer didn't waste time.
Ducking low, he allowed the blade to pass him overhead. As he dodged down and to the side, he pivoted his weapon on his shoulder then pulled his spear's tip closer to himself again. He aimed a quick thrust for her exposed leg. Gae Dearg hit its mark as Saber's eyes went wide at the sensation of pain. Pulling back, she made room to assess the damage she'd sustained.
It wasn't that bad. It didn't hit the femoral artery, leaving her with just a cut as deep as a knife. But no more dangerous than one. Still, Irisviel wasn't there to heal her and Artoria wasn't sure Kiritsugu even knew how to heal. She stepped back.
Blood dripping out of her leg, but the wound wasn't severe or lethal. Not enough to kill her but enough to slow her down.
Lancer had evened the playing field. Diarmuid decided to capitalize on his advantage and rushed forward. This time aiming for her arm. This spear won't leave a curse on her, but it should be good enough to wound Saber even further.
Even without the Golden Thorn of Mortality, the Crimson Rose of Exorcism still performed well in hit-and-run tactics.
However, Artoria saw it coming and blocked his renewed assault. On stabbed turned into consecutive five, three of which were meant to feint her by striking at her forehead, two tried to maim her in the shoulder and arm. All of them were either deflected or parried with as much fluster as there was grace. With sudden charge under his weapon and a swing at his midsection, she managed to fend him off once more.
Arturia was starting to feel winded but wasn't about to let up either.
The King of Knights didn't want to continue this fight longer than needed. Diarmuid was a knight and was worthy of the honourable duel but her circumstances demanded Saber to finish this fight quickly.
She was so focused on Lancer that she couldn't pay any mind to what Caster and his monster were doing. The insane servant was no longer helping, most likely he was busy with Avenger. Artoria didn't want to admit it but she was hoping that vulgar woman would put Gilles out of his misery. Saber already felt awful for using Caster's insanity and obsession with Holy Maiden. However, it didn't mean she wouldn't kill Caster herself if required. The crazed Servant needed to die before he could hurt anyone else. But due to him and his orders, she couldn't act on those feelings.
Because of this, Artoria tried to focus hard on ending this duel as quickly as possible.
A sudden crash interrupted the knights.
While they'd been busy fighting, neither had noticed the strange flying object that flew into the earth just nearby. Both Servants stopped for a moment to observe as Berserker quickly rose up from the mess of fallen trees, riding atop some kind of blackened aircraft. The wild Servant quickly recovered and made to redirect his vehicle but froze the moment he saw her.
Saber shuddered under his gaze. Artoria knew there was something between that made the black knight get in a frenzy. Perhaps they shared history, perhaps he was someone she'd fought before… but right now she was fighting Lancer. She didn't have time to deal with Berserker.
Not that it stopped the mad man from targeting her.
"NNGGGGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAA!" howled the black knight as its fury and bloodlust had directed to her." AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRTHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRR!"
Enraged, Berserker raised his new weapon into the air. The aircraft hovered menacingly and was about ready to rush at Saber, regardless of whether she was ready or not. He didn't have the Gate of Babylon and couldn't fire noble phantasms with reckless abandon like Gilgamesh. But with the corrupted Vimana, his strategy to ram into anything on his path was clear. The mass of the thing as well as its speed would be enough to crush any Servant that got in its way.
However, until now he was busy with the owner of this thing. Speaking of-
"You dare turn away from me, you mongrel of a thief?!"
Dozens of weapons flew at Berserker and Vimana. The black knight had a moment to react and dodge every one of them. The wild Servant roared as his crimson-slit visors focused on his earlier opponent.
The arrogant king of Uruk looked pissed.
Gilgamesh's treasure was stolen by the wild dog, again. He was getting tired of Berserker and him constantly using his treasure against their rightful owner. Wasn't he a Heroic Spirit as well? Where was his weapon? Such questions were irrelevant now. Archer tired with this thief. The audacity for such scum to reach out and grab that which belonged only to the heavens, it irked the demigod to no end.
To deal with him once and for all, Gilgamesh snapped his fingers. Space behind him rippled. Dozens upon dozens of portals opened as the Gates of Babylon further exposed the majesty of his armoury. Holy weapons, divine weapons, noble phantasms of ancient times, all of them, were aimed at Berserker and whatever corrupted thing that had been his Vimana.
At this point, the King of Heroes didn't care about destroying this treasure of his. Better belong to no one than to a rabid mutt in his opinion. However, while Archer readied to unleash hell, neither he nor his target noticed the arrival of another.
The boisterous Conqueror made his presence known with raucous laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
In a repeat of the docks, Iskandar laughed like a mad man as his chariot crashed into Berserker, Vimana be damned. His bulls appeared to be made of tougher stuff than Archer's great vehicle as they rammed Vimana with their horns.
"RIIIIDEEEERRRR!"
As usual, his master Waver was next to him, screaming at his Servant in sheer terror. The Berserker screamed too, but with fury, not panic, as his stolen ride dropped from the sky. Rider and his master didn't stop though and flew further. For them, the dismounted black knight wasn't the last foe they would have tonight. Three Servants of the Knight class stared at the reckless charger from afar. Lancer and Saber wore dumbfounded expressions. Meanwhile, Archer managed to let out a relieved yet derisive chuckle.
"Hmph, at least that King of Conquers has his uses from time to time." A small smirk formed on his face but it quickly disappeared when he noticed the stare of two other Servants. "Get back to your little duel, mongrels! My only prey is that insolent thief who dared to steal from me, again."
Gilgamesh ignored the pair as an irritated scowl replaced his earlier smirk. True to his word, he went for the location where Berserker had fallen, leaving them knights alone to their previous activity. That being trying to kill each other.
This time, it was Lancer who struck without giving Saber any room to breathe. She was initially surprised Diarmuid would take the initiative, exploiting her momentary pause. However, the King of Knights was fine with it. Artoria's instinct was allowing her to see the best course of action in this situation. She knew what she needed to do.
Sweeping the attack aside, she dodged another strike to her foot and parried the shaft he tried to knock into her face. Giving a kick of her own, he made to distance himself, but she didn't follow it up. Regaining his advantageous distance, Diarmuid readied to approach her once more from his spear's long reach. But Saber raised her sword and started to redirect the majority of her mana into her weapon.
Both of her hands tightly held her sword. She needed to finish this with one attack.
Lancer moved fast but she'd managed to get a read on every move he'd made. She knew where he was going to strike now. The moment he raised his spear, Artoria already planned her counterattack.
"This will end it!" he cried as he lunged.
His aim was at her shoulder that she exposed. It was subtle and not that obvious of a target as his spear tip was directed at her dead centre. But she'd been trying to expose the momentary weak spot in order to bait him. Judging by his confidence, she knew he would go for it as he could still evade if need be.
However, he didn't know about the full extent of Saber's moves for she hadn't fully used them all ever since their first fight. Because of the curse, she'd kept the trump card hidden, unable to use it properly.
But tonight, she would hide it no longer.
"Mana Burst!"
The moment his spear made contact with her sword, Artoria released the force she'd hidden inside it. It didn't matter that his crimson spear was able to break whatever magic was used against it. The sheer raw power of the attack she'd prepared would be enough to penetrate whatever defences Lancer had in store, regardless of a dispel effect or not.
The crimson spear was knocked out of its thrust path. A beam of light and mana shot through Lancer's body.
Time froze for Diarmuid. He felt it strange, how his senses seemed to be leaving his body as blood started to spray out from his wound. Saber's attack left a huge hole in the right part of his chest, completely destroying his shoulder. Gae Dearg thudded on the ground now, unable to be lifted by its wielder.
"Hah… Hahah…" Lancer chuckled as he felt the taste of blood in his mouth. A cough had him vomiting more. Unable to maintain his balance, he began to fall forward. But before his body could hit the earthen floor, Saber caught him in her arms.
"I'm sorry that I cannot give you the honourable duel you craved, Lancer," she said with a sorrowful voice but he laughed.
"Come now… … King of Knights. I think… you're the only one in this war… who actually cared about honour… Your master… cruel a person he… may be… if he forces you to work together with that… that thing! But… it doesn't mean… you were like him." Lancer spat red on the mud and dirt. "I recommend… leaving. I'm afraid… my ally isn't as noble as you nor I… Avenger wouldn't hesitate to attack… while you are wounded and exhausted… from our—"
His voice seemed to trail away. He didn't have long. Arturia's gaze could only drop further. "You deserve better than this, Diarmuid."
"Do I? Heh… Who knows? Maybe this isn't the… ngh… worst way to go… At least I died… before anyone could have betrayed me… or my lord. Huh, despite how hard he made it to like him, Lord Kayneth isn't… that bad. He need only be more humble...and careful with people around him…" his carefree tone turned sombre. "Artoria, beware Avenger and her master. There is something… wrong with that boy… I sense… something unholy… about him."
Saber said nothing and only nodded. She had felt a strange aura about Lelouch Lamperouge. A nagging feeling akin to familiarity. However, she thought it was because he was from her homeland and was related to Britain Royalty.
Though, such thoughts were not what she wanted to dwell on further at the moment.
"I will look into it. Farewell… and thank you, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne. You and I were denied an honourable Grail War, but at least… even for a moment, we had faced one another as knights should."
Diarmuid weakly smiled as his body started to disappear. Soon, Lancer was gone and with him probably the only servant in this war worthy of her respect. Though, she was now unworthy of his.
Artoria bit her lip before turning to the abomination behind her. Lancer has died. Kiritsugu should be satisfied with one less foe at least. Now, it was time to put down Caster and his creation.
However, before she could take a step, the forest started to burn with fire. Eyes wide, she realized that the monster suddenly disappeared.