[] Ruler shouted from the bottom of her heart, "Rider, please wake up!"
The orb in Archer's hand burned deep orange, the color of fire which threatened to swallow the world. It was the same fire that was in Archer's hand that was one of his weapons he utilized in his legend. The orb burned and burned as Archer sought to stop it with his dying breath but the compulsion of the Command Seal he was under was too much.
Ruler held against Gae Bolg as she watched flames dance like a chaotic spirit shrouded with the power of the Divine. She can't move, she can't stop him and Saber was busy holding Berserker back with his own strength. Ruler tried to think and think until she shut her eyes and cried out.
She shouted with her final command, not amplified by a seal, but it was a call for help. One that would be heard by everyone in the lake.
"Rider, please wake up!" Ruler screamed as her barrier began to crack from Gae Bolg's power.
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From the day she was born, she had always been special. Loved by her servants, by her people and by her parents. As a child, she was loved and cared for and anything she wanted was given to her.
She was ultimately a greedy child, a spoiled girl who only knew love, she knew not of hardship or suffering but merely... Boredom.
Lessons were not fun, work was not fun, living was not fun so she sought greater stimuli. She sought entertainment until her tastes gradually twisted and turned, becoming perverse as she soon was drawn to the pleasures of violence and of the flesh.
She was beautiful and her loveliness was her greatest asset, that and her guile. So she used both to lure Kings and Princes... And so she had her first marriage, her second... Her third, kings, Heroes, generals, merchants, she tasted every fruit she could get her hands on and sent them all to heaven with her body. And so she acquired wealth, power and love.
Heroes would kill for her, Kings would wage wars for her, good men and son would do the unthinkable for her smile. She had it all and she relished in it. The cries of pain and suffering were music to her ears. She wanted more, more stimulation, more entertainment until she was bored of it all.
She was the Eternal Lady, beautiful, young and without flaws. But as she looked down from her castle of gold and silver, she found herself simply warming the beds of Kings, looking to embrace the bodies of Heroes and partaking in the love of the powerful. Ultimately, she was alone...
Until that man defeated her.
Red eyes. Beautiful red eyes that saw through her.
He rejected her. He was different. She sought to conquer him but he was dumb as a rock, only sought fights to entertain himself, like a mad dog that wagged his tail whenever he saw something exciting. He had a brilliant soul. Shining... As if made of light.
She wanted to conquer him but she couldn't. He was too bright, too strong, too brave but he didn't give the time of day. He was the first person she could not grasp with her hands. The first person to see her not as a Queen but as just another woman, a human being... His red eyes didn't eye her with lust or longing or love...
The Queen found that charming. It was something new for her... But at the same time she hated losing. She hated that he rejected her and struggled to make him pay for that. In the end she orchestrated his death but that man died standing up. Till the end he defied her until his last breath.
And then years went by... Until she was ultimately killed.
She was called into the world once more somehow to serve in a Holy Grail War. A War where she met a young girl, lost and confused with no way to run or turn to... And just like that man, the girl... The poor sweet Doll didn't worship her beauty or long for her love. The girl treated her as a person.
A friend, confidant, ally, partner, support and finally, one by bound their soul. A retainer that would stand by her side no matter how dreadful their days would become. It had been a thrilling adventure from start to finish. The girl indeed loved her but the girl loved her as another girl.
Just Medb. Not the Eternal Lady or the Queen of Connacht. The girl loved her as Medb, a selfish young woman with numerous flaws.
The girl cherished her, loved her and cared for her... And it was one of the most beautiful things she ever laid eyes upon. It was so pure, so precious that it changed her, slowly but surely. She wanted to live... She wanted to get up.
And if it's for that girl she would have no need for her crown or status! What she wanted... As Medb and as the Queen of Connacht was for that girl to be happy. She toppled down kingdoms for her wants and there was nothing, not even death that would stop her!
So get up, Rider!
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Archer watched as the fallen Queen's eyes opened as Caladbolg returned to her hands. Her eyes shined brilliant Gold, a testament of one of her Noble Phantasms at play. She was wounded from being struck by the barbed demonic spear but she rose above the pain and agony.
Rising up to Ruler's call, Rider grit her teeth. The rainbow sword spun as the flames of Brahmastra filled the air. Archer moved and stepped forward as Rider dragged the sword along the ground and swung it.
Before Archer's Noble Phantasm could be activated in full, Medb drove Caladbolg straight through his heart. The rainbow sword spun once to deal the finishing blow as the Archer gasped for air from being hit. Medb watched him as the flaming orb faded as he held on to her blade.
"You've come far from our battle at the church," Arjuna commended as he cracked a smile, "How wonderful..."
Rider pulled her sword out and caught the man as he began to fade. Jeanne held off Gae Bolg some more as she cried out from exertion. Archer held on to Rider as he resisted his own death.
"One... Last gift," Arjuna declared as he steadied himself and drew his bow. He aimed for the crimson spear and fired, "Fly, Gandiva!"
His blue arrow streaked through the air and smashed into Gae Bolg, dispelling it and freeing Ruler from her labor. Ruler fell down on her knees as Rider supported Archer on his final moments.
"A shame... I could not do battle with you. Perhaps... In the next life," Arjuna said as he slowly began to fade.
Medb looked down on him and said, "Truly, it is a loss for the world to lose you. Here. Drink. It'll ease the pain."
She held a cup on her hand but Arjuna shook his head. He gently pushed it away before placing a hand over where Gae Bolg struck her. Medb blinked as she realized what he was doing. What last strength he had was used to heal the mark Gae Bolg had left on her person...
The White Bowman passed a moment later.
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Rider... She was okay. But Archer's gone.
You returned to your thoughts as you sent a mental signal out,
"Is this true? All of it?"
"I had hundreds of eyeballs. Some of them were on Saber, others on that little scene. Graceful exits like that aren't my style. So anyway, I beat up Saber and then Scathach drove her Gae Bolg into my arse."
"Stop. No. Stop. I don't want to hear it," you growled internally as you ended up on a highway.
You noticed that there were no cars passing by but there was someone there. A man clad in an armor of thorns. Your eyes widened before Carmilla snarled as she got between you and the man.
Lancer. Then that means...
"That's as far as you can go, Assassin," Hans' voice said as he deactivated a rune which hid him from the naked eye. He limped forward with his cane and held out his hand, "Leave the Doll behind and we'll let you go."
"You have no idea what I'm going to use her for. Just let me be on my way and I can hand you her body parts later," Carmilla said as she wrinkled her nose, "The others back there were breaking their backs fighting Berserker, and here I thought you were a big man, Lancer. Has your manhood shriveled up and turned to thorns as well?"
"Your words have no use, woman. We all know this will end either way," Lancer growled as he cracked his knuckles.
"If you're going to destroy Archer's base then you would have no need for Berserker's Master. Archer's dead, killed by Rider. You should have no fear running amok alone," Hans stated as he narrowed his gaze, "Give us the girl."
Carmilla grabbed your shoulder and brought her claws upon your neck, "Then I have little use for her... Or I can get her to sic Berserker on you two. Don't think I forgot what you did."
"Every moment you waste here is a moment your Master is in trouble. Do you really want to waste time here?" Hans snarled as he tapped his cane, "The girl, if you would please."
"Ah..." You choked as you shut your eyes.
Hans looked at you with a narrowed look before Lancer tensed up.
"Ah... A... Ae..." You mustered your courage as you clenched your right fist, "Aegis!"
Your shield of light expanded and you felt Carmilla's claws draw a line on your neck. She only cut your skin but she didn't hit your artery as you pushed her away, Lancer darted forward and struck Carmilla straight on her stomach and sending her flying back.
Lancer then turned his gaze towards you, green light escaping his helmet. You raised your shield and smacked his hand away as you reinforced your legs and jumped away.
"Wait!" Hans cried out before you screamed.
"BERSERKER!" You cried out before a blue blur landed in front of you.
Lancer froze as Cu Chulainn appeared before you with his spear... Two spears in his grasp. The red eyes Frenzied Hero grinned with a bloodthirsty look as he met his fellow Hero's gaze. Berserker split the ground by dragging one Gae Bolg through it, letting the debris fly and strike at Lancer and his Master.
Carmilla recovered from her shock and got up to launch a bolt of blood at you. Berserker smacked it aside with one of his spears.
"Berserker..." You gasped as you fell forward straight into one of his muscled arms. The bleeding, it was only Carmilla's power that stopped you from dying outright.
Berserker didn't waste any time and jumped away taking to the sky. You... You wanted Rider back.
"You're a handful but you're light. Hey, don't pass out now," Berserker growled as he carried you in his arms, "I even got your spear. I can't fucking believe that hag is just handing these out like candy."
"Rider... Rider..." You mewled as tears flowed down your cheeks, you were blacking out.
"Stop crying or I'll kill you. Shit," Berserker growled as he moved through the trees, "Fucking Ferdiad's on our tail. Son of bitch is so stubborn."
You were... Blacking out. No more. Everything was fading away. Away...
Away...
"Hey! At least tell me where to go!" Berserker barked at you from somewhere far away, "Hey!"
Split
[] "Prioritize my survival... Somewhere safe. Suburban homes. Break in. Medical. Much closer."
[] "Bring me to Rider. Find... Rider. Please. I want to see her."
[] "Need prana. Dragon Vein. Caster's old base. Self repair. Bring me there. Guaranteed recovery."