Singularity F: Chapter 2 - Child of Light VS Servant of Darkness

A.N.: So, it's been a while since the last chapter, huh? I apologize for the lack of updates, but the last few months have been a big downer on me. Between moving, college, and working during the holiday season, there has been sadly little time for working on the fic. Thankfully, next semester's going to be less busy, so I'll be able to post more often. However, there's one thing I managed to get: A beta! Seriously, I've got to give props to 'The4Ryan9' for betaing this and helping to develop the story. Still, here's the latest chapter, and hopefully I'll have another one up by the end of the month, if not before next semester starts.

My breath hitched at the sight of Cu-Caster standing in the doorway, a rush of relief running down my back. Admittedly, I preferred using the Lancer version of Chulainn thanks to having more ways to survive, but right now I couldn't be too picky with the other Servants trying to kill me. Besides, Casters are supposed to trump Assassins, right?

...Speaking of which, where did Assassin get to?

My question was soon answered with a rain of blades flying at me, and I lunged backwards, barely avoiding being skewered.

"You should know better than to manifest in my sight, Assassin!," Caster shouted, firing another volley at the blackened Servant, only for him to vanish into blue particles, a chill rushing from his disappearance.

"Damn it, he got away again!," I cursed, looking around wildly for when the murderous Servant might make his next appearance.

"True, but it's not like he'll be gone for long," Caster said, leaping over the fallen tables to land next to me. Standing across from one another, I couldn't help but notice that we were roughly the same height. Admittedly, he had a few inches on me, but I'd definitely say we were roughly just as tall.

Cu Chulainn gave me a cursory glance, looking me over before giving me a grin. "So kid, you're a Master, right?," He asked, nodding as he looked around for Assassin.

"Sadly, just a potential one for the moment," I told him, pulling out a Cursed Bone from my sack and grabbing it in both hands like a makeshift club, "I was supposed to have summoned a Servant before arriving, but sadly, that got derailed."

"I see," He replied, slapping a hand on my shoulder before grinning, "In that case, while it may be temporary, treat me as your own Servant, got it?"

"Understood," I told him, looking around both to spot Assassin's next assault and hide my growing delight. With Cu Chulainn helping me out, there was little chance I would be dying here!

As if to counter my thoughts, a swarm of knives flew towards us, and I jumped back down to avoid the volley. The whistling of the wind was the only sign of Caster's interference as he sent the knives twirling away with his staff. "Stay here, 'Master'. I'll take of this!," He said, a grin growing on his face, before sending another flurry of fireballs at the murderous Servant. However, Assassin faded into spiritual particles, avoiding the attack again, and several skeletons flooded through the broken openings.

Caster clicked his tongue in annoyance and turned his head to look at me again. "Try to stay out of trouble, okay?," He told me, before jumping over the counter, striking the nearest skeletal warrior's skull clean off its body when he landed.

"Got it," I shouted back, and ducked back under the counter. As Caster went to town on the skeletons, I began to glance around the store, trying to spot Assassin's next assault. With his Presence Concealment and never-ending supply of knives, he could easily strike from behind me, through the window, or even-

A rush of heat erupted overhead, like opening a hot stove, and I glanced up to see Assassin crouched on the ceiling, arm pulled back in preparation. "Shit!," I cursed, and jumped back when Assassin lunged downward. The countertop was shattered from the blackened Servant's blow, and I flinched at the shower of splinters. I glanced back to find my wok-shield being only a short distance behind me, I looked back at the rising assailant before lunging towards my main defense. Grabbing the wok by the edge, I felt a blast of energy, and glanced back to find Assassin mere inches from my face, his hand almost touching my shoulder...

Only for a silvery mark, like a line with a 'v' attached to it, to erupt into existence on the surface on my uniform. Assassin's lunge was stopped short, as if hitting a wall, and a second flash sparked from the mark before emitting a burst of light, Assassin being sent flying back in the process. Adjusting my grip on my shield, I lifted my shield up again in preparation for fighting while Assassin landed on both feet.

"Runecraft, hm?," The Assassin mused, holding his hand out like clutching a wine glass, "A noteworthy defense, but one that this one finds ultimately… useless." A wave of heat arose from the Servant, and motes of energy collected his hand to form a beating facsimile of a heart.

No, not a facsimile. A copy of my heart.

My breath hitched in fear as Assassin began to squeeze down on it, phantom fingers seeming to grip my chest. If Caster didn't act soon, I'd end up dead before the Prologue even ended!

"It may seem so, Assassin," Caster commented, and both of us gave pause at the interruption to look at the bluenette, who was rapidly spinning his staff, "However, one benefit Runecraft has-," Slamming his staff on the ground, he gave a victorious grin when a fiery red rune lighting up under Assassin's feet, "-Is that they don't require a chant to activate!"

At the end of Caster's words, a pillar of fire erupted from underneath Assassin and enveloped the surprised Servant in flames. The skeletal fighter let out a ghastly scream that seemed to echo as the flames coated him, licking and scraping his body. When the bonfire finally died down, Assassin stood there, as if frozen by the flames. Several seconds passed, and I began to worry that he had somehow managed to survive. However, Assassin soon fell to his knees, his body breaking apart.

"Well played, Caster," The masked killer said, tilting his head to the spellcasting servant to give a nod of respect, "However, this one thinks that you'll find it much harder to defeat the rest…" With that, he gave one last rasping chuckle before his head dropped, the last action he gave before dissolving into a mist of light.

I fell back once the last of his remains vanished, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

"Well done, Master!," Caster praised, slapping his hand back down on my shoulder and making me jump in surprise, "So, what did you think of your first Servant battle?"

"It was absolutely terrifying!," I shakily shouted at him, shuddering at the memory of Assassin clutching my heart.

"I see…," Glancing over at me, Caster paused for a few seconds before suddenly raising his hand to slap me over the head.

"Ow!," I exclaimed, rubbing where he hit me, "What the hell was that for?"

"Do you have no pride in battle, 'Master'?," Caster asked, levelling a look at me that silenced any protests. "I saw how you fought against those skeletons. Do you only to bare your fangs when threatened like a cornered boar?"

My teeth ground together at his comments. "I know I'm not the best at combat!," I snapped at him, "I'm not a master Magus, with years of training or Magic Crests. I've only got three months worth of Magus education. Hell, I only half-assed my casting Reinforcement earlier today, and even that was a fluke!" Slamming my hand against the table, I let out a groan before sliding against the wall. I know that no-one started out a prodigy, but being unprepared for a Servant battle is an easy way to get killed.

"I see…," Cu Chulainn said, leaning against his staff as he looked down at me, "So it's not that you only fight when threatened, but only fight when you think you've got a fair chance? That's something I can understand. However, you're unlikely to find a fair fight here, especially with the lack of enemy Masters here."

"I know," I replied, getting back up before clenching my jaw in thought. There was no point with arguing in him on that front - Hell, I had already faced near-death from Archer and Assassin. Glancing at Caster, a sudden burst of genius struck me, and I slowly grinned at him. "However, I can think of one way to help balance things out."

"What do you mean by that?," He asked, before frowning slightly as I raised my arm, "Are you sure you want to do that, kiddo? You did say you're not the best with magecraft. Besides, with Archer still out there, he could easily take both of us out at the same time if we're contracted."

"I know that," I said, lowering my arm slightly, "But it's better to have a contract with a Servant if I haven't summoned one, and after the fight, you're likely starting to run out of prana."

Caster hummed at this, before turning towards the exit. "If that's the case, 'Master', we better do it someplace that's a lot safer." As the rune-wielding Servant began to walk to the exit, I knew that the chances of getting arrow-nuked by Archer as we moved was near-certain. I couldn't take the chance!

As I began to focus on Caster, I distantly recalled the drop of water I imagined in the coffin. When the drop broke the surface again, a rush of energy flooded my body again. "Heed my words!," I shouted, making Caster come to a stop as I pointed at him. "My will creates your body, and-" Would 'sword' really work with a Caster-class? Stumbling momentarily in confusion, I rapidly thought of what would work best before continuing, "-Your stave guides my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call and obey my will and reason, then answer me! Do so, and I will entrust my destiny to your wisdom!"

"Heh, you're really that desperate, huh kid?" Caster asked, but shrugged before gripping my hand firmly with a grin, "On my honor as a Caster, I accept your oath. I, Cu Chulainn, accept you as my Master." As we shook hands, a rush of heat coursed through me, and I buckled over when I felt the connection take hold. Despite the rush from the energy soon decreasing to a mere trickle, I felt a lingering pulse of heat connecting me to Caster, providing him with what I could only assume was prana to continue existing.

Looking down at my hand, I grinned at the red markings that now marked the back of my hand. While it wasn't the straight spear his Lancer seal was, it looked more like the FGO command spell: A trident of red containing an array of two squares overlapping one-another, the seal was completed with a slanted 'F' in the center of the array.

"So, 'Master', what's your plan from here?," Caster asked, looking at me expectantly with a grin I couldn't help but return. With a Servant now actually bonded with me, my chances of survival were a lot better, especially since Cu Chulainn's Protection From Arrows makes it a lot harder for EMIYA to kill me. Now all that's left is to actually get some decent weapons to be able to fight. Speaking of which-

"For starters, I need you to give my 'shield' and this bone a massive Caster upgrade," I told him before shoving the modified wok and an Evil Bone into his arms, making him start slightly.

"...Kid, I think you've got the wrong idea about me," He asked, giving me a skeptical look, "Despite being summoned as a Caster, I don't really have the Item Creation skill, and my Territory Creation skill is better suited for… more combative purposes."

"I know, but you can at least it the same boost you gave my uniform back there, right?," I asked while grabbing some extra shopping bags and slung them over my shoulder, "After all, having a knockback effect can be quite effective."

"That's not-," Caster commented, before looking down at the wok in contemplation. "Using Thurisaz as the base component… reinforcing it with Isa, while keeping the defensive properties enhanced with Eihwaz & Algiz…" He fell silent for several seconds, before smirking over at me, "This is turning into quite the interesting project you've given."

"It won't take too long, will it?" I asked, glancing over at a paper cutter before reaching down and unscrewing the latches before finally hefting it up. Despite the its size, the solid metal blade would likely be quite effective at cutting or breaking bone.

"While it'll be a bit before it's finished, it should likely be an hour at most before it's done," He said, his eyes still looking contemplatively down at the shield, before looking over at me in shock as I walked toward the staircase, "Wait, where are you going?"

"The same place any survivor goes in a city, of course," I told him, glancing him out of the corner of my eye, "Out looting, of course! Give me a shout when you're finished!"

"Oi, you're taking this too easily!" He shouted back at me, but I have him a simple wave before stepping into the stairwell. While he did have a slight point, especially with the Servants still around, I should be able to at least sense them first, given that Assassin's kicked the bucket. Coming up to the next floor, I perked up at the sight of several name-brand sporting goods lining the aisles. It should be easy to find some makeshift armor here!

I hummed in confusion as I looked back and forth between two helmets. While the motorcycle helmet was quite effective in protecting its wearer, the limited visibility and darkened visor would make seeing incoming attacks rather difficult. In contrast, a baseball helmet made concussions harder to obtain, at the cost of leaving my face open to any arrows or spear thrusts… This was becoming quite the difficult decision…

'You going to take any longer, kid?'

I screamed at the sudden comment in my head, and I looked around in shock to find where Cu Chulainn was. "Jeez, man, you startled me!" I shouted, looking around for where the druid was.

'...Kid, you remember that Servants and Masters can communicate telepathically, right?' He asked, my ears turning red in embarrassment at the reminder.

"Right, sorry," I said, and began focusing on the connection before sending a thought towards the connection. 'Does this work?,' I mentally questioned.

'Much better,' Cu Chulainn commented, 'Now get down here, kid! I finished your 'project' five minutes ago, and I'm not sure how long we have before another Servant comes after us.'

'Right, right, gotcha,' I sent before focusing back on reality. Looking between the two, I chucked them both on the shelf before grabbing a hockey helmet that had fit me alright earlier. It wasn't a perfect fit, but the face-guard would do quite nicely. Grabbing the bag full of 'armor', I rapidly moved down the staircase, jumping the last few steps before coming to a slow stop on the main floor. "So, how did the project go?," I asked, pulled out the first pieces of my armor and sliding them on.

"Well, it took a bit of work, but I managed to get a decent array finished,' Cu Chulainn stated, setting the shield face-down on the counter, "I focused the array on the Thurisaz rune to provide structural defense, with Uruz, Iga and Algiz to…" He paused for a second, confusion flickering on his face before he asked, "What the hell are you wearing?"

"Just some makeshift armor," I told him, strapping the neon-green child shin guards down over my arms before grabbing a set of flourescent orange shin guards for my calves, "It's not the best, but it should work well against the sword swings." Slipping the shin guards on, I pulled the bright red helmet over my head, wincing slightly when the strap dug into my chin, before striking a heroic pose. "So, how do I look?" I asked.

"Like a colorblind idiot," He said, earning a chuckle from both of us. I wasn't going to deny that, especially since the array of colors was rather silly, but it was at least effective. Glancing at the wok-shield, I lifted it up, shivering slightly at the heat radiating off of it despite it being cool to the touch, before flipping it over.

Looking at the front, I couldn't help but admire the design of the array. Two squares overlaid the metal to form an eight-pointed star, the center sporting a line with a triangle on the side, and an additional square at each point holding another symbol. Grabbing it by the handle, I nodded in self-satisfaction before looking over at Caster. "What about the cursed bone?" I asked.

Caster paused for a second, before reaching under the table. "To be honest, I'm not sure what went wrong with it," He said as he began to pull it out, "All I was able to add was a few basic enhancement runes to it, when it… mutated, for lack of a better term." When he finally held it up, I couldn't help but shudder at the malevolent aura. The few yellow runes on the side were a drastic contrast to the darkened color of the bone, the cursed femur now a dark mahogany, bordering a red-tinged black. In addition, the side opposite the femoral head had splintered open, the bone erupting out to form a jagged axe-edge.

"I can see that…" I said, shuddering slightly at the off-putting heat before tentatively reaching out to the axe. "It's still usable though, right?"

"I guess it is…" Caster hummed, looking away in what I assumed was contemplation before flipping it over, holding it out by the handle, "At the very least, you'll have some way to protect yourself now."

Eagerly grabbing the axe, I did my best to balance it out before sliding it into a loose arm strap as a makeshift holster. Glancing back up at Cu Chulainn, I froze in worry. Any sign of levity was now gone on his face, the druid's eyes locked on something beyond the far wall.

"What is it, Caster?" I asked, awkwardly pulling the axe back out in preparation. If Assassin managed to survive, or worse, Berserker had somehow found us…

"You can't sense it, Master?" He asked, pointing his staff in the same direction as before, "There's a pair of Servants fighting over that way." Closing my eyes, I frowned in concentration, attempting to sense what he meant. After several seconds, I winced at the underlying roar of battle that beat like a drum in the distance. I'm not sure whether it was due to the Singularity or my lack of magical experience, but I wouldn't have noticed it if Caster hadn't pointed it out.

"It's likely one of the other Masters I'm working with," I told him, and only took a moment to grab the bag of cursed bones before running around the counter towards the exit, "We better get over there!"

"Alright, Master," Caster said, jumping over the counter and briskly walking beside me, "However, you'll need to tell me why you're allied with another Master, or why you're the first person I've seen since arriving."

==Third POV - ?==

Cloaked in darkness inside the apartment building, the man scowled as he glanced out of the window. Ever since that Saber had defeated and revived him, he had found himself being forced to hide in the shadows like an assassin, something he absolutely despised. He had dealt with enough assassins when he was alive to not want to follow their steps. However, so long as she still lived, he was forced to continue skulking in the shadows to keep his men from vanishing. Thankfully, while he personally couldn't be hunting the errant Caster or the enemy Masters, his soldiers were able to patrol the city in search of them. This had even gained some success, as his men had managed to find a Master and Servant, with more of his men currently in pursuit of a Magus who could be a second Master.

A flash of golden light draws his focus back outside, and the blackened Servant momentarily squinted his eyes at the explosions that followed the enemy Servant's attack. Feeling his soldiers that had been fighting vanish into prana particles, the man grasped the air before a golden axe filled his hands, the blade aglow with green flames from the lantern it jutted from. With a single swing of the blade, the flames travelled over the floor, leaving wisps in the air, before they erupted in size, leaving him surrounded a company of skeletal warriors.

"Surround the Servant on all sides. Spearmen, use your spears to strike at them through any gaps available," He ordered, and the skeleton warriors rushed out with a clatter of bones, several of them leaping out of the broken windows straight to the ground, rushing towards the enemy, while others dashed around the sides in preparation for a pincer maneuver.

As the sounds of battle resumed, he turned away from the battlefield to head towards a different building and avoid the Archer's eventual bombardment. Before leaving the floor, though, he paused before looking towards the north, a grin forming on his face at the energy drawing closer. It seems that he wouldn't have to wait for the Caster Servant to be found after all. Summoning his axe once more, he summoned a score of skeletal warriors who immediately rushed towards him.

"You best hurry up, Caster," He muttered, his body slowly astralizing, "I'd hate for my army to be disappointed."

==1st POV - Alex==

"So, you're part of a team of Magi who, due to the future of humanity being threatened, has been sent back in time to fix whatever has caused the threat?" Caster asked, leaping over a decimated car as we ran towards the ensuing fight.

"Pretty much, yeah," I said, panting lightly in my attempts to keep up with him, "To be honest, I'm surprised that they managed to build a construct that can use True Magic." For that matter, I'm honestly surprised I'm managing to keep up with Caster at all. Granted, he isn't as fast as if he was summoned as a Lancer, but Servants were noted for being more powerful than regular humans. Guess my counterpart's body was better built than my own. Well, that, or Caster was slowing down for me, I mentally amended, ducking underneath a bent lamppost while Cu Chulainn easily vaulted over a toppled van.

As we rounded the corner, the heat of the Servants' signatures starting to build in strength, I paused slightly before closing my eyes to focus, the drop of water triggering my circuits again. Several hundred feet ahead of me, I could sense the signatures of two Servants locked in combat, several additional 'flames' around the area. The lower servant, while I couldn't see them from here, could be best described as a wild torchlight, burning brightly and lashing out at any stray sparks that drew too close. In contrast, a second flame was higher up, likely on a higher floor, yet it was also… sooty or distended. As I tried to focus on the 'muted' flame, a sudden thunk of metal on wood made my eyes snap open, disrupting my focus.

"Master, I think you better get ready to fight!" Caster demanded, pressing back against a downward-swinging spear wielded by a skeletal warrior. As the Celt shoved the spearman away, though, more skeletal warriors began to jump down from the buildings on the streets. Unlike the previous skeletons I faced, though, these were clearly something… more. The skeletons were clad in purple cloth, wielding axes and spears of solid bone. The most shocking detail, though, were their eyes - Rather than empty eye sockets, green flames lit their eyes in a malevolent glow.

Realizing that this was too many for Caster to reliably fight, I pulled out my own bone-axe after a few moments of effort. "Got it!" I replied, hoisting my shield up for defense. As the skeletons began to draw closer, spears being raised, I looked over at Caster. 'Caster, if I buy you a little time to drop back, could you get them with a ranged attack?' I telepathically asked him. The rune-using Servant glanced back at me, gave a nod, before jumping back behind me.

A plan now set, I focused on the undead warriors before slamming the axe against the side of my shield. "Come on, you shoddy sacks of bones!" I shouted, trying my best to aggravate them, "I've seen squished bugs that fight better than you! Your mother was a compost bag, and your father smelt of formaldehyde!"

The last bit seemed to push them over the edge, as several skeletons let out screams of anger before rushing at me. As the skeletons focused their spearheads, I crouched down, making myself as small as possible while holding my shield up to block their blows. While some spears snuck past, leading to their blades scraping against my arm guards and helmet, several of the blows thankfully struck the shield's surface. As an axe struck against the shield amidst the spear thrusts, I felt the shield 'warm' up with magic,and began to feed it magic in hopes of boosting the effect.

The only sign I fucked up came when a blast of kinetic force erupted from the array, sending the skeletons flying back while I tumbled head-over-ass backwards several feet. Slamming the sizzling shield down on the ground, I managed to come to a stop after several seconds of flipping about. Glancing back up at the skeleton, I saw that the ones who were launched back had mostly landed on their feet.

They seemed to be a lot more cautious now, leaning back and forth as they stared at me with those unblinking eyes. Before any could advance, though, they seemed to all look up as one before a volley of fireballs flew at them from overhead. The bombardment struck them hard, and I saw several of them shatter from the impact. The damage only heightened as the attack exploded in a blast of fire, consuming the remaining skeletons and soon turning them to ash.

As the fires rapidly died down, a thump drew my gaze to my right to find Caster standing tall, smirking down at me. "Well done, Master," He chuckled, patting me on the head, "That was quite the blast you made! I'm surprised your shield is still intact!"

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," I muttered, hoisting myself back up before looking over where the Servants were still fighting, given the golden light visible behind an overturned truck. While I didn't know who the Servant was, I couldn't afford to let another Servant fall to Saber's forces. Hastily devising some form of plan that could possibly work, I lowered my shield before turning to my Servant. "Caster, they need our help," I barked, before pointing to a light post that was somehow still standing, "Run ahead to help them and, once you get up there, immediately blast any skeletons you see! Just make sure not to hit the unknown Servant with the blast radius."

"Got it, Master!" He complied, rushing forwards before hurtling up with a burst of energy. Realizing that it wouldn't be long before the area was likely cleared of any skeletons, I began to run after him, arms swiveling from side to side as I hurried over. Even as I drew near, Caster was blasting away with his Runecraft, sending fireball after fireball into the area. Coming around from the opposite side, I skidded to a stop before turning towards where the Servant likely was. "Are you alright?" I blindly asked, looking at where the Servant was, only to be greeted by a surprised blonde kid and the female protagonist, who was looking shocked at me for some reason.

She was hardly the only one who was shocked, though, once I got a second look at the blonde 'kid'. What was Gilgamesh even doing here, let alone as Kid Gil? I thought that the only Servant 'summoned' was Mash, with Caster only surviving until then. If that was the case, what did that say about the Singularity? Focusing back on the moment, I mentally flinched at the awkward air developing. Come on, there's something I can say...

"Weren't you the Master whose brother fell asleep during orientation and got booted out of the Rayshift?" I blindly asked, before wincing at the bluntness of it. Thankfully, this seemed to shake her out of her shock, as she stuttered for several seconds before jumping back up.

"So what if I was?!" She asked, her face turning red, "At least I'm not looking like a half-finished neon painting!" She then blinked, as if realizing something, before stating, "Wait, you were sitting a few seats down from us!"

"That's correct," I dryly told her, glancing around the area in search of the other Servant, "You're quite observational, aren't you?" As she began protesting, I closed my eyes and began sensing for any possible sign of a signature. After several seconds, I began to sense a potent prana source lingering a few levels above us to the right, the prana seeming to roar with a constant blaze. "Caster, fire a volley over there!" I quickly shouted, pointing at the prana source with wide eyes.

"You got it!" Caster shouted, waving his hand at the source before sending a row of fireballs out. As the attack struck the building, the block was lit up from the resulting blast, the explosion erupting across the floor and blowing out the windows. However, as the building began to crumble down, a large figure leaped out past the explosion, landing on the ground with a resonating boom and an obscuring dust cloud.

"Damn, looks like he managed to escape the blast," I muttered, before looking for any sign of the Servant. After several seconds, the dust finally started to settle, the Servant slowly being shown. He was standing tall, easily outstripping Cu Chulainn and myself in height. However, with his dark skin, overwhelming height and solid-yellow eyes, there was little doubt as to who this Servant was.

"Oh, so you finally come out of hiding, Rider?" Caster asked, jumping down from the lamppost to smirk at the Blackened Servant.

"The same could be said for you, Caster," Darius said, grinning in response, "After all, haven't you been the one who's been skulking in the shadows to avoid her blade?"

"I wouldn't say that," Cu Chulainn replied, leaning against his staff, "After all, I may enjoy a good fight, but I can tell when it's pointless to fight head-on." Despite his carefree expression, I could feel the pull of prana intensify, and I steeled myself for the budding battle.

"It may be the case," Darius said, summoning a golden axe wreathed in green flames, "But let's see how you handle the strength of my army!" With a swing of his arm, he sent a blazing wave at us, making us stumble back. However, rather than sweeping over us, the rolling tide of fire gathered in strength before breaking into embers right before our faces. It didn't seem like he needed the flames, though, as there were now dozens - no, hundreds - of skeletal warriors.

However, their bodies were altered even further than before, with some of their heads warped in the shape of bony crowns while sharp scythes replaced their arms. Alternatively, some of the soldiers loomed over the rest, sporting two pairs of arms that each held a weapon forged from their skeletal bodies.

"These are my soldiers, their bodies transformed and infused with strength that surpassed their mortal bodies!," Darius declared, raising his arms in proclamation. "Now, if you wish to show your desire to survive, then show me your might!"

As Darius's words reverberated around the park, I began to glance around, intent on figuring out some way to survive. With Gilgamesh and the female protagonist pinned between the bus and the skeletal army while Cu Chulainn being more apt for ranged combat as a Caster, we couldn't keep up a constant fight in close quarters. In addition, the sheer number of skeletal warriors easily outnumbered us 100-to-1. Even if Gilgamesh had access to Gate of Babylon in his childish form, I doubted he'd be able to launch weapons fast enough to take them out in time.

'Oi, Master. I have a Noble Phantasm that can possibly take care of his army, but doing so means I won't be able to access it again for a while.' I blinked in confusion momentarily at the voice in my head, before glancing over at the Celtic Caster.

'Do you think you'll be able to get them all?," I mentally asked him, looking around at the swarm of skeletons looming around us.

'They won't even be a threat once it's finished!' He states, a smirk growing on his face before he looked grimly out at the horde, 'However, I'll need time to fully cast it.'

'Understood,' I sent back, and reached down to pull the axe out, 'Just make sure to get it cast soon. I don't know how long I'll be able to keep them back-' I paused from my reply when I grabbed nothing but air, glancing down before sighing in frustration. "Shit, must've lost it somewhere in the fight," I muttered, before looking at Gilgamesh, who seemed less worried and more amused at the scenario. "Your majesty, would you be generous enough to loan a blade from your treasury for this battle?" I asked him, holding a hand out to him in hope.

The blonde Archer tilted his head at this, staring at me for several seconds before giving a rather childish grin. "Of course, onii-san!," He says as a golden circle of light appears in the air between us, the blue hilt of a sword poking out from the portal, "Just make sure to give it back at the end, okay?"

"Deal," I said, nodding in agreement before pulling the blade out. As the sword came out, I couldn't help but shiver at the chilling aura it produced. Quite literally, in fact - Veins of frost were already forming on the blade even when the sword just left storage, the aura of cold seeming to give the blade a blue tint. Turning around, I shuddered at how… innocent Gilgamesh seemed, given his more sadistic tendencies, before holding the sword up, my shield running perpendicular to it.

"It seems that your master is quite willing to fight," Darius commented, his voice reverberating throughout the room, "Now, let's see how long he and the rogue Archer will be able to last." As he raised an arm up, my body tensed at the rush of impeding tension, an action that was mimicked repeatedly by his forces. With a single sweep and a wave of flames, Darius let out a roar. As if his cry was a signal, the skeletal warriors surged forward with a cacophony of bones clanking against metal.

As the first skeletal warriors drew close, I crouched down before lunging forward, lashing out with my blade with a desperate fervor. Up, down, side to side - I slashed wildly in my attempts to keep them back, the tip occasionally poking at any skeletons that were within reach. However, they seemed to constantly be out of range of my sword, the tip barely leaving chilled marks on their clothed armor.

"Fehu, Uruz, Perthro, Thurisaz-" I heard Caster begin to chant over the noise, the pull on our connection slowly building with each word. A sudden scream made me twist to my right, eyes growing wide at the speartip rushing towards my eyes.

Before the tip could pierce the visor, though, a golden blur struck the spear-wielding skeleton from the side, sending it flying away and crashing into its comrades.

"Oi, oi. That isn't fair at all, is it?" I heard Gilgamesh comment, the blonde King stepping into view with a golden aura surrounding him, the tips of several blades already poised and peeking out to strike. With an almost unanimous shriek, the skeletons renewed their charge, and I forced myself to turn away.

"-Mannaz, Gebo, Jera, Wunjo-"

Spotting a trio of skeletal swordsmen rushing towards me while Gilgamesh dealt with any that got too close to him, I crouched low, letting their blades bounce against my shield before thrusting forward. Feeling the pressure of their blades cease, I lashed out with the chilled blade. As the blade sunk into the ribcage of a warrior, the blue tint of the blade rushed out with a pulse, freezing the soldier solid. Ripping the blade to the side, the warrior broke into a shower of icy, bony shards, leaving me free to strike again.

"-Kenaz, Eihwaz, Isa, Hagalaz-"

Muscles slowly starting to burn from the weight of my weapons, I forced myself to ignore the pain and continue fighting. Noticing one of the skeletons with extra arms bent over on one knee, I lunged forward, aiming the tip of my sword at its head.

...Wait, why would it be crouched down if it was-?

With a sudden shriek, the skeleton lashed upward, it's axe striking forward. Letting out a scream in fright, I stumbled to a halt before rapidly backtreading, trying to stay out of reach. However, the blade's reach seemed to extend as I retreated, before ripping into my helmet and barely press against my skin. Feeling the clasp tighten as the polearm lifted up, I shakily reached up and clicked the latch open before dropping into a crouch.

"-Sowilo, Tiwaz, Algiz, Raidho, Berkanan, Ansuz!"

Seeing the warrior still standing in front of me, I lashed out of the blade, striking it in the waist. Waves of cold ran across its body, and I struck at it over and over until the warrior was broken into several different pieces. After the seventh or so blow, though, I was forced back to the fight with a trio of spearheads slamming into the body armor on my back mixed with a series of explosions. Stumbling around, I growled at the warriors surrounding me before lashing out again, knocking over an unlucky two before looking around at the skeletal troops closing in around me. "Damnit Caster, you better hurry up with whatever Phantasm you've got," I mutter before readying for the next burst of battle.

"Behold, the script of the Allfather, written for the world to see!" Caster suddenly declared, and the entire battlefield seemed to freeze at his words. Looking up in the momentary lapse, I saw him now proudly standing atop the bus, his staff raised high and a blast of invisible heat roaring from him while the light of magecraft illuminating him from below. "Ochd (Great-)"

"NO!" Darius suddenly shouted, the sheer volume of his voice striking out like a cannon shout. Daring to look back at him, I couldn't help but freeze at the site of Darius charging through his skeletal army, sending his own soldiers flying as he rushed towards us while the remaining warriors rushed forwards with him, forming a tidal wave of bone.

"Deug Odin (-God Carved Seal)!"

Jumping back from the approaching mob, I froze as a harmonious toll began to reverberate at his words. Darius was stopped dead in his charge as a pillar of light slammed into him, enveloping him in its blast. The skeletal army seemed to panic at this, chattering like a panicked mob, before many smaller beams began to strike down at them with the range of a meteor storm. Looking up, I saw a large circle of light now hanging over the park, the array marked with a large inscription in the center and eighteen runes on the line. To be honest, the only ones I really recognized was the F-shaped 'Ansuz' and… Yeah, that was really it.

Turning my attention back to the ground, I couldn't help but let out a whistle of appreciation. The circle was clearly doing its best to wipe the skeletal army off the map, the beams of prana leaving craters all over the park. Even the few skeletons that managed to avoid getting hit at first seemed to be affected by the blasts, as a nearby pair collapsed into pieces, their bodies becoming prana-infused ash that floated through the air aimlessly.

"So, was that good enough for you, Master?" Cu Chulainn asked, his staff clacking against the asphalt as he came to a stop besides me.

"I'd certainly say so, especially given how there doesn't seem to be any left," I said, glancing around at the fading remains of Rider's armada. However, as the dust began to settle, I froze at the hulking figure crouched down in the dust cloud before shakily lifting my shield back up.

Darius growled as he stood back up, his body steaming from the blast and particles of prana already starting to waft from his body. "Well played, Masters," He commented, his blades vanishing into particles while he rose to his full height, "However, with my troops now scattered, I cannot afford to continue holding back." Clasping the air in front of him, I felt a shiver of sudden dread run down my spine when the empty grip was filled with a massive horn made of ivory. 'Glamorous' could easily be used to describe it, with rings of gold banding the lip and the middle of the horn, with emeralds embedded in the gold bands and numerous etchings along the bare ivory.

"Olifant Nemrut [Mountainous Beast of Ivory] !," Darius shouted, before lifting the horn to his mouth. With one mighty breath, the air seemed to vibrate from the horn's blaring bellow.

...Wait, that isn't right - It wasn't the air that was shaking! Stumbling back slightly, I leaned against the side of a overturned car to keep from shaking. As the ground continued to tremble, I felt someone yank me back.

"Come on, Master - Can't let you be a sitting target," I heard Caster say over the wind. However, as I was pulled further away from Rider, I saw the ground began to bulge up. Bursts of hot air erupted from growing cracks in the asphalt, lampposts being toppled over by the shifting stone. The source of whatever was causing the eruption, though, was hidden from view with a cloud of dust that flooded the street. I was soon choking as Caster jumped up, knocking the air out of me when he dropped me behind a rooftop.

Taking in a shaky breath, I turned to Cu Chulainn with a scowl. "Why the hell did you pull me out of there?" I snapped, climbing back up to my feet, "We could have taken him no problem, especially with his army defeated!"

"You really didn't sense it, Master?" Caster asked, frowning slightly before shaking his head, "Given how you've been handling things so far, I thought you would've recognized it." I frowned at the comment, before thinking about the recent events. What the hell was he-?

A massive explosion tore through the air and my thoughts, the impact forcing me to stumble down the rooftop. As I tried stabilizing myself, a trumpeting bellow rang through the skyline.

"He summoned his last Noble Phantasm," Caster commented, looking grimmer in the direction of where the roar had come from. Gaping at the man, I ran up the tiles before poking my head over the edge.

The road had been torn into a path of rubble from the summoning of the beast, the roads completely ruined by the upheaval. Said animal, on the other hand, stood tall in the center of the destruction, its body easily reaching seven stories in height and sporting two pairs of massive tusks. The more I looked at it, though, the more I realized it wasn't a 'true' elephant. Instead, its body was draped in dark purple cloth, covering it in stylized eyes. In addition, any flesh or muscle it might've had was gone, leaving it a skeletal mammoth with jagged bones running down its 'trunk'. It still seemed to have plenty of strength in its bony body, though, as it easily carried Darius, the Rider sitting on a throne of bones atop the beast's back.

"I thought you took out his army with your Noble Phantasm," I muttered, ducking back down behind the rooftop as the blackened Servant and his steed seemed to turn in tandem to look in our direction.

"It seems that that beast of his is different enough that it wasn't locked away with his other Phantasm," Caster commented, resting both hands on his staff in contemplation. Glancing over the rooftop edge again, I narrowed my eyes as the beast began to look elsewhere before a realization struck me.

"Where'd the other Master and Servant go?" I asked, looking up and down the street for any sign of them. If they'd been caught in the explosion, or worse, trampled underfoot…

"I think they managed to get out just fine," Caster said with a chuckle, making me look at him in surprise. After several seconds, he clapped a hand on my shoulder before pointing with his staff. Turning my head, my eyes widened when I noticed the blonde Archer standing atop a skyscraper, his golden hair and the white uniform the female protagonist wore standing out brightly against the dark red sky.

They seemed to be spotted by Rider at the same time, though, as the massive beast he was on gave another trumpet before swinging its 'trunk' at the building's base. Thankfully, Gilgamesh and the red-haired Magus disappeared in a flicker before the blow landed, reappearing on a nearby building as the business complex came crumbling down.

...Note to self: Be sure to get her name when I get the next chance. It's a pain to keep calling her 'the protagonist'.

Snapping back into focus, I glanced back at the dark-skinned Rider before giving Caster a look. "How long do you think it'll take for you to take him out on there?" I asked him, keeping track on the errant Servant as his steed began to turn towards where Gilgamesh had moved to.

"I'd say a minute, maybe less depending on whether or not Blondie decides to join in," Cu said after several seconds of thought, hands resting on top of his staff.

"Just a minute? I didn't realize we were taking it nice and easy," I joked, picking the frozen sword up before walking up the rooftop. Coming to a stop at the top, I glanced at Caster to find him next to me, a grin growing on his face. Taking in a deep breath, I closed my eyes for a second before locking my gaze on Rider, the Servant's steed taking out a second building.

"Caster, take him out!" I shouted, fingers outstretched as I pointed at the blackened Servant, Rider turning on his throne to look at us.

"Understood, master!" The Hound of Ulster complied, before taking off in a burst of speed. Despite being summoned under the Caster class, Cu Chulainn moved like a blur across the ruined street, my eyes barely able to keep track of him as he approached Rider. Within seconds, he began to climb the skeletal mount, avoiding the beast's stomping hoof and was soon standing next to Darius. As the giant of a Rider still sat on his throne, Caster was able to easily run circles around him, landing on and around his throne several times before his staff was finally parried by the Persian's golden axe.

'Runes have been placed, Master,' I heard Caster comment through the link, before the blue-haired Servant jumped off of the mammoth's back to land on a nearby window sill.

'Gotcha. I'll give you the distraction, then,' I replied, and drew in a deep breath before letting out a loud shout. "HEY RIDER!," I screamed at the top of my lungs, earning a startled glance from said Servant. With most of his attention now on me, I gave him a one-finger salute before mouthing two words at him - 'Fuck. You.'

Despite being at least two hundred feet away, I could make out his eyes widening in realization when several marks lit up all around him. A sudden whistling tore through the air, and several golden swords skewered him through the chest, pinning him to the throne as the runes grew in power. His steed was unable to do anything while the runes ignited, the fiery explosion enveloping the beast's back and sending bony shards flying everywhere. Several seconds passed in tense silence as the blast faded away before the mammoth elephant fell over. The beast fell with a tremendous thud, rising dust obscuring the beast, before golden-green particles of prana began to rise into the air.

Seeing that the beast had been finally defeated, I chuckled in relief before a sudden thought made me grin. "Looks like Rider…," I began to say, pausing for a few seconds before proclaiming with a shit-eating grin, "Just got boned."

Several seconds passed before I heard Caster let out a groan through the Master/Servant link. 'Just great, my master's a punster,' He said, and I couldn't help but cackle at his reaction before walking down the rooftop. Things seem to be finally looking up!

...Crap, I just jinxed myself, didn't I? Wincing at the mishap, I scrambled down the rooftop, sliding off the rooftop before running towards Caster, not wanting to be left in the open when karma bit me in the ass.

This is the Hidden Singularity: Roaring Tiger's Dojo. Would you like to continue?

Note: The Tiger Dojo is a strange hint corner. If you enter by yourself, or remain in suspense, you have been warned.

1. Yes.

2. No.

"Welcome back, dear readers!" Taiga greeted, waving cheerily with one hand, "I'm the dedicated host, Taiga Fujimaru!"

"And I'm the No. 1 Student, Illya von Einzbern!" Illya chimed in, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "It's been a while since the last Dojo, hasn't it, sensei?"

"Indeed it was!" Taiga chimed in, before levelling a glare to the side, "It's such a shame that it couldn't come out sooner."

"Hey, I can only do so much at once!" The flaming skull retorted, rattling in the cage, "I have other things to work on, too!"

"Ha! Like I'm supposed to believe that!" Taiga demanded, resting a foot on the cage before pulling out a massive folder full of papers. "In fact, I think it'd be fitting to give the readers some new info as a consolation prize, hmmm?"

"H-hey, that's the draft notes!" The skull stammered, ramming against the cage walls in anger, "They're not supposed to be released yet! I still need to fine-tune them!"

"Ooooh? What's that?" Taiga teased, leaning down to point an ear at him, "You don't want to have these revealed? Well, too bad!" Flipping through the pages, she grinned before ripping a page out. "I think going into detail on the recently revealed Noble Phantasm should be a nice start!" As the cage began to rattle more vigorously, she cleared her throat before starting to list off the details:

NAME: Olifant Nemrut [Mountainous Beast of Ivory]

OWNER: Darius III (Rider)

TYPE: Anti-Army

RANK: B (B+)

RANGE: 1-99

MAX. NUMBER OF TARGETS: 100 People

The main mount of the Persian King, it has been noted in history that Darius led his armies into battle with several massive war elephants, using their size to his advantage. Legend has bound these beasts to his Athanaton Ten Thousand, allowing for him to summon them with bodies as skeletal as his men. Despite the multiple beasts under his command, though, there was one he held above the rest: The war elephant Arses, named after the former Persian emperor and close friend. When this beast is summoned, it causes widespread damage to the nearby area. As long as Darius sits in the throne on its back, he has direct control of it, allowing for him to bring devastation to his foes. The beast can be further empowered by the undead soldiers of Darius's army combining with its body, boosting its endurance and granting the ability to emit a vivid green flame.

"Whoa~" Illya chimed in amazement once Taiga finished reading, "I can't imagine what it would've been like to see them back when they were alive."

"Indeed," Taiga agreed, rubbing her chin in gleeful contemplation, "To see the elephants charge into battle, throwing off any attack that tried to harm them while also sending any … It sends shivers down the spine just thinking about it!" Pumping her fist in the air, she looked back down at the folder and began skimming through it vigorously. "Now, let's see what else we can cover!" She proclaimed, before grinning again and holding the pages open. "In fact, how about we cover what happens to-!"

"Like hell you are!" The cage suddenly jumped up and the skull burst out, knocking Taiga over in the first place and sending the folder flying. Seeing his opportunity, he enveloped the script in transparent blue flames before floating up. "Sorry folks, but I can't let all of the details be given away now. Illya, if you would be so kind as to announce the next chapter?"

"Hey, get back here!" Taiga shouted, and began to chase after the cackling skull.

"R-right!" Illya said, bowing slightly before turning to the 'camera', "Be sure to stay tuned for the next chapter: The Clash of Rusted Blades!" Taiga let out one more scream of rage as she chased after the skull, until one errant swing sent the camera flying back to land on the ground.