[FDJ] Chapter 8: Defeating Rider
Without any warning, chains bypassed the guards and wrapped around the skull of a skeletal cavalryman standing behind Rider's elephant-like mount.
The piercing sound of metal friction broke the last moments of tranquility in the "night." On the bridge of Fuyuki City, all skeletal soldiers turned their attention to their comrade entangled in the chains.
The chains twisted and broke the bone connecting the head and neck, scattering previously connected skeletal remains. A purple-haired woman cloaked in a cape leaped from the highest point on the bridge. Guided by the chains, she instantly infiltrated Rider's guard.
The skeletal elephant stood up, emitting a thunderous roar that caused the Fuyuki Bridge to tremble. Rider, who had been in a semi-dormant state, opened his eyes, and his crimson gaze swept toward the opposing Servant that appeared in his sight. Having experienced two defeats in this city, he would not allow such a thing to occur again. Moreover, this time he was not facing a swordsman who could continuously launch Noble Phantasms.
"Roar!"
The elephant sensed that the fiery battle rage ignited within the corpse of its rider. It lifted its forelegs and brandished a pair of gigantic ivory swords, charging towards the location where the enemy had appeared.
The scythe swept horizontally, severing seven skeletal guards that did not attempt to evade. These advanced familiars with undead properties had a chance of resurrecting and continuing the fight, but they showed no signs of revival.
Even if they could resurrect, this would be meaningless. Rider completely disregarded his guards. The elephant destroyed the object standing between the two Servants. The bridge surface, plowed over by ivory, emitted a miserable sound, and the concrete road was completely damaged. Rider made no distinction between friends and foes.
Lancer evaded Rider's blatant charges. She stood on the bridge railing, ignoring the perilous situation she was in, as her scythe pointed towards the roaring Rider.
Half of the skeletal soldiers and guards, shattered by the elephant, were resurrected. The irrational Rider does not contemplate the reason for this. If he were still capable of thinking, he would understand that the scythe held by the intruding Servant was extraordinary, possessing a targeted attribute that could break through immortality.
Normal Servants would not engage in battles with an adversary who has unfavorable compatibility without any preparation. However, Rider did not realize that he was stepping into quagmire.
Lancer moved swiftly through the chaotic army of skeletons. The soldiers' blades and spears could not touch the agile female servant. Instead, the enraged Rider commanded his massive war elephant to continue trampling undeceased forces.
The gilded bronze giant axe slammed onto the bridge railing and shattered the fragile steel bars. Although he had lost his sanity, Rider's current display of power was three times stronger than what Lancer witnessed a month ago. Perhaps this Rider Servant was more suited as a berserker.
Chains wrapped around the wrist of another skeletal cavalryman a short distance away. In a ghostly manner, Lancer instantly circled behind Rider, and her scythe effortlessly crushed the skeletal cavalryman before touching the ground. Her scythe proved to be more effective against these undead creatures than she anticipated.
Suzuki and Shinji carefully observed the battle on a bridge on the top floor of a high-rise building across the bridge. Shinji found his Servant somewhat strange. She seemed stronger than when she was defeated and killed a month ago, particularly in terms of speed, which made it difficult for him to see clearly.
"It seems like that Rider, who only knows how to roar, can catch up to Lancer," Shinji hesitated on whether to use a Command Seal. He maintained three Command Seals from the beginning and firmly intended to keep one for a critical moment.
"'Anthanaton Ten Thousand'! There's no mistake. The Servant with the Rider class is none other than the last king of the Persian Empire, Darius III!"
"What? Suzuki-kun, do you know that Servant?" Shinji, who had experienced the Holy Grail War, still did not know Rider's true name, and he had very little information on the other servants.
In reality, Yuki Suzuki recognized the giant war elephant and Rider's fully gilded attire from a distance of kilometers. It immediately reminded him of the related memories—the double-horned crown, the naturally burning green flames. These characteristics, along with the numerous skeletal soldiers guarding him, perfectly matched the description of that Servant in the records.
The only difference is the class.
"In Chaldea's database, there are records of many Servants. Darius III has appeared multiple times in pseudo-Holy Grail Wars, and his profile even includes a front-facing photograph. There is no mistake, the Servant with the Rider class must be Darius III. Although I don't know why he exists in the form of a Rider class."
Yuki Suzuki's recollection of these memories gradually became clearer, including the specific attributes of Darius III. In terms of combat strength, he was a considerably powerful Servant. If he had not known from the beginning that the opposing Servant was of the Rider class, he would not have waited until now to inform Shinji.
Shinji immediately relayed the information that Yuki Suzuki "remembered" to Lancer, who was on the bridge. She was currently facing the second charge of Rider, Darius III.
Before hearing Shinji's relayed information, Lancer reveals a set of hidden chains at the top of the bridge. Using the chains to pull herself, she barely managed to dodge Rider's unstoppable charges.
The giant skeletal war elephant crashed through the road, shattering the surface originally meant for pedestrians, causing the entire bridge to shake once again.
Unable to utilize the advantages of his physique and strength, Rider, consumed by rage, let out a roar that shook the steel structure of the bridge. In his eyes, there was only the purple-haired Servant standing at the highest point. The outcome of their battle could be decided with a single strike, but unfortunately, Rider could not land a hit on Lancer, who kept evading it.
Caster had already arrived near the bridge and, through other familiars he had sent ahead, observed the situation of the two Servants' battle. Unable to use Noble Phantasms and having lost his sanity, the Black Rider, despite being a king and possessing terrifying crushing power, could not land a single blow on Lancer. On the other hand, Lancer wields a scythe that is effective against undead monsters. Any skeletal soldier attempting to intercept her would be cleaved into one strike. Unless Lancer makes a fatal mistake, the outcome of the battle will not change.
Lancer employs the same strategy, targeting the skeletal cavalry or guards around Rider with her chains, easily getting close to attracting Rider's attacks. She would then use additional chains set up on the bridge to quickly escape. This pattern was repeated seven times, and Lancer always managed to set up escape chains in advance and ensure that she was not touched by Rider, even once.
The central part of the bridge was devastated by Rider's continuous charges, and the number of soldiers guarding him decreased rapidly. Both battling Servants posed a deadly threat to these summoned entities, and getting close to them would result in being crushed by the elephant's trample or being eliminated by the scythe.
During the eighth charge, the road finally collapsed under strain, causing Rider to lose balance and fall into the crevice along with the giant elephant. Moreover, because of the enormous size of the elephant beneath Rider, its skeletal frame and long ivory tusks become stuck in the crevice.
Lancer, who had been waiting for this opportunity, and with most of the guards around Rider already eliminated by both of them, swiftly rushed towards the off-balance Rider. The dim blade of her scythe suddenly flashed with a crimson light.
"Harpe, the Slaughterer of the Undying."
The red light, like a venomous snake gnawing at bones, reached Rider's front, but at that moment, Rider strangely regained balance and counterattacked Lancer, who was charging towards him, with his two massive axes.
The clash between the scythe and axes produced even more dazzling sparks, but it was only a close-range confrontation.
Lancer was knocked off the elephant's back by the recoil force, and the gilded axe blade fell beside her feet. The Persian king on top of the elephant slowly lowered his right hand, and only the axe handle remained, falling into the gaps of the bridge.
The black filth gradually faded from the face of Rider, Darius III. A fatal wound cut across his chest, impeccable in its lethality. If he could have commanded his army, he would not have been defeated by Lancer, who was initially considered a minor enemy.
"..."
Without uttering a word, he continued to face his enemy until he fell while still looking directly at her. With the ability to fight, even while injured, he could have continued the battle against Lancer, who was also wounded, using the remaining axe in his hand, aiming for a mutually destructive outcome. However, having already suffered defeat twice at the hands of Saber, he had long lost the desire to continue fighting. Since there were still other Servants who wanted to carry on this meaningless Holy Grail War, he decided to leave the opportunity to someone else.
The towering king and ten thousand undead soldiers under his command dissipated into specks of magical light, briefly illuminating the banks of the not-so-distant river.
"We won! Suzuki-kun, we won!" Shinji exclaimed excitedly upon seeing that Rider finally disappeared. It was likely the first time he had defeated an enemy Servant since participating in the Holy Grail War, completely oblivious to the danger his own injured Servant was in as she lay on the ground.
"Lancer has also been injured. Let's hurry over to help her," Suzuki instinctively realized that treating their injured ally was a hundred times more important than celebrating victory. To ensure their safety, the tall building where they were hiding was more than 800 meters away from the bridge in a straight line. If another Servant approached and they hadn't reached the bridge yet, they could lose Lancer.
Caster was the Servant that Yuki Suzuki was worried about, but fortunately, he adhered to the nominal alliance agreement and disdained to ambush a woman who had just experienced a fierce battle. However, just because Caster did not have such thoughts about taking advantage of the situation did not mean that others did not. Upon receiving the information of Rider's retreat, Archer once again entered Caster's surveillance range, and with Archer's speed, Lancer and her group might not be able to leave the battlefield in time.
Ignoring the warning from the demon from earlier, Caster ordered his familiar to closely follow Archer and rushed in Archer's direction himself. The temptation of the Holy Grail was far more memorable than any other warning.
On the bridge, it took Lancer half a minute to stand up. Her legs, which were injured and damaged by Archer's long-range sniping, acted up again. Moreover, she had no strength in her hand. At this critical moment, Rider seemed to have used a certain skill, allowing him to counterattack. Lancer's Noble Phantasm severed the blocking giant axes and shattered Rider's core with a single slash. However, as a cost, Lancer was brutally struck by Rider, equivalent to taking a direct hit from him with the axe. It was lucky that she wasn't seriously injured.
In any case, the bridge leading to the old city area was cleared. Perhaps, they could seize the Holy Grail from the hands of the original victor. Lancers could not help but feel grateful for the information provided by Suzuki. "Rider's true name is Darius III. He has high strength and endurance, but low magic power and luck. If my Noble Phantasm can hit the vital point, it can kill him in one blow."
=====================
Check My Other Work: Shinji Matou At Your Service