The Search for the Dragon Slayer

He missed.

The semicircle of bright blue energy radiated out, but Vortigern ducked right under it, avoiding the deadly blast.

Siegfried
HP: 500/500
MP: 100/300

Siegfried looked mortified. He'd used up most of his mana... and it was all for nothing.

Then Vortigern swooped in and blasted him back with a swift slash of its claw.

Siegfried
HP: 425/500
MP: 100/300

Just then, Phillipus' spell went off. A burst of strength swept through every Servant there.

[[Artoria strength: B >> A
Darius strength: A >> A+
Mordred strength: B >> A
Mashu strength: C >> B
Siegfried strength: B >> A]]

Artoria and Mashu tested their new strength against the dragon, but it was still for nothing.

Turn 4

Servant Initiative

A:
B: Mordred, Darius, Saber, Siegfried
C: Paracelsus, Artoria
D: Mashu

Edouard watched from a distance. "What... what do we do?"

Darius gave one more try with another swing:
Kittenboxxing carried out 1 launched of one (CLASH.) :

Seeming to sense Darius' newfound strength, it did try to dodge him this time.

Damascus carried out 1 launched of one (CLASH.) :

It didn't quite move out of the way fast enough. Darius had the satisfaction of feeling his axe crack through the scales.

Vortigern
(Dragon) HP: 1,050/1,500

Mordred aimed for the crack Darius had made!

fuyumin carried out 1 launched of one (CLASH.) :

Her attack hit, but even with her own newfound strength, her sword clashed off its scales.

As the other three fought, Siegfried hung back for a moment with Edouard. His grip on his sword tightened. "If I use my Noble Phantasm one more time..."

"You don't have the mana for that, Siegfried!" Edouard warned him, but the hero just shook his head.

"It won't be at full power, but if I use up all of my energy, I can use it one more time. At the cost of my life."

"Siegfried..."

"It's fine. I am a Heroic Spirit. It's my destiny."

He dove forward, starting to charge up energy in his sword, but starting with a normal attack. He swung the sword at Vortigern's neck, but it ducked out of the way again. Damn it.

"If there's anything you can do, please hold him still!"

Turn 4

Servant Initiative

A:
B: Mordred, Darius, Saber, Siegfried
C: Paracelsus, Artoria
D: Mashu

Mordred looked up at Darius, then to the others. If they could pinch him, spring all at once, then maybe... Maybe...

Phillipus chanted a short line, a sigil hovering over his hand of a sword with dragon wings, the hands and marks of a clock dialing backwards. [CURSE: SLOW, RANK B]

[[Magic Resistance: Rank A]]

The magic had no effect on the dragon. Artoria and Mashu held back for a moment, jumping close to Mordred.

"It looks like you have an idea."

[[They're both going to hold their attacks until Darius and Mordred attack.]]

"We need to give him nowhere to go. No opening but forward, into Balmung." They looked at Phillipus. "That means everyone. You have more gems, right?" He nodded. "Good. What do you think, Siegfried?"

Siegfried nodded. "Drive him toward me, then jump back, or you might get caught in Balmung's blast. This is our last chance."

"Right! Phillipus, on my signal!" Mordred took the charge, darting into place.

Darius followed, ready for the command.

Artoria and Mashu took their positions.

Three gems shot into the air, one cracking into vibrant sparks and the other two bearing down upon the dragon. "NOW!" At once, the Servants attacked!

GEMS:
fuyumin carried out 2 launched of one (CLASH.) :

,

MORDRED:
fuyumin carried out 1 launched of one (CLASH.) :

DARIUS

Kittenboxxing carried out 1 launched of one (CLASH.) :

The dragon looked prepared to take on the Servants' assault, but the sudden flashing lights of the gems threw it off balance. All at once, the Servants came rushing in. The gems blasted harmlessly off its hide, as did Mashu and Mordred's attacks, but it tried to avoid Darius and Artoria, the latter of which was again using Mana Burst.

vs. Darius:
Damascus carried out 1 launched of one (CLASH.) :

Artoria v. Vortigern:
Damascus carried out 2 launched of one (CLASH.) :

,

Vortigern
(Dragon) HP: 1,025/1,500

The dragon was driven back, just as Siegfried leapt into the air once more. "Bal-... mung!!"

Even with all his life energy poured into the attack, he knew it still wouldn't be enough to take the dragon down. He had to push his Noble Phantasm past its limits. It was not a technique a Heroic Spirit could use lightly, raising the Noble Phantasm's rank, but at the cost of the Phantasm itself. A Broken Phantasm. But Siegfried was staking his life on this attack, so there was nothing else he could lose.

Balmung exploded in Siegfried's hands as he brought it down, the familiar wave of energy washing out in all directions. The dragon, driven back by the other Servants, couldn't move fast enough to get out of the way. It screamed in rage as the energy tore into him.

When it finally faded, the dragon was still standing, but barely.

Vortigern
(Dragon) HP: 25/1,500

Siegfried landed on the roof of a nearby house, particles starting to rise from his body.

Siegfried
HP: 500/500
MP: 0/300

"Thank you for allowing me to fight beside you. I leave the rest in your hands."

Vortigern let out a roar of fury as it rounded on Siegfried. Even though the Heroic Spirit was already spent, the dragon was not ready to let him go peacefully. It raised a claw and brought it crashing down on the Servant. Siegfried was gone in an instant as Vortigern flattened the building.

Turn 5

Servant Initiative

A:
B: Mordred, Darius, Saber, Siegfried
C: Paracelsus, Artoria
D: Mashu

Mordred shook off their awe and charged once more. Mana crackled around Clarent, another Burst building.

fuyumin carried out 1 launched of one (CLASH.) :

Darius attack
Kittenboxxing carried out 1 launched of one (CLASH.) :

[[HOW DO DARIUS AND MORDRED WANNA DO THIS]]

Darius swung with an axe, making the dragon coil back into a crouch, lowering its belly in reach of a waiting Saber. Mordred plunged Clarent into the softer flesh and ran, pushing as hard as they could, fat and sinew spilling out of the long gash. The second axe soared through the air, biting into the dragon's neck and sliding through as if it were nothing at all. Mordred rolled out from underneath Vortigern before the beast fell.

The dragon's form shrank, and for a moment the black-claid Saber shuddered on his hands and knees. His gut and chest were covered in red. He glared through his visor at Artoria, then Mordred, before dissolving into aether. Mordred rested the flat of Clarent's blade on their shoulder.

"The corrupt and wicked will not serve long on this world. You were destined to be felled by the hand of Pendragon."

As he dissolved, Vortigern choked out one last curse on them. "Fools... Just like the Britain of ages past... Even now... Humanity has no future."

As his form dissolved, light returned to Excalibur's blade. She sighed with relief and returned with the others. She and Phillipus were relatively unharmed, but Mordred and Darius had taken a decent beating. And they were down one Servant.

"How is everyone holding up?" She eyed the gates to the castle. There wasn't much time to recover before the final battle.