9 Trash Luck

Lucas pushed his Master's wheelchair through the cold, empty streets of a town near the Fortress of Millennia. An odd small smile plastered on his face as his dark eyes moved from street to street, alley to alley, noting choke points out of sheer habit before he shook his head and looked up at the starry night sky.

"Far too much of this country is empty land, Mademoiselle. I thought the modern age was lacking for space, it seems it was all empty words like most of what that imbecile you call a comrade spews..." The Dragon Rider paused for a moment, tilting his head, "He is a liability. Will lose his servant before the war even begins if left to his own devices and that is if the fat fuck doesn't eat him. One less to worry about for the final conflict, I suppose."

Fiore smiled politely at the harsh image her servant had drawn up, latching onto the earlier part of his words instead, "But isn't it perfect for our purposes, Rider? Vast open land means we don't need to worry about exposing ourselves to the public and you all can use your noble phantasms without worry."

"You speak truth, I looked at it wrong."

Lucas corrected himself without shame.

"As for Gordes... well... erm..." Fiore scratched her cheek, "I guess Lord Grandfather keeps him around because of the mana batteries he is responsible for."

"So I can dispose of him if I were to learn how it works?"

"You're a magus?"

"Well... I tried to dabble but no, I can not control the amount of magical energy with enough precision for it is too vast." Lucas let out a small laugh, mimicking her action, "It exploded in my face, to be blunt."

"Hm... That's a problem most magi would kill to have." Fiore recoiled in surprise, glancing at the dark corners they passed.

Lucas thought for a moment.

Contrary to popular belief of him being a loner(cause of stupid rumours), he enjoyed a good talk more than most... And it wasn't like he could potentially reveal something that would put him in jeopardy to the girl literally sustaining his existence.

The Dragon Rider tapped his finger against the hilt of his sheathed sword, "This is product of magi though."

"...I thought it was just the sword you used."

"Technically true, I... er... I killed a certain skilled magus hundreds of times before the creepy pest decided to listen and designed a blade forged in dragon fire... Though it can not do anything like Saber's blade or Berserker's Mace."

He referred to the green lightning Frankenstein had called down on training dummies when Caules showcased her capabilities like a fool.

"What can i-...?!"

Lucas suddenly stepped forward, surprising Fiore, leaning on his front foot as he dragged his obsidian sword out of it's sheath making sparks run across the blade's edge before he swung it upwards, releasing a wave of scorching flames that crashed into a rooftop.

"It can channel the raw destructive power of a true dragon..."

The flames dissipated to reveal melted cement and glass.

"Y-You didn't really need to show it..."

"Hmm... it seems I've misjudged your capabilities." Lucas swung his sword again, this time deflecting three knives without calling on his flames, "I thought you competent but it seems you were but a fool in scholar garb."

"E-Eh?"

"We're under attack by an unknown foe... Assassin I would presume." He answered without missing a beat, eyes sporadically moving from point to point, "Shall we retreat?"

"You don't want to fight him?" Fiore asked curiously, putting one hand over the other but staying still, knowing full well that she couldn't do anything at the moment... Moving would make her more of a liability than she already was as a Master on the front line.

"I am no knight. I do not wish to face an unknown foe in such..." The Rider glanced at the few birds flying in the sky that definitely weren't enemy familiars trying to gauge the threat before returning to following the sounds of movement, "'Vast' spaces. A tactical retreat would do us well."

Light taps, probably because the enemy was jumping around them.

Fluctuations in the air, probably from the erratic movement.

Considering he couldn't 'see' the opponent, but his eyes could follow the movement, the invisibility was probably a skill or side effect of the Presence Concealment Skill granted to Assassin class servants.

"Very well." Fiore nodded firmly, "I doubt they could catch up to us."

Lucas deflected another barrage of knives as sparks lit up their dark surroundings before inhaling deeply and stabbing his blade into the cement road under them.

He then proceeded to whir around and release fire all around them, melting through cement and concrete but most importantly, forcing their unknown assailant to back away, giving him enough time to lift his Master in his arms and shoot off in the direction of their base of operations.

...

..

.

"Eh? I think they got away, mother." A scantily clad small girl with short pale hair walked out of the shadows, holding her hands behind her back as she tiptoed over to where Lucas and Fiore had been standing, "We'll get them... next time? I get it, Mother. Should I come back home now?"

What she missed was the small bird looking down at her from the skies.

Or she didn't, considering the creature had a dagger jammed into it right the next instant.

-

"Brace yourself."

Lucas' eyes flashed golden as he turned midair, tightening his grasp around a confused Fiore before they were both launched into the ground by a sudden force, crashing into the Earth hard enough to blow open a crater.

"Hoh? You noticed me comin'?"

"Hard not with that hair... Did you have a train run on you before you decided you wanted to get fucked even harder and came to me?" Lucas growled and looked down at the relatively unharmed girl in his arms... It seemed the sudden impact had knocked her unconscious, "Or was it because Father dear never paid attention so you decided to get some from the guy who fucked your mo-"

Lucas stopped himself, reining in his annoyance by inhaling deeply, "What do you want?"

He decided to go on a walk and the world decided to bend him over a table for it.

"I want your head, 'course. Wouldn't want to let the first day pass with no death would we?" His latest assailant grinned widely, twirling his spear in his hands before resting it against his shoulder, "Besides, you're weak as shit anyway so wouldn't matter all that much to your 'friends'. C'mon, I'll do you a favour. Tell me my name and I'll take it just a tiny bit easier... Since I'm so gracious and all. Should be easy to recognize me."

Lucas looked the man up and down.

Wild green hair shaved on either side, a dated piece of armour with an orange sash tied on it, a huge spear and the most annoying grin he'd seen in a long time...

Yup.

"I have no fucking idea who you are."

"Ehhh... You serious?"

"Yeah no, I don't know. Are you Hercules? No, Hercules wasn't a pansy last I checked."

The green haired man grit his teeth, "I ain't no pansy either!"

"You attacked a 'weak dude' and a crippled girl." Lucas deadpanned at the enemy servant, gesturing at the unconscious Fiore with his thumb.

"..." The man paused, visibly confused, "Am I a pansy?"

Just when it looked like they'd be able to solve things by talking, a barrage of shining projectiles rained onto Lucas, forcing him to draw his blade and try to defend his Master with the weak parameters of a 'human'.

Something he had experience in doing.

Midnight was invulnerable, like most dragons, but the human Lucas Blanc was not.

"Come on, sis! Lemme have some fun!" Not-Hercules complained like a kid.

Lucas could only sigh and fix his cap.

"Of course it's a woman."

Unfortunately for these lot, in death, Lucas Blanc and Midnight were one and the same.

As was originally intended.