Miyama Town.
A flash of silver sped through the busy highway. Left, right, crossing over to the opposing lane to avoid a red light stop, only to leap over a luxury sports car with ease as she drifted back into her lane.
Saber didn't have the same aptitudes as Rider in his class, but no one could call it inferior with how she displayed such skill in avoiding inconveniencing the normal folk whilst keeping up with her opponent in the sky. Merely forcing as much mana as she had into the magically enhanced engine had her revving up to speeds most modern racers could only dream of attaining.
"Damn, she's fast!" Iskandar the Great could only whistle, impressed. "And here I thought I'd be the champion of the mount! Just where in the world did she get such a steed? Bucephalus would be green with envy!"
"IS THAT REALLY WHAT YOU SHOULD BE SAYING RIGHT NOW?!"
Even high in the sky, near a kilometre away from their antagonized opponent, Waver Velvet couldn't help but scream in a panic. So expressive was the lad that Saber was able to somewhat make out the complaints he was voicing to his oaf of a Servant.
Their chase continued. Oddly enough, despite stating they would fight in a place far out and remote so that outsiders wouldn't get caught in a crossfire, Saber wondered why Rider chose to lead her through the city and not off to sea. He certainly had the advantage, having the ability to fly, but if Iskandar the Great already knew she was King Arthur, he should've known about her Blessings of the Lady of the Lake and the ability to walk on water. Nowhere could be farther from prying eyes unless they were to leave the cityscape itself and go into the mountains. Which was where they were heading now that she thought about it.
Speeding past suburbia and out onto the empty highway that curved alongside the mountain, Saber confirmed that this would do well enough. However, Rider still kept going.
Something was off. And, being short on time to play cat-and-mouse games, Arturia decided on the next turn that enough was enough. An empty eighteen-wheeler with a car ramp halfway down entered her periphery. She pumped the gas far harder than any machine would ever be able to take, launching her into a high speed wheelie.
It only took an instant to go from playing tricks on the ground to soaring into the sky as she vaulted her bike up and over. Landing would be a pain later, more so for the enhanced, yet stressed machine, but that mattered little now. More so when Saber came eye to eye with Waver Velvet who reeled back with surprise.
"Uh… Rider?!"
"Hm, oh shit—!"
The momentary surprise was the opening she needed. Drawing her invisible blade, a wide swing to the fore of their ride was all it took to cripple their mobility. One of the divine bulls that pulled the giant chariot nursed a slash wound in its flank, torn to shredded ribbons by the tempest that still enveloped her holy sword. It was then fended off by a spatha swung her way.
However, Saber's task was done.
"Damn! We're going down, boy! Hang on!"
"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—!"
Upon landing on the ground, Saber came to a bouncing, somewhat screeching stop as she managed to drive her bike to a crawl. From below, she watched as Iskandar and his Master came to a crash landing in the distance shortly ahead of her. He eyed his left bull, the poor animal was bleeding but still alive. But with its only mode of propulsion injured, the Servant of the Steed had to dismount and face her on the ground.
"What in the blazes did the poor animal do to you that you had to hurt it so, Saber?" He glanced woefully yet smiling at her. "You could've tried to strike at me or the boy! At the very least, that can be fixed easily!"
His Master looked offended. "Hey!"
"How did you find our hideout?"
"Is it really important when we've come here to duke it out?"
'Something's definitely off.' Saber dismounted. Her regalia was on full display, a silver gleam against the light of her motorbike. Getting about as close as they could talk comfortably but not yet reach one another with their blades, she demanded. "Answer me, Rider!"
Iskandar waved it away. "Some bird whispered it to us. Nothing more you need to know. I came here to fight, not talk. What of you, little girl."
Saying so whilst flicking his fingers at her in a challenging way, Arturia readied herself, sword in hand.
Rider, on the other hand, smiled wide when he saw her take a stance. With a quick whistle, his chariot and bulls vanished into golden dust as he swung his spatha down. Lightning struck the concrete next to him, revealing a black steed far more impressive than any Saber had seen in life.
With his chariot out of commission, King Iskandar's man-eating horse, Bucephalus, had joined the fray. With a quick glance over his shoulder, Rider made to warn the boy that fell flat on the road when the chariot vanished.
"Boy, you may want to sit this one out."
"N-no way! As you said, only a Master who can ride with you is worthy to command you! I'm not waiting behind." Waver said proudly, putting as much bravado as he could. "Also, how do I know you're not just going to leave me behind to walk back to town, stupid?!"
"GAHAHAHAHAHA!" Rider's laughter roared. "Well said, Master! Then, let us show Saber how a real King fights!" As if to give a parting insult, he turns and demands of her in turn. "Say, Saber! Do you still desire to change your own legend? To forsake that which is the foundation of your very existence?!"
"I told you once enough already, King of Conquerors!" Artoria clenched her hand around Excalibur's hilt. "I will do whatever it takes to undo my mistakes and save my people. Even if it means erasing myself. Now! Enough with the small talk! Time to finish this farce!"
"Still a stubborn little girl." Iskandar shook his head with disappointment. "Very well. I shall end your pitiful existence, for that is all you can see it as!"
Golden light bathed the dusk-dim mountain highway as Saber unrelated Invisible Air. Glinting in all its glory, the holy blade of her legend was revealed in full. Now was the time to unleash her power. No more will she hold anything back against this foe.
The conqueror drew his spatha; the short sword reflected a fraction of her sword's divine rays. But despite the power radiating off of Saber, Rider didn't falter. Instead, he smiled. "Finally, she's getting serious. Have you a firm grip, Master?"
"I-I d-do!" the boy stuttered but held on regardless.
"Then," Rider, Iskandar the Great, whipped his great steed's reins. "CHARGE! AAHLALALALALALALALALALALALA!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
With a battle cry that came accompanied by a frantic, but brave, scream, the mounted pair sped towards the lone knight. A head-long assault, devoid of trickery and malice. A pure and honest attack.
Such was the ideal method of conflict she longed for. Not the kind magi pulled where schemes and tricks took centre stage. Not the type where the innocent had little meaning apart from cannon fodder or hostages. A simple and clean fight where only the strong may claim victory.
Saber closed her eyes in prayer.
Golden light gathered around her. She who had been blessed by the fae stood her ground and raised her blade to the sky. Streams of invisible energy gathered into her weapon, flooding it, overflowing through. What had been a brilliant sword that exuded divine light became something more.
The Sword of Promised Victory sang a beautiful song that both warriors and not could enjoy. An ancient melody of harmony amidst the chaos, of a flower that bloomed only in the battlefield, of a million dreams that took the form of a single wish.
A hopeful air took wind, caressing the beautiful knight's hair as her power spilt forth. Her dress billowed against the soft breeze, her armour clinked lightly, the whole world fell silent as she readied her most powerful attack.
Arturia Pendragon opened her eyes. Emerald orbs sought out and locked onto her foe. As soon as Iskandar's met hers, his eyes widened with acknowledgement of what was to come.
It was one thing to behold the attack from afar. It was another entirety to receive it. For what could be called the most devastating blow imaginable, the receiver couldn't only call it the light at the end of a dark tunnel. A bridge to the afterlife. A road to the forgotten dream that was Avalon.
Its name was…
"[Excalibur!]"
The ensuing blast tore trees from the earth, turned concrete into dust, and would've erased the living in its path. The end result was just that, minus the last bit.
As soon as her holy blade's light vanished into golden fairy dust, the calm returned to the peaceful mountainside highway. Apart from the freshly cleaved mountain and road, however, there was not a single sign of battle. No remains nor dead bodies.
Rider and his Master were gone. Vanished without a trace. A worrying fact, considering she'd come here with the sole purpose of defeating the only Rider whilst sparing his Master, but as she didn't feel his existence vanish like she did Archer and Lancer, she could only hope the young Master lived.
That's not to say she wasn't disappointed to fail to beat the oaf, but what could she do under the circumstances? For all she knew, he may still have more tools left up his sleeve.
"Hm?! What…?"
However, just as she was about to scout the area to make certain of her victory, Arturia felt something. The sensation wasn't definite. It was akin to a gut feeling. However, she always knew to trust her gut when the situation demanded it. This was one of those times.
The only question that remained was, 'Who's in trouble?'
It couldn't be her Master for Kiritsugu wouldn't risk revealing himself if he could help it. Apart from that, he would've used a Command Seal if it were so dire a plot. But instead, she felt differently. Saber stilled as she prayed against a fate that it wasn't who she thought was in trouble.
Dispelling her attire back into the suit, she withdrew her blade and got back onto the bike. Barely a movement wasted as she swung the vehicle around and sped off into the breaking dawn. Her thoughts on her silver-haired mistress.
"Hah… Hahahah! Ahahahahah!" From up above, amongst the surviving trees of the calamitous blow that was Excalibur and far away from any Servant's eyes, a giant hung with one arm as a teary-eyed boy clung to his belt. "Guess my luck A+ is good for something!"
"'Good luck' my ass! Why the hell did you go for a blind charge into that?!" Waver Velvet cried whilst kicking his Servant in the shin with his dangling own. He stopped as soon as his shoe slipped off and he bent a toe against the rock-hard muscles. "Agh…! Haaah…." A sigh and bruised toe later, he added. "What now? Do we go back home?"
"Nay! Let's stay a little bit more until Saber is far enough. Even if we were lucky to avoid it once, that sword beam of hers is truly incredible!" Despite fear overtaking his features the instant the attack was fired their way, Rider couldn't help the impressed smile on his face. "For her to have something that can take down a fortress, the legend of King Arthur really is no joke! I want to have her in my army even more!"
"I get that, I really do…" grumbled the boy. "But how do you plan for us to get back now that she took out both your chariot and horse?"
"Er…" the giant scratched the bottom of his chin with his free hand. "I don't suppose you have the stamina to march?"
"Don't tell me that's all you have as a mode of transport. Aren't you the Servant of the Steed?"
The giant said nothing. To which the boy responded by screaming his name. But despite their poor situation, at least they had their lives.