"Oh?"
The servant's mouth curved into a grin, his eyes shimmered, and he wrenched the spear free. I ignored him entirely. Instead, I slowly reached for his master's face. He was smart enough to grab the woman by an arm and jump away just in time to avoid an explosion of bright-red flames.
He stopped under a lamp post a good ten meters or so away from me before finally letting go of Bazett. To her credit, she remained largely unfazed, even brushing some dust off her coat as she raised her brow.
"I was not told-"
"Ah jeez! I really wonder why someone totally disliked by everyone else wouldn't be told about the extent of my abilities! Especially at the Clock Tower!" I laughed at her freely. The warm blood staining my clothes retreated into the gaping. Then, the flesh knitted itself back together. "That was an expensive suit too... so, alright, that's the only hit you're getting on me."
I fully intended to let her go. She was a pawn. That was, at least, until she decided she'd rather have her servant stab me in the back without even hearing me out. Now, I was going to force every single bit of magecraft she possessed out, and steal it.
"I am trained to take in individuals such as yourself." She fixed her tie, "That is a presumptuous assumption."
Bazett was... an Enforcer for the Clock Tower. Unlike the rest, these individuals were specifically prepared to fight against their peers where a simple magus only concerned himself with furthering his craft. In fact, it'd wouldn't be an understatement to say that she was a person who had possibly dedicated her entire life to fighting magi, and magi alone.
Unfortunately, the one she was fighting happened to be me.
"Even then, I have no intention of giving you a chance."
I tilted my head.
She raised her hand to point at me, "Lancer. Incapacitate him."
With a snort, I shook my head from side to side.
"No, that's not happening. You're fighting me yourself."
The blue-haired man beside her struck his spear against the road then pulled it back, "And what are you going to do about me, kid? Do you think I'll just stand around?"
I wanted to tell him I was going to fight them both so, so desperately. He was a servant of the Lancer class. One of the strongest classes according to my Professor. The mystery wafting off his being alone told me he was the ancient kind, back when heroes of legend were related to Gods. Nothing would have made me happier.
But, I was a man of my word.
"I don't expect you to." I raised a hand towards the sky.
He readied himself by leaning down low, "Then come. Show me what passes for fearsome in this day and age."
"Nuh-uh. You haven't earned it yet, you back-stabbing bitch."
"Wha-"
Then, abruptly, something fell from the night sky. A dark blur none would have caught. All of us did. Lancer pushed Bazett away before gripping his spear with both hands just in time to stop a golden katana from slicing his master in two.
Steel met steel fiercely, sparks flew and drove away the dark of the night as Nobunaga dragged her blade across the crimson metal of Lancer's spear. A maddened grin split her face. Her eyes blurred into bright-red flames.
He... grinned right back at her.
"Another servant?"
"Shut up, abhorrent progeny of the gods." She bit out as she flew back through the air, a hand held to the side.
I'd been right. This hero too was a demi-god of some sort.
The air burned. Rifles took its place. Muzzles flashed and gunfire drowned out all else. Lancer took one step back, then easily pierced his spear through each and every flaming bullet shot his way. Nobunaga didn't give him a moment's respite. She set upon him again.
Another volley. Louder, this time. Stronger.
The force behind the fire dragged him back, but he stopped it all the same... until Nobunaga herself burst through the flames and smashed her weapon against his. The moment he moved to counter her, she let go and socked him across the face. Yet... he'd seen that coming. He leaned his head back to avoid the strike then pivoted on his spear to strike her gut with a heavy kick.
Even as she flew back, Nobunaga drew another dozen rifles and fired at him, preventing him from giving chase.
I could tell he had the upper hand when it came to skill as a warrior... but she had more firepower.
"You, you're getting stronger each time we clash."
"I have burnt the very heavens." She grinned at him, gripping her katana with both hands, "One of muddled blood is but an insect to crush beneath my feet."
"Oh, is that so?!" Lancer lunged for her and stabbed at her dozens of times in a mere moment.
Nobunaga did not block the blows with her sword. No, the stationary rifles spread around her shot haphazardly. Every single time Lancer managed to break past her blade, a shot from the darkness struck his weapon and forced him to change directions.
She'd be able to handle it eventually, I surmised.
Her parameters as a servant were rising the harder she fought. Her legend, and moniker, had indeed manifested in the form of an ability now that she was a servant. The greater her opponent's mystery and lineage, the stronger she was.
According to her, Lancer held Divinity.
Then, as the one who burnt the very Heavens. Her own mystery held the undeniable advantage.
The reverse was true as well, but here and now, that was of no concern. I spared a passing glance as she drew Lancer into the forest beside the road, feigning weakness and pushback... or perhaps not feigning at all.
"Better not die, demon king."
"Hah! Never."
It'd be weirdly funny if she got murked by the first servant we fought.
With gunfire and clashing steel as the backdrop, I pulled my aviators off and stuffed them in my pocket before dusting off my clothes. I then straightened out my cuffs and fixed my collar. Finally, I turned my gaze to Bazett herself.
"What now?"
"Now I finish my assignment."
She crossed the distance between us in the blink of an eye to unleash a nasty hook, aimed at my neck. I... simply punched her in the face with a deadpan. In that same blink of the eye, she was back where she'd initially been, on her ass instead of her feet.
Wordlessly, she came for me again.
This time, I didn't even hit her. I just stepped to the side with a hand on my chin and watched her fist fly by in slow motion.
"So you're using runes. Those are really popular, huh? But I guess even these don't really compare to Touko's." She clenched her fist, and bent her arm to hit me in the face with her elbow. I avoided that too, easily... a little too easily. Oh wait no, it was just a set-up for a reverse round kick using the elbow's momentum to make it more devastating. "Of course I don't hold this against you. That unreasonable woman's a monstrous Grand."
Were it anyone else, Bazett would have caused some damage by now. Unfortunately, I'd literally gone against a servant before. My reinforcement was far better than hers... and most importantly, my magical energy was already spread around us.
To me, her blows may as well have been something we rehearsed for a play beforehand.
"You're just using them to make you stronger and faster though. A purely-physical based fighter, huh?" I ducked under a straight kick. "That's respectable. But, useless for me. Say, is this all you have?"
Like a child attempting to seriously fight an adult, she kept flailing her arms and legs in punches and kicks and all that... I didn't even remove my hand from my chin. I felt like one of those sages from martial arts novels giving advice.
"Fight back." She muttered.
"Trust me, you don't want me to." I waved my other hand in dismissal, noting a great explosion of flame in the distance, "I don't feel too bad about the sneak attack since something similar happened last night, and I'm nothing if not the least bit fair."
If I could ignore that golden haired guy ripping my arm off, I could ignore her stabbing me.
"Did they seriously not tell you what you were going to be up against?"
I leaned to the side. Her fist narrowly missed the side of my head. I bent forward. Her knee narrowly missed my guts.
Apparently, she wasn't in the mood to talk.
With a groan, I put both of my hands on her shoulder, holding her in place. Her eyes widened and she tried to wrench free... but, she could not.
"Lady, I won against Touko twice... granted she was also playing around but still. A lone Enforcer can't possibly." She used my grip to do a back-flip... except she tried to kick me with both feet halfway through.
Naturally, I easily stepped away from that too.
"Oh hey, that was smart. Good girl~."
"Why won't you fight back?" She said, visibly frustrated.
I took a deep breath.
"Ever heard the term... coughing baby versus hydrogen bomb?"
"Coughing-... what against what?"
"Yes, I feel like a bully here. Your magecraft is useless. I appreciate the code though." I clenched and unclenched my fist, feeling greater strength, "And I'm not even the one wronged here. I feel bad cause someone clearly decided to 'humble' you using me."
...I was going to find said someone once I returned to London, of course. I felt the need to meet the person who had decided I was a good little boy they could use for their personal agendas.
Bazett grew even more confused.
"Alright, let me put it this way. Whoever sent you here knew you'd die if you fought me... or that's what they hoped. I'm petty enough to dash that hope~."
The suited-up Enforcer of the Mage's Association stared at me in silence.
When she opened her mouth to speak, Nobunaga burst through the treeline. Or rather, she was tossed through the treeline. The Demon King twisted and turned midair, then stabbed her blade into the ground, using it to both balance herself, and nullify the sheer force Lancer had struck her with. Even then, she was dragged back a good bit, leaving a deep gash in the road.
On one knee, she gripped her katana.
Blood seeped from a cut on her cheek. Her cloak was torn in places, and her leg bled freely from an open wound.
"Well, he took you for a run looks like."
My servant didn't answer joyously. She rubbed her lips with the back of her hand, staining her white gloves with fresh blood. Apparently, Lancer was a proper hero of legend. The sort that'd be really fun to fight.
"You should see the other guy." She said, pushing herself to her feet against the hilt of her blade.
Lancer stepped out of the trees a moment later.
Other than a deep cut in his stomach and a burnt arm, he was NOT worse for wear. The guy was even grinning happily. Casually, he turned to his Master. His eyes widened in surprise.
"You're... still safe?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Bazett asked indignantly.
"Nah, I was pretty sure he'd have torn off an arm or something by now at least." Lancer ran a hand through his spiky blue hair, "He shrugged off a blow from my Ga-... I mean, he's decently strong."
His Gay... what now?
I shivered, touching my stomach where he'd pierced it.
"Hey man, that's not cool. That's not cool at all."
"I'd rather punch your face in too." Lancer lowered his gaze, "But she insisted so I had no choice. You know how it is with women."
Beside me, Nobunaga trembled. Then, the air burned once more... except this time, the even light from the lamp was drowned out by the sheer number of the rifles that formed.
Lancer rested his spear against his shoulder. Bazett looked at me with troubled eyes.
"So, round two, kid?" The hero of legend asked.
I raised a brow, "Hey Bazett, do they hate you because you're nice?"
The truth was that I held no pity for any magi. If she pushed now, I'd kill her. Yet, my experience with these people had taught me that if either the Mage's Association or the Holy Church hated someone's guts, said person was probably a good person.
The prime example being myself, of course.
"No... it's because I'm not from the Clock Tower."
"She helped a stingy old crone cross the road before she found you." Her servant snitched on her shamelessly. "Before that it was this lost kid-..."
"Lancer! Shut up. Henry Smith. I will bring you in for your crimes."
"My crime is killing people who wanted to kill me or worse. How bloody abhorrent of me. How dare I defend myself?"
"Well..." She stopped short, seemingly unsure of herself.
Lancer snorted, "Kid's got you there, Master."
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Hope you enjoyed.
Henry loves ruining other people's plans almost as much as he loves himsel-