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"Who the hell is this guy?" Maverick muttered, his hand still hovering near his holster.
The other Kiritsugu grinned, lowering his own weapon slightly. "Didn't you already know the answer? Why are you still asking?"
Maverick glanced past the enemy Master, toward the taxi where the new Servant was standing.
"It's impossible," Maverick whispered. "Why are there so many... variations?"
"Variations?" the enemy Master chuckled. "No, no. Think of it as 'possibilities.' And honestly? I think I won the lottery."
The new Servant stepped forward.
She had the same blonde hair, the same emerald eyes, and the same regal bearing as Maverick's Artoria. But that was where the similarities ended.
Maverick's Artoria (Saber) was a petite 1.54 meters tall, clad in armor that concealed everything. She was the picture of chivalry and restraint.
The enemy Artoria—Lancer Artoria (Alter)—was a towering 1.71 meters. She wore a dark blue gown that clung to her curves like a second skin. And those curves... they were significant.
She was what the internet would call "The King Who Understands the Human Heart."
"Shameless?" Lancer Alter drawled, looking down at Saber with lazy amusement. "No, no. I am simply enjoying the modern era. Besides... are you envious?"
She placed a hand on her hip, accentuating her silhouette.
"That's right. You, who chose the Holy Sword, were cursed with eternal youth. You will never grow up. You will remain a child forever."
She leaned in, her golden eyes glinting with mischief.
"But I chose the Holy Lance, Rhongomyniad. I accepted the weight of adulthood. And as you can see... the results speak for themselves."
Saber (Maverick's Artoria) was shaking. She was trembling with rage.
"You..." Saber hissed. "You have abandoned your discipline! You parade around in such... such indecent attire! Have you no shame?!"
Lancer Alter just laughed. It was a low, throaty sound. "Big is good. Good is big. The General is right."
Maverick stared. The enemy Master stared.
[Chat]:[KekW]: LMAO SHE ROASTED HER! [Simp_Nation]: MOMMY? SORRY. MOMMY? [Lore_Master]: HOLY CRAP. It's Lancer Artoria! But wait, her eyes are yellow... is she the Alter version? [Tactician]: Look at the height difference. Saber is a dwarf compared to her. [DownBad]: I am switching sides. Lancer is better. [Saber_Fan]: TRAITOR! FLAT IS JUSTICE! [Philosopher]: "The King Who Understands the Human Heart." Truly, she knows what we want. [Mav_Fan]: Maverick is sweating. Look at him. He doesn't know where to look.
Maverick was indeed sweating. He felt like he had walked into a minefield. On one side, his loyal, petite knight. On the other, a towering, voluptuous femme fatale.
"Saber," Maverick whispered. "Calm down. Don't let her tilt you."
"I am perfectly calm!" Saber shouted, her voice cracking. "I am simply appalled by her lack of decorum!"
Lancer Alter smirked. "Oh? Appalled? Or perhaps you're just jealous that your armor is a bit... loose in the chest area?"
Saber let out a noise that sounded like a strangled cat. She reached for her invisible sword.
"Okay! Timeout!" the enemy Master yelled, stepping between them. "Hold on! Don't fight yet!"
He looked at Maverick. "Hey, listen. We're both Masters. We both summoned Artoria. That's fate, right?"
Maverick kept his hand on his gun. "Get to the point."
"The Holy Grail War is a Battle Royale," the enemy Master explained. "Seven players. One winner. But we can't fight everyone we see. If we start a war right here at the taxi stand, we'll attract the other five players. They'll third-party us while we're weak."
He gestured to the two Servants, who were still glaring at each other.
"Look at them. They're evenly matched. If they fight, it'll destroy the airport. We'll lose our cover. Why don't we team up?"
Maverick blinked. "Team up?"
"Yeah. An alliance. We watch each other's backs until the other five are dead. Then, when it's just us... we duel. Honorable 1v1."
Maverick considered it. In most Battle Royales, teaming was bannable. But this was the Holy Grail War. Alliances were part of the lore.
[Chat]:[Diplomat]: TAKE THE DEAL. [Paranoid]: IT'S A TRAP. He's going to backstab you. [Tactician]: No, it makes sense. A 2v5 is better odds. Plus, having two Artorias on one team is busted. [Lore_God]: Saber + Lancer combo? That covers close and mid-range. It's a strong meta. [Salty]: Maverick, don't trust him! He has the "Mommy" Servant! He's clearly evil!
"Fine," Maverick said slowly. "A temporary truce. Until the others are dead."
The enemy Master grinned and extended a hand. "Deal. Name's Ryu."
"Maverick."
They shook hands. The tension in the air dissipated slightly, though Saber and Lancer were still staring daggers at each other.
"So," Maverick asked, gesturing to the towering woman in blue. "How did you summon... her? I thought everyone got the standard Saber."
Lancer Alter answered for herself.
"Heroic Spirits are not static," she explained, her voice smooth and imperious. "Just as history has different interpretations, heroes have different possibilities."
She began to pace, her heels clicking on the pavement.
"In the standard timeline, Artoria pulled the Sword from the Stone, halting her aging. But in another possibility... what if she didn't?"
She stopped and looked down at Saber.
"What if she chose the Holy Lance, Rhongomyniad, instead? The Lance does not grant eternal youth. It transforms the wielder into a divine spirit. My body was allowed to grow. My perspective was allowed to mature."
She smiled—a cold, beautiful smile.
"I am the King of Storms. I am the Wild Hunt. And unlike my younger self, I do not hide my gender. I embrace it."
She reached out and playfully tugged on Saber's ahoge (the cowlick on her head).
"Hey!" Saber swatted her hand away, blushing furiously. "Do not touch the royal hair!"
"So feisty," Lancer teased. "You really need to grow up."
[Chat]:[Lore_Master]: THIS LORE IS INSANE. Multiverse theory confirmed! [History_Nerd]: Wait, so if I summon Napoleon, can I summon a version of him that conquered Russia? Or a version that's really tall? [Gacha_Addict]: "Possibility Summoning." That's the gacha hook. That's how they get you. [Simp_Nation]: I want the Lancer. I need the Lancer. How do I reroll my life? [Maverick_Fan]: Maverick is just standing there like a third wheel on a date.
"Okay," Maverick said, trying to regain control of the situation. "So we have Saber and Lancer. We have a team. Where do we go?"
Ryu checked his map. "The bridge. Fuyuki Bridge is the choke point. If anyone wants to cross from the New City to the Old City, they have to go through us."
"We camp the bridge?" Maverick asked.
"We lock it down," Ryu corrected. "With two Servants, we own that bridge."
"Agreed," Maverick said. He looked at Saber. "You okay with this?"
Saber straightened her armor. She refused to look at Lancer. "I will follow your command, Master. Even if my ally is... distasteful."
"Distasteful?" Lancer laughed. "You wound me, little me."
They piled into the taxi—which was miraculously still waiting.
Inside the cab, the atmosphere was thick. Saber sat in the front. Lancer sat in the back with the two Masters.
"So," Ryu whispered to Maverick. "Be honest. Is your Saber... fun?"
"Fun?" Maverick whispered back. "She's a knight. She's serious. Why?"
Ryu smirked. "My Lancer... she's a handful. She keeps trying to feed me grapes. It's weird."
"Grapes?" Maverick looked at Lancer. She was staring out the window, looking regal and terrifying.
"Yeah," Ryu sighed. "Being a Master is hard work."
[Chat]:[Jealousy]: "She feeds me grapes." I HATE HIM. [Salt_Mine]: REPORT RYU. UNFAIR ADVANTAGE. [Maverick]: Chat, stop reporting him. He's our ally. For now.
The taxi sped toward the bridge. The Fuyuki skyline loomed ahead, dark and ominous.
"Two Artorias," Maverick thought. "And five more out there. This is going to be a long night."
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