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"So," Saber said, crossing her arms. "A temporary alliance. We work together until Caster is dead. But Rider... surely you don't expect us to kill a thousand of these things one by one?"
"Of course not," Rider scoffed, leaning on her spear. "That would be inefficient. And boring."
"Don't be impatient, Saber," Rider continued, tapping the side of her chariot. "During my earlier strafing run, I noticed a pattern. The Columbus horde isn't a chaotic mob. It's a hive mind."
She pointed to the mass of red eyes glowing in the distance.
"Among the grunts, there are 'Captains.' They look slightly different—bigger hats, shinier teeth. And their screams are... distinct."
"Distinct?" Ryu (Lancer's Master) asked.
"Yeah. Instead of just laughing, they screech orders. They act like Queen Bees. If we kill them, the drones lose coordination. They'll scatter and become easy pickings."
Rider held up three fingers.
"I counted three Captains in this sector. But here's the catch: We have to kill them simultaneously."
"Simultaneously?" Maverick asked.
"Yes. I killed one earlier," Rider admitted. "But another one spawned from the horde within sixty seconds to replace it. They have a failsafe. If we don't wipe out the command structure all at once, they'll just regenerate."
"I see," Lancer Alter drawled, looking at Rider with new respect. "You have keen eyes, Rider. For a muscle-head, you're quite observant."
"You flatter me, Lancer," Rider grinned, unfazed by the insult. "So here's the plan. We split up. Each team takes a Captain. We coordinate the kill time. Once the command structure falls, the horde will be paralyzed. Then, we rush the temple and kill Caster."
"Three teams," Maverick nodded. "Five minutes to get into position. Kill on my mark."
"Agreed," Saber said.
"Fine," Lancer Alter sighed. "Let's get this over with."
The three Masters—Maverick, Ryu, and the Gamer Girl—placed their hands in the center of the circle. It was a cheesy, anime-style moment, but with the fate of Fuyuki City at stake, it felt earned.
"Break!"
The teams scattered.
[Chat]:[Hype_Train]: RAID MECHANICS! SIMULTANEOUS BOSS KILL! [Lore_Master]: I love this Rider. She's smart, fast, and strong. Who is she? "Brother Forage"? [Simp_Nation]: Don't call her that! She's a goddess! [Tactician]: This is classic MMO strategy. Split the raid, kill the adds, burn the boss. [KekW]: Look at Maverick. He's trying so hard to keep up with Saber. His stamina bar is flashing red!
The camera followed Maverick and Saber as they raced through the ruined streets of Fuyuki.
Saber didn't have a chariot. She didn't have a horse. She just ran.
But "running" for a Servant was like teleporting for a human. She was a blur of silver and blue, weaving through the wreckage of cars and fallen streetlights.
Maverick, despite his Count of Monte Cristo template buffs, was wheezing.
"Master," Saber called back without slowing down. "Are you alright?"
"I'm... huff... fine!" Maverick lied, clutching a stitch in his side. "Just... keeping... pace!"
They turned a corner and ran straight into a wall of muscle.
Hundreds of Mass-Produced Columbus blocked the street. And in the center, standing on top of a pile of looted vending machines, was a Captain.
This one was huge—eight feet tall, with a captain's hat that glowed with magical energy.
"COLUMBUS! COLUMBUS! COLUMBUS!" the Captain screeched.
"COLUMBUS!" the horde chanted back.
"It sounds like a Pokémon," Maverick muttered, checking his watch. "Two minutes to the mark. Saber, clear a path!"
"Understood!"
Saber didn't stop. She accelerated.
"Mana Burst!"
Blue magical energy exploded from her armor. It acted like a jet engine, propelling her forward with terrifying force.
She slammed into the front line of the horde. It wasn't a fight; it was a massacre.
Her invisible sword was a whirlwind of death. Every swing sent three or four clones flying, dissolving into golden dust before they hit the ground. She was a golden comet cutting through a dark tide.
Maverick watched from the cover of a mailbox, his jaw dropping.
"She's... she's incredible," he whispered.
He had been worried that Rider was the strongest. But watching Saber tear through an army single-handedly... he realized why she was the King of Knights.
Saber reached the base of the vending machine pile.
The Captain looked down, panic flashing in his wide, manic eyes.
"COLUMBUS!" he screamed, pointing at her.
The horde surged forward, throwing themselves onto Saber in a tidal wave of bodies. They formed a literal wall of flesh to protect their leader.
"You think numbers can stop me?" Saber roared.
She planted her feet. She gripped her sword with both hands.
The air around her began to scream. The invisible wind of her sword compressed, tighter and tighter, until it formed a drill of pressurized air.
"Strike Air!"
She didn't slash. She thrust.
The blast of wind punched a hole straight through the wall of bodies. It was like a railgun shot made of air. The clones in the path were vaporized instantly.
The blast continued, hitting the Captain square in the chest.
He didn't even have time to scream. He dissolved into gold dust, his hat spinning in the empty air before vanishing.
[TARGET ELIMINATED]
Around them, the horde froze. The light in their red eyes flickered and died. They stopped attacking. They stopped chanting. They just stood there, drooling, aimless and confused.
The Hive Mind was broken.
Saber stood amidst the dissipating dust, her armor shining. She turned to Maverick.
"Target secured, Master."
She looked at him. He was leaning against the mailbox, looking pale and exhausted. The mana drain from her Mana Burst had taken a toll on him too.
"Master," Saber said softly. She walked over to him.
Before Maverick could protest, she swept her arm under his knees and another around his back.
She lifted him effortlessly into a princess carry.
"W-What?!" Maverick yelped, his face flushing bright red. "Saber! Put me down!"
"Do not move, Master," Saber said seriously, her face close to his. "You are exhausted. This is the most efficient method of transport. We must rendezvous with the others at the temple."
"But... my dignity!" Maverick squeaked.
"Dignity is secondary to survival," Saber stated. "Hold on."
She leaped.
She bounded over the rooftops, carrying Maverick like a bride. Maverick, realizing resistance was futile (and that his stamina bar was empty), sighed and rested his head against her armored shoulder.
It was... surprisingly comfortable.
[Chat]:[KekW]: PRINCESS CARRY! [Simp_Nation]: IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME! NOT HIM! [Lancelot_Hater]: Lancelot is punching the air right now. [Romance_Dawn]: This ship has sailed. It has left the harbor. It is crossing the ocean. [Mav_Fan]: Maverick looks so small in her arms. It's adorable.
...
Location: Ryuudou Temple Courtyard.
Ashiya Douman sat in a meditative pose, floating a few inches off the ground. He was humming a disturbing, atonal tune.
"Kusu kusu kusu... Yi ya ya ya ya~"
Suddenly, he stopped. His eyes snapped open.
"What is it, Douman?" Kevin (his Master) asked, looking up from his phone.
Douman's smile faltered. For the first time, he looked genuinely unsettled.
"My dear Master," Douman whispered, his voice losing its playful edge. "I think... I think I may have messed up."
"Huh?" Kevin blinked. "What do you mean?"
"The Captains," Douman hissed. "All three of them. Eliminated. Simultaneously."
He stood up, looking toward the city below.
"The horde is broken. And three massive magical signatures are approaching the mountain at high speed. Saber. Lancer. Rider."
He paused, sniffing the air.
"And another one... something dark... has already breached the perimeter."
Kevin paled. "Wait. You said we were safe! You said the army was invincible!"
"I lied!" Douman giggled nervously. "Kukukuku! War is unpredictable!"
He grabbed Kevin by the collar.
"We need to fortify! NOW!"
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