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[h1][i][color=#0EB94D]Lancer[/color][/i][/h1]
Dɪᴀʟᴏɢᴜᴇ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ✦ [color=#0EB94D]#0EB94D[/color] [color=#FFFA90]||[/color] Tʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ✧ [color=#FFFA90]#FFFA90[/color]
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Lancer sighed. She'd been hoping to avoid a direct confrontation so early on, when she still didn't know anything about her enemies, but if her Master insisted, then she'd have no choice but to do as she'd been ordered. She gazed down from the rooftop as the smoke that had clouded the battlefield began to disperse, leaving two figures standing battered but unbowed at the center of a large crater. One appeared to be some kind of Witch, and the other was a blood-soaked woman in strange attire that Lancer didn't recognize. Were they both Heroic Spirits? The Witch certainly more looked the part, but she didn't seem to have been the one fighting, which was quite peculiar.

On paper, this looked like a perfect opportunity to attack. At least one of her enemies was severely wounded, and the other seemed exhausted. With her speed and power, she could hypothetically dispose of both of them without much difficulty. But, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that moving recklessly would only be her own undoing. Up until a moment ago, there had been a battle going on inside that cloud, but now, the two people who'd emerged appeared to be allies. Aside from that, she'd seen something fired into the smoke, and neither of these two seemed as though their wounds had been inflicted by a projectile. That meant that there was at least one more Servant in the area, if not more, and that one of them was, more likely than not, allied with the two figures in the area. Even if they hadn't intended it, the two wounded combatants had become the bait in a quite enticing snare. But Lancer wouldn't allow herself to be blindsided by such obvious treachery. She wouldn't risk losing the one she served through another underhanded trick...!

Even without taking the other Servants into account, however, there was no reason to be hesitant when one was on the verge of death. If she pushed the attack, then she'd be immediately struck by the wounded Servant's Noble Phantasm. Without any idea how it functioned, or how the attack would be delivered, she'd have no choice but to trust to blind luck to survive. Even if fortune was on her side, which wasn't guaranteed, she likely wouldn't escape unscathed. At that point, her advantages would be negated, and she'd be faced with a straightforward battle. Even without the intervention of other Heroic Spirits, it wasn't certain that she would win.

In that case, she'd rather err on the side of caution. Even if it meant letting one enemy escape for today, it might give her valuable knowledge of her enemies' capabilities to simply investigate without committing fully to a fight. If she made her own presence known, but didn't approach any further than she had to, it was possible that the unseen supporter of this injured fighter might deign to show himself, and at that point, she more than trusted in her ability to counterattack.

[color=#0EB94D]"If this is the foe you wish me to face, then so be it. However, I have but one request, and a word of warning."[/color] She stared her Master gravely in the eye. Even if she phrased it as a suggestion, it was obvious that she meant her words as an order to be obeyed. [color=#0EB94D]"There are likely yet other Servants in the area, but I don't see their Masters anywhere. Until such time as they reveal themselves, let us stick to their example. Allow me to fight in your place, and demonstrate for you what I am capable of. After all, you yourself said you didn't want to fall prey to an assassin so quickly as this, did you not?"[/color]

Whether or not he heeded her words was up to him. Even if he did decide to join the fight, she was certain she could protect him... But things would be easier if she didn't have to worry about having to use [i]that.[/i] So, giving an elegant bow, she hopped gingerly backward, shouldering her spear as she fell over the edge of the rooftop and began to plummet downward. Giving a slight twitch in midair, she bounced seemingly off of nothing and flipped head-over-heels, soaring gracefully into the night, and towards the battlefield...

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[h1][i][color=#8AB8E6]Mira Grace[/color][/i][/h1]
Dɪᴀʟᴏɢᴜᴇ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ✦ [color=#8AB8E6]#8AB8E6[/color] [color=#ebb40e]||[/color] Tʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ✧ [color=#EBB40E]#EBB40E[/color]
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As the smoke cleared, releasing its choking grip on her lungs, Mira coughed, taking air in heaving gasps. She rubbed her eyes, trying to get a view of her target. A view... what had been obstructing her view in the first place? No matter. Her breath was returning, and the enemy was nowhere to be seen. She'd seen some kind of flash through the eyes of her familiars, just before her curse could connect... And... was that ice? A barrier? Impossible! To think that her strongest curse had been turned aside so easily... Even if she'd cast it hastily, the amount of Prana it would take to stop her bloody needle in its tracks was immense... There hadn't been time to recite any lengthy incantation or make any preparations, which meant... it had been effortlessly stopped in its tracks by a single action?! To think that such prodigious magecraft could even exist within the modern world, that a modern mage could exceed her own power without even exerting herself... it was unthinkable! Impossible! There must have been some sort of mistake. Had this been the work of some sort of tool or artifact she hadn't counted on? But what if it wasn't? What if the enemy Master was simply that far above her own level? The outside truly was terrifying...

But there was no time to worry about that. The unseen Servant had fled without a trace, its attempted murder having failed. In that case, they couldn't afford to stay any longer, either. They had to get to neutral territory, quickly, before anyone else could attack them!

[color=#8AB8E6]"S-Saber!"[/color] Mira called, rushing to her Servant's side as her vision cleared. She reached out her arms to support her without thinking, too scared of her enemies to be afraid of her own protector and guardian. [color=#8AB8E6]"I wasn't hurt, no... B-but more importantly than that, are you alright?"[/color] Even though she'd tried fixing her Servant's injuries, there was a lingering influence that resisted her every effort. As a master of curses herself, its nature was obvious to her - but its form and scale were both utterly incomprehensible to her. Having burned so much Prana trying to attack the enemy Magus, it was difficult for her to make any progress beyond closing Saber's wounds on the surface. This would do little more than ease her pain a bit, however, since the inside of her body was still struggling to contain the curse... If they had to fight again, then-

Metal clacked against metal as two hands clapped together in applause from directly behind the Witch. Mira spun, her eyes taking a moment to refocus in the moonlight before the figure standing there, on the brink of the crater, became clearer to her.

The woman's golden hair fluttered in the breeze, glistening like gold beneath the light of the crescent moon hanging in the sky behind her. She was clad hear to foot in matching hues, her arms and armor as radiant as the dawn. Her skin was milky white, and her eyes as bright as emeralds. Just by standing there, it was as if the world around her seemed dimmer by comparison, drowned out as everything was by her own radiance. She was more like a doll, or a statue, or a work of art than she was like a Human being - an impossible, peerless beauty the likes of which Mira could only compare to the heroines of her storybooks. There was no doubt, then, this woman was... An enemy Servant! But how? Her flock had been circling the area the entire time! How hadn't she noticed her until she had already landed? Could it be that she'd simply been moving so fast that the eyes of the Witch's familiars couldn't even see her?! Then that meant... was she as fast as Rider?!

Lancer smirked to herself, finishing her round of applause and giving a respectful, elegant bow, flourishing her sleek, long-bladed spear as she did so. The tip planted itself in the dirt with an audible snap, and she leaned casually against it, crossing her legs one over the other. [color=#0EB94D]"A splendid show, a splendid show indeed! Saber, is it? Judging by your words just now, and your current, unenviable condition, allow me to venture a guess at the happenings of this spectacle."[/color] She placed a fingertip theatrically to her chin in an obvious gesture of contemplation, before pounding her fist within her open palm. [color=#0EB94D]"Ah, I know! You endured another Servant's Noble Phantasm to protect your Master, didn't you? Truly, such selfless loyalty does you credit, Servant of the Sword!"[/color] Once more she applauded, her grin growing wider.

Of course, even if they were enemies, and even though nothing save her own precaution was preventing Lancer from trying to take Saber's life right now, she nevertheless meant every word she said. That selfless dedication to preserving her Master's life... it was exactly the same devotion she herself lived for. Her respect for this other Servant was thus meant entirely in earnest. However, her words also had a hidden meaning. She knew that Saber was entirely spent, and had just sustained an injury that would cripple her fighting abilities. Her praise was thus, at the same time, an acknowledgement of the fact that as they were now, she held every advantage.

Now that she'd made it clear exactly where they stood, however, she wasn't planning on making the first move, or even obstructing the other Servant's path. Indeed, her position was tenuous now, and she knew it... Already, she was likely being targeted by the remaining Servant, and if she showed hostility towards Saber, then she'd have two enemies to face instead of one. However, although she appeared to be simply lazing about without a care in the world, in fact, she was keeping a close watch out for any further attacks that might be launched, either towards her or towards the Servant in the crater. Between her speed, her preparation, and her resilience to such attacks, there was no doubt in her mind. The moment this unseen ranged assailant took the bait, she'd be able to defend herself, then chase him down before he could escape and go into hiding again. And, if he didn't, then if nothing else, she might at least be able to learn some of Saber's abilities by feinting an attack and then withdrawing in order to bait out her Noble Phantasm...

Mira's heart sank. This Servant had been listening to their conversation, which meant she knew exactly what sort of condition Saber was in. If she tried to attack them, then it would be all over. She'd have no choice but to use a Command Seal to retreat to her manor. It was a valuable thing to waste, but if it was a choice between either that or certain death...

[color=#8AB8E6]"You're Lancer, then,"[/color] She murmured, hiding a grimace as she hung her head. The enemy really was all around her, just waiting for the chance to strike. If only she'd stayed home and sent a familiar in her place! This was all her fault... It was her fault Saber was injured, because she'd been careless enough to trust the words of an enemy Master who was only trying to deceive her...!

[color=#0EB94D]"What makes you say that? I could be any number of things! Maybe I'm just a Caster with the good sense to armor myself before a battle?"[/color] She raised a gauntleted hand, as if admiring the craftsmanship of her own attire, before giving a quiet giggle. [color=#0EB94D]"Ooh! I know! I might even be Berserker!"[/color] She hopped away from her planted spear, raising both hands above her head and curling her fingers like claws. [color=#0EB94D]"Rawr! Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawr!"[/color] She growled quite enthusiastically. Mira bit her lip. She was being mocked by this annoyingly smug woman...! Lancer didn't seem to notice the young Witch's mounting anger, as she craned her head over one shoulder, cupping a hand over her mouth and giving a very painfully audible stage whisper. [color=#0EB94D]"Master, I think I've managed to fool them!"[/color]

[color=#8AB8E6]"Your tricks aren't fooling anyone!"[/color] Mira interjected, cutting her off with a yell that managed to be quite forceful despite the fact that her voice was on the verge of breaking. [color=#8AB8E6]"For one thing, we already fought Berserker, and you're far too fast to be a Caster! There's only one kind of Servant that matches your description, and you know it, Lancer!"[/color]

[color=#0EB94D]"Spoilsport,"[/color] Lancer sighed, reaching out and snatching up her spear with the air of a disappointed child gathering up her toys and going home. [color=#0EB94D]"Well, whatever. Well, then, Master of Saber, what will it be? Don't tell me you're going to have that beaten up Servant of yours fight me. You should have realized by now that you don't stand a-"[/color] She shouldered her weapon and took a step forward, her smirk broadening. That is, until something snapped beneath her leg. Was that... a string? No, a hair? Lancer's eyes went wide, and she immediately backpedaled on instinct as for a split second, a creeping numbness ran up the offending limb, as if it had turned suddenly to wood. She gazed down incredulously, as even though the curse was purged from her system a moment later, the fact that it had even had an effect on her at all was nigh unbelievable. And on top of that, not even she had even noticed it was there! Just how careless could she be?

[center][b]Magic Resistance: A[/b][/center]

Mira's hopes rose in an instant as the approaching Servant stepped right onto the patch of ground she'd cursed earlier in her fight, triggering one of the many taut hairs she'd stretched like wires around the area. In an instant, the curse backed by a full aria she'd recited in her head poured into the Servant's body... And then was immediately banished, a moment later. Of course, she'd been a fool to expect that something like that would protect her from a member of one of the three Knight classes, especially since she'd been diverting so much of her energy to Saber at the time she'd cast the spell. Even so, Lancer gave a nervous laugh that gave way to an admiring whistle. [color=#0EB94D]"Well, now that's just downright frightful. Don't tell me you knew I was coming?"[/color] She laughed it off, but didn't approach any further, her eyes darting back and forth across the clearing. So, there were traps, possibly everywhere around the area... That must have been why the other Servants had retreated. Damn. Now she really couldn't afford to get any closer, since even with her level of Magic Resistance, dealing with curses like this would only serve to distract her from her real enemy, who was probably targeting her even now. Talk about troublesome...

[color=#8AB8E6][i]Saber, she's not attacking. Now's our chance. Do you think you can run fast enough to reach the Church before she overtakes us? Failing that, the mansion? I know you're hurt... I'm sorry... This is all my fault... But I'm begging you... Even if it takes a Command Seal, we have to get out of here now![/i][/color] Mira clutched her hand tightly to her chest, the warmth of the Command Seals seeming to invite her to use them... It would be so easy to escape, if only she was willing to make a small sacrifice... But what if she needed them more later? What would she do then...?

[color=#FFFA90][i]Now, then... You should have seen your chance by now. What will you do, my mysterious assailant? Why don't you try taking that shot...?[/i][/color]