Chapter thirty three- The First Servant to Fall

"Quite a noisy night, isn't it?" Noah poured himself a glass of champagne. He turned to the large window across the apartment living room, admiring the view through the bubbly golden liquid. He looked to his pink haired master, who was busy on the phone. The mage smiled and laughed, answering the person with a heartfelt, 'I'm glad'. A few moments later he said his goodbyes and hung up. Rider walked over, "How's she doing?"

Muu sighed, the happiness in his tone fading somewhat as he was reminded of their reality, "She's doing better, actually."

Rider nodded once, "That's good to hear."

"So," Muu changed the subject, "what's going on out there?"

"It seems to be Berserker and Lancer versus Assassin and Archer. I don't believe it's necessary we intervene." Rider reported, becoming serious again.

"Hm..." Muu leaned back in the leather computer chair he was sitting on behind his desk. "So it's that Hakuryuu kid from before, right? And Al-Thamen's kid...Judar, was it?"

"Yes."

"Poor kids... They shouldn't be a part of something like this. Saber's master, Alibaba, either."

"Everything about this war is preposterous," Noah spoke bitterly.

"Would you abandon it if you could?"

"Of course. It's not in my nature to fight like this."

"You seem to enjoy it, though," Muu raised his head and looked over to the servant. "Like in your fight with Caster and Archer not too long ago."

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Rider shrugged, "I do enjoy the competition, but bloody slaughter is against my ways..." He looked back to the window and shook his head, "Tonight will be a decisive event...I'm sure of it."

~

As Hyde fought Gilgamesh and Lancer fought Assassin, Hakuryuu, Judar, and Jekyll were devising a plan to kill either Archer or Assassin, and what to do about Hyde.

"I think the only way to get Berserker back to normal is to kill Assassin," Hakuryuu spoke, hand on his chin as he thought.

"But...I don't want to be back with him." Jekyll spoke. "I'm finally free of him."

"Too bad," Judar said, hands on his hips. "We don't have an option. Unless you plan on dying with him tonight and leaving me servantless, which is not happening."

Hakuryuu nodded a bit, "That is another option. There's probably time to summon another Berserker if yours dies."

"H-Hey, you're joking, right?" Jekyll stammered. "I just want..."

"C'mon, Jekyll! Get your shit together already." Judar grew angry, raising his voice. "This isn't about you. You're just here to fight for me. Don't want to? Don't. You're replaceable. There are tons of psychos out there fit to take your place."

"I-I can't fight on my own..."

"Have you ever tried?" Hakuryuu spoke in a much nicer tone.

"Well, no..." Jekyll admitted.

"Then come on! Show us what you got!" Judar urged him.

"I think I'd be more suited for support magic," Jekyll spoke. He seemed more confident now, his wounds forgotten.

"Then Judar and I will lead the attack, you stay back and support us," Hakuryuu decided.

"Who're we going after?" Judar asked.

"Assassin, of course." Hakuryuu looked over Judar's shoulder, "It seems Lancer's having a hard time, let's go."

The pair ran at Assasin, Judar preparing a handful of gems while Hakuryuu shouted, 'Zaug Mobarezo!' Sending several wooden dragons in the servant's direction.

Lancer heard this, backing up just in time for the dragons -teamed with crushed gem shards turning into 'Thalg Thalgeyya'- to attack Assassin clearly, the redheaded servant utterly surprised.

Assassin's eyes widened at the incoming attack. She raised her arms to cover her head, deciding to take it head on, and closed her eyes as the wood and ice dragons bit and tore at her arms and legs, taking chunks of flesh with them as they passed by. A few moments later, the dragons dissipated, the ice melting and the wood turning to ash behind the servant.

The female servant looked her wounds over, sighing and calling to the sky, "Hey, Master, can I get a hand here?!" Nothing happened for several moments, Hakuryuu and Judar watching the bleeding servant with raised eyebrows. But suddenly, her entire body glowed red, magical energy swirling around her. Once it cleared, Assassin's wounds vanished, the tears in the fabric of her clothing gone.

"What the hell?" Judar frowned, palmful of gems at the ready.

"Her master is Ja'far, the Overseer, right?" Hakuryuu asked, glancing to Judar, just as stunned. "Is he...cheating?"

"It's not cheating," Assassin smirked. "Unlike your artificial master there, my master has limited Command Seals... You know they can be used for things other than orders, don't you~?" Her voice was laced in silk and venom. She raised her poisoned daggers.

Neither teen had considered that. Judar looked to his blue eyed partner, "Now what?"

Hakuryuu kept his gaze on the servant before them, speaking in hushed tones, "I'll lead the next attack, back me up if I need it, alright?"

Judar nodded, "Got it." He glanced around for Lancer, finding the male servant protecting Jekyll from Hyde and Gilgamesh, whose fight was getting rather violent- if it wasn't before. He turned back to watch Hakuryuu charge Assassin, preparing himself for a counter-attack if needed.

As Hakuryuu neared Assassin, he raised his hand, attempting her hit her with his palm while shouting, "Belior Goldoreza!"

Time seemed to slow as Assassin ducked at the last second, bending backwards. She dropped her daggers, tossing them out of the way and pulling her Noble Phantasm daggers out. She smirked and stabbed them into Hakuryuu's exposed stomach, craning her head to the side to avoid whatever spell he'd cast on his palm. Smugly, she spoke , "Zabaniya: Mirror Image."

Judar's eyes widened, and he yelled, "Hakuryuu!" He growled as Assassin removed her blood-covered daggers from the teen's abdomen. Judar crushed the gems in his hand and ran at Assassin, casting 'Thalg Al-Salos' on the shards as he threw them.

Hakuryuu's body fell limp to the ground, and Assassin swiftly dodged all of Judar's attacks. Laughing, Assassin jumped several yards backwards, landing in a couched position to watch everything play out.

Judar cursed and ran over to Hakuryuu, letting Assassin escape to wherever. "Hakuryuu!" He stumbled to the other's side just in time to see the Command Seals fade from his right hand. His eyes darted up at the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Master!" Lancer gasped, running over with Jekyll. Hakuryuu wasn't even bleeding, the dagger didn't even leave a mark. It was as if the life had been sucked out of him, his skin already pale and lifeless in Judar's lap.

"Dammit..." Judar slouched over Hakuryuu's body, rage slowly taking place of sadness. He raised his head, cold, red, eyes landing on Assassin crouching smugly several yards away. He tightened his grip on Hakuryuu's body, then placed him on the ground gently. Without a word to Lancer or Jekyll, he charged at Assassin, ice blue gems at the ready.

Once he neared her, he crushed the gems and hardened them into ice around his hands, creating large ice spikes he could use as melee weapons. "What did you do?!" Judar growled, hacking and slashing at Assassin, who could barely avoid his attacks.

"Whaddya think, kid? That's exactly what my Noble Phantasm's supposed to do!" Assassin smiled, the turned up corners of her lips the only indicator behind her mask. She gasped as Judar landed a hit on her, the cut becoming coated in ice on contact, "Woah, there! You're angry, aren't you?" She didn't get a reply, but instead another slash across her arm. "Ow..."

Realizing Judar was serious, Assassin drew a new set of poisoned daggers, her other ones still where she'd left them before. She attempted to counter his next attack, but was stopped as Judar's left ice-covered hand changed shape from a spike to a chain, wrapping around Assassin's dagger and flinging it aside.

"H-Hey, where'd you learn that, kid?!" Assassin jumped away from another attack, this time an axe made of ice attached to the teen's hand. He might actually... "Master!" She called, hoping for Ja'far's assistance in the shape of another Command Seal.

Assassin, I can't keep using Command Seals like this. You can fight on your own.

Ja'far's answer rang in Assassin's head, making her scowl. She hissed back, If this keeps up you won't have a servant. She heard a reluctant sigh, before she was granted super-speed thanks to Ja'far's second Command Seal. Now she had no trouble dodging all of Judar's attacks.

But Judar didn't stop. He continued to swing- hit after hit after hit missing. Judar only grew more angry- making him start to understand how Gilgamesh felt with Hyde nearby. Stumped on what else to do, Judar stuck his foot into Assassin's path, causing her to trip as she zoomed past.

In that one moment of weakness, Judar changed his weapons into ice swords, stabbing both directly into Assassin's abdomen. The servant tried to split -her special ability- but was stopped abruptly as Judar trusted the ice-blades upwards, causing her to gasp and cough up blood.

Judar let the ice melt from his hands and he backed away, watching the servant fall to her knees. He knew Ja'far couldn't heal her. Without at least one seal, a master can't control their servant. What would be the point if she wasn't his servant anymore?

As Assassin slowly died, a black smoke began to surround her. She began fading away, starting at her feet. She laughed weakly, "M-My death might save your servant, but not your boyfriend, kid." Her laughter grew louder, gaining the attention of the other present servants. "I still win!" Mere moments later Assassin's laughter faded along with her body, leaving nothing -not even her discarded daggers- behind.

Gilgamesh stopped his barrage of swords to watch Assassin's final moments, his expression flat and unreadable. Once she was gone, his gaze fell to Hyde, who was growling in pain.

"No..." Hyde fought to keep his body in place as it drew nearer to Jekyll's, who was also being drawn towards the crazed servant. "Not again... No!!" Their screams of pain sounded distant and broken as their souls fused back together, a single servant lying on the ground in their wake.

It was Jekyll who woke up in charge, and who rushed over to Judar with no regards for himself, "Judar, are you alright?!"

Judar didn't fight the heaviness of his body, letting himself fall onto Jekyll just feet away from Hakuryuu's body. It was clear the red eyed master had used far too much mana at once, and his magic circuits were killing him. "Ryuu..." He looked at the other teen, utterly heartbroken. His only friend...de-

"I think I can help him," Jekyll suddenly spoke, sitting Judar down properly and moving over to Hakuryuu. Lancer was still nearby, for whatever reason it seemed the Grail hadn't called him back. Maybe it knew Berserker could help? "While Hyde's power is of complete destruction, I'm beginning to believe mine is of complete reparation..." Jekyll placed his hands over Hakuryuu's chest, praying deeply that it would work. "My Noble Phantasm...the Cure of Jekyll!" A light green glow came from his hands, and seemed to float down to Hakuryuu's body like leaves in the wind, slowly coating the teen's limp body in a green mist.

Ever so slowly, the color began returning to Hakuryuu's cheeks, his limbs beginning to twitch. The teen coughed, blinking his eyes open to see the starry black sky above. Hakuryuu sat up carefully, instantly tackled into a hug by Judar.

"Hakuryuu!! I thought you died!"

"J-Judar...?" Hakuryuu tried to look around despite being smothered by the other master. He raised his right hand, flexing it and watching as his three Command Seals reappeared. "Was I...dead?"

"For a few minutes, you were, Master," Lancer nodded. "Dr.Jekyll saved you using his Noble Phantasm."

"Oh...I see." Hakuryuu looked to Jekyll. He tried to find Hyde, but couldn't, "You and Hyde are one again? How?"

"Judar killed Assassin," Jekyll informed.

"And it seems Archer has left," Lancer added, nodding to the empty lamppost the golden servant once stood upon.

"Good, I'm tired..." Judar let out a relieved sigh. "Might need more magic healing, Ryuu. Or Jek, even." He smirked weakly before passing out, leaving the three others in a panic.

~