The Hunt for the Vampire

Saber jumped back as she fired the two arrows into the sky. He watched them disappear into a twinkle. Then, a moment later, the light transformed into a shower of arrows, raining down from the sky. But, they weren't aiming for him; they were targeting Iris.

Irisviel stumbled back, watching the arrows come screaming toward her. Saber knew he could never reach her in time, and there was no way she could survive a direct hit from a Noble Phantasm.

Then, Saber felt the tug of a Command Spell. Mana flowed into his body, swelling up and overwhelming him. The space around Saber began to distort to Archer's eyes, as the Servant turned toward Irisviel.

Then Saber was gone. It was as though the Servant was ripped from existence itself, slipping out of reality in the blink of an eye. At the exact same instant, Saber appeared right in front of Irisviel, shielding her body.

"Get down, my lady!"

Saber raised his sword to defend her, but the first arrows were already upon them.

(Having used his first turn to transport to Irisviel, he can't block the first attacks damage, he takes 50 damage)

Saber
HP: ?͔̄ͧ̐́?͕͙͙ͣ̆̿̎̀?͚̘̝̝̜̮̞͒̅̉̋͜?̡͈̖̐ͨ̎̓͂?̐̈҉̙?̘̈́
MP: ?̡̘̻̗̏ͦ̄ͥ̎ͯ?́ͦͥͪ̾̕ͅ?͓̟͕̥̼̜͓̀ͦ̚/͎̣̮͛͌͆ͮ̄̔̚?̦̚?̙ͦ̇̒?̨̝͛̈́͐̾

Archer
HP: 100/100
MP: 320/400



Kirei stumbled back, gripping the gunshot wound in his shoulder and growling. But even at that moment, he saw the flash of red in the darkness, indicating the use of a Command Spell.

Those clever bastards.

But, the game was up for Saber's Master. His hand moved faster than the eye could perceive. A blade shimmered into existence on the hilt in his fingers as he threw it. It streaked through the alley into the shadows, and Kirei heard a pained grunt as it made contact. He couldn't help but grin.

Saber's Master
HP: 30/40
MP: 300/300
Command Spells: 2

Kirei
HP: 40/50
MP: 200/200
Command Spells: 2

Defense #2
Damascus carried out 1 launched of one (CLASH.) :

As Archer concentrated her rain of arrows on Saber, the rain became tight and compact. Even Saber, with his expert training of the sword, could not move his blade fast enough to block all of the arrows. He knocked many aside, showering the ground around them with bolts of energy and destroying the car just behind them.

He grunted as arrows slipped through his defense and pummeled his body. Archer quickly lost sight of Saber as smoke rose around the two of them, but she continued to hear his grunts of pain.

Saber
HP: ?͔̄ͧ̐́?͕͙͙ͣ̆̿̎̀?͚̘̝̝̜̮̞͒̅̉̋͜?̡͈̖̐ͨ̎̓͂?̐̈҉̙?̘̈́
MP: ?̡̘̻̗̏ͦ̄ͥ̎ͯ?́ͦͥͪ̾̕ͅ?͓̟͕̥̼̜͓̀ͦ̚/͎̣̮͛͌͆ͮ̄̔̚?̦̚?̙ͦ̇̒?̨̝͛̈́͐̾

Archer
HP: 100/100
MP: 320/400

As soon as his blade hit, Kirei leaped forward, three more empty hilts cradled between his fingers. He dove into the shadows and threw all three, their blades materializing mid-flight. This time, the Master was ready for him, and dove out of the shadows.

The revealed Master launched into a forward roll and came back up to his fate. Now, Kirei could finally get a good look at him. He had short blonde hair and reddish eyes, a dark black stealth suit, and a rifle in his hands. Truthfully, his resemblance to Saber himself was striking, but his face was more hollow, more angular. And though his eyes were colorfully, there seemed to be almost no life in them.

Saber's Master came up with his rifle already aimed and ready to fire, but Kirei was too close. With yet another blade in hand, he swung fast, slicing through the gun's barrel with little effort. In the same breath, he brought up one leg and kicked the Master hard in the chest, sending him reeling backwards.

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

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

Saber's Master: Damascus carried out 1 launched of one (CLASH.) :

Saber continued to buckle under the onslaught of arrows. Blood began to pool on the ground under him.

Saber
HP: ?͔̄ͧ̐́?͕͙͙ͣ̆̿̎̀?͚̘̝̝̜̮̞͒̅̉̋͜?̡͈̖̐ͨ̎̓͂?̐̈҉̙?̘̈́
MP: ?̡̘̻̗̏ͦ̄ͥ̎ͯ?́ͦͥͪ̾̕ͅ?͓̟͕̥̼̜͓̀ͦ̚/͎̣̮͛͌͆ͮ̄̔̚?̦̚?̙ͦ̇̒?̨̝͛̈́͐̾

Archer
HP: 100/100
MP: 320/400

Saber's Master fell backward, but as he went down he rolled again, coming up to his feet with another gun in hand. Kirei already had another two blades ready to throw, then noticed that the Master held what seemed to be an automatic rifle.

Kirei threw the blade a second too late, clipping the top of the weapon as the Master fired. A hail of bullets brushed him past him, two or three grazing the same arm that had been shot before.

Saber's Master
HP: 30/40
MP: 300/300
Command Spells: 2

Kirei
HP: 35/50
MP: 200/200
Command Spells: 2

The hail of arrows continued to rain down upon Saber, and he was quickly beginning to tire, taking more damage to his body.

"Saber!" Irisviel cried out as flecks of blood splattered her dress.

"Stay still, my lady," Saber grunted. His form began to shimmer slightly.

Saber
HP: ?͔̄ͧ̐́?͕͙͙ͣ̆̿̎̀?͚̘̝̝̜̮̞͒̅̉̋͜?̡͈̖̐ͨ̎̓͂?̐̈҉̙?̘̈́
MP: ?̡̘̻̗̏ͦ̄ͥ̎ͯ?́ͦͥͪ̾̕ͅ?͓̟͕̥̼̜͓̀ͦ̚/͎̣̮͛͌͆ͮ̄̔̚?̦̚?̙ͦ̇̒?̨̝͛̈́͐̾

As the enemy Master dropped his rifle, Kirei came in hard and fast. Balling his hand into a fist, he stepped in close and delivered a powerful punch. The Master raised his hands and caught Kirei by the wrist, deflecting the blow just enough to the side to take the blow to his shoulder.

The Master reeled back, but reached to his belt for another weapon.

Kirei was impressed. This Master was well-trained; a direct hit from his fist was usually enough to kill a man.

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

Kirei came in close, ready to deal a killing blow to the off-balance Master. When the Master's hand came away from his belt, though, he didn't raise a gun. Instead Kirei noticed a small object drop from his hand and clatter under his feet.

He saw the object of the corner of his eye. Shit...!!

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

SABER'S MASTER: Damascus carried out 1 launched of one (CLASH.) :

The final arrows rained down upon Saber.

Saber
HP: ?͔̄ͧ̐́?͕͙͙ͣ̆̿̎̀?͚̘̝̝̜̮̞͒̅̉̋͜?̡͈̖̐ͨ̎̓͂?̐̈҉̙?̘̈́
MP: ?̡̘̻̗̏ͦ̄ͥ̎ͯ?́ͦͥͪ̾̕ͅ?͓̟͕̥̼̜͓̀ͦ̚/͎̣̮͛͌͆ͮ̄̔̚?̦̚?̙ͦ̇̒?̨̝͛̈́͐̾

A cloud of smoke surrounded Saber and Irisviel, for a short time obscuring the two from view. Archer could see a dark form within, but had trouble getting a bead on it. Before she could string another arrow, a burst of wind suddenly blew away the smoke, finally revealing the form within.

A familiar, pink haired warrior on a mount, with Irisviel behind him, clutching his waist.



At the same time, Archer suddenly became aware of another presence. Another Servant, approaching her fast from the south.

The grenade bounced twice on the ground. Kirei threw himself away from the Master with all the strength he could muster. At the same time, Saber's Master threw himself in the opposite direction. A split second later, the grenade detonated.

The explosion threw Kirei back with a powerful concussive force, and reduced the walls of the buildings on either side to rubble. He hit the ground hard, rolling over twice and slamming into a trash can at full force. He grunted as he felt two ribs break from the impact.

Kirei
HP: 25/50
MP: 200/200
Command Spells: 2

This had to be some kind of trick. She knew where Rider was. The fact that this servant thought to be his imposter only angered her further. She shot two more arrows into the air. She would not rest until this servant was dead. She kept her concentration locked onto them as more arrows rained from the heavens.

"Rider" grimaced. He should have figured the disguise wouldn't fool her. Even so, this form might give him an edge in trying to escape.

The Servants swerved to the side, trying to escape the rain of arrows.

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

Kirei struggled to his feet, spitting a glob of blood on the ground. He immediately looked toward the grenade's explosion. In the chaos, the Master had slipped away.

Then he noticed the third Servant that had arrived. He spun around, looking in the direction of the intruder, only to see a black form speeding toward him from the other direction. He slipped a hand into his coat, reaching for another Key, as a hand went for his throat.

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

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

As Archer focused her Noble Phantasm on the fleeing Servant, the new interloper closed the distance to her in a flash.



Lancer cackled as she thrust a spear toward Archer.

Though Saber tried to deflect the arrows with his sword, more arrows slipped through, raining upon the imposter armor he wore.

Saber
HP: ?͔̄ͧ̐́?͕͙͙ͣ̆̿̎̀?͚̘̝̝̜̮̞͒̅̉̋͜?̡͈̖̐ͨ̎̓͂?̐̈҉̙?̘̈́
MP: ?̡̘̻̗̏ͦ̄ͥ̎ͯ?́ͦͥͪ̾̕ͅ?͓̟͕̥̼̜͓̀ͦ̚/͎̣̮͛͌͆ͮ̄̔̚?̦̚?̙ͦ̇̒?̨̝͛̈́͐̾

At this rate... He spurred the fake Hippogriff on faster, fleeing from the scene as fast as possible.

Kirei was quicker. The blade shimmered into existence and he brought it across, slicing the Dead Apostle across the forearm. Malphas still leapt forward with all his might, slamming into Kirei and forcing him backwards.

Kirei kept light on his feet, dancing backward and drawing three more Keys, sporting two in each hand. In the moonlight, he could only see the vampire's glowing red eyes and manic white grin.

Archer whirled around, defending fast with her bow. Continuing concentration had been a risky move, but it was worth it to watch her opponent flee.

After the block she jumped away from Lancer as quickly as possible. She moved backwards in the direction that Saber was fleeing, however kept Lancer in her sights as she fired an arrow.

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

Lancer giggled as she jumped after her, moving her lance to intercept. "Where are you going?" she shrieked. "I'm just getting started!"

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

Saber sped away as fast as he could, but couldn't escape the continuing rain of arrows.

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

Lancer managed to deflect the arrow with a skilled spin of her spear. Lancer grinned and tried again to close the distance with Archer, thrusting with her spear. (attack to dodge bluh)

Saber was not so lucky.

Irisviel hurriedly channeled magic through her body, sending healing energy into Saber's body as she gripped him, but the damage was coming much too fast.

Saber
HP: ?͕͙͙ͣ̆̿̎̀?͚̘̝̝̜̮̞͒̅̉̋͜?̡͈̖̐ͨ̎̓͂?̐̈҉̙?̘̈́
MP: ?̡̘̻̗̏ͦ̄ͥ̎ͯ?́ͦͥͪ̾̕ͅ?͓̟͕̥̼̜͓̀ͦ̚/͎̣̮͛͌͆ͮ̄̔̚?̦̚?̙ͦ̇̒?̨̝͛̈́͐̾

Blood trickled from Saber's mouth. "My lady..." he muttered.  "I'm sorry."

"Don't say that!" Irisviel screamed. "You'll be alright!"

Malphas and Kirei clashed again.

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

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

Kirei swiped with the two Black Keys in one of his hands, but the Dead Apostle ducked under it and streaked past him. Kirei felt blood dripping from a wound in his neck.

Kirei
HP: 15/50
MP: 200/200
Command Spells: 2

He was beginning to feel light-headed. He began to consider his two remaining Command Spells. But no... he needed to save them.

Atalanta continued to follow Saber while shooting at Lancer.

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

Lancer hissed and cocked back her spear arm at the same time as Archer fired. "You're starting to annoy me! Just stay still! Lert sügér Tran!" She threw the spear with all her might.

Lancer
HP: 300/200
MP: 160/100

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

Saber turned his Hippogriff, using all his effort to try and deflect the arrows.

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

Kirei turned and released two of his Black Keys as Malphas passed him, and the vampire leapt backward trying to avoid them.

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

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

The lance went wide, but the arrow found its target. Lancer shrieked as the arrow pierced her side.

Lancer
HP: 270/200
MP: 160/100

"You made me bleed! And you're not even polite enough to return the favor!" Her spear reappeared in her hand, and she jumped forward and swiped at Atalanta's face.

Malfas managed to sidestep the two thrown blades and came in for the kill once again.

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

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

Saber dropped his sword. The Hippogriff shimmered out of existence.

Saber
HP: 0/400
MP: 300/300

Saber fell to the ground on top of Irisviel, shielding her from the arrows, which he no longer could bother to block. With the last of his strength, he tried to maintain his corporeal form.

[[Skill: Protection of the Faeries]]

Damascus carried out 1 launched of one (Saving throw.) :

[[Berserker and Caster arrive in five rounds]]

Saber gave Irisviel a weak smile as his disguise melted away, leaving only his true form as a Saber-class Servant.



"I'm sorry... This knight has failed you," he choked out. "Run."

Saber dissipated into mist. As soon as her Servant's form disappeared, she got up and ran, the arrows still coming down toward her.

Having dealt with Saber, Atalanta shot past Lancer to check on her master. She wasn't particularly in the mood to have to switch again, and now that her enemy had been defeated, she could ensure her master's safety.

Kirei dodged the vampire's attack, summoning yet two more blades from his coat and coming back in for an attack. Malphas cackled and lunged for his throat.

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

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