[center][h1][b]Interlude I[/b][/h1][h3][b][[i]Wrought Iron Demon II[/i]][/b][/h3]
[h3][color=b48648][b]Ruler[/b][/color]([color=b48648][b]?[/b][/color])
? ? ?, Einzbern Forest[/h3]
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Every strike between the two was absolutely meant to kill the other. It was a mere matter of course. This was no friendly competition. Unlike with the fight between Achilles and Dietrich, there were no words beyond what Ruler had spoken earlier.



That was fine. In the first place, the divine torrent of steel between the two didn’t allow even a single syllable. Anywhere their fight led, the forest had been sundered. This was the only answer Ruler could have toward Casters tactics of hit-and-run strikes.



The red-figure known only as Caster had employed hit and run tactics almost constantly. In this battle, the forest was being used to his advantage as much as possible. He had constantly attacked Ruler, attempted to force an opening, then fell back as quickly as possible. Against a normal Hero, this may have spelled death but-



Ruler was not an ordinary Hero. He had only taken fairly grievous injury from Casters various guerrilla attacks. Multiple gouges and deep wounds lined his cursed body from various demonic and holy armaments. Weapons were strewn across the battlefield, embedded in both the earth and what little trees that remained. With the terrain being so devestated, Casters avenues for attack were being lessened by the second. The only reason Caster had not died was because he hadn't allowed Ruler to go on the offensive for even a moment.



In the moment Caster ran out of areas to launch attacks from, he would die. That was the level of difference between their skill, technique, and raw power. In other words, this battle should end. Both combatants realized this. And yet, Caster did not flee.



….Though it had been unsaid, this wasn't a serious fight from the start. That is because neither of them had spoken the name of their Noble Phantasm. In other words, neither  was fighting with the intent to kill. In that sense, it could not be called a true fight between servants.



This was for multiple reasons. However, in Rulers case, that was because his objective wasn't to kill his opponent. He was 'merely' charged with sending him fleeing back to Fuyuki. Defeating one of the participants was not something Ruler should do. Rather, it was something to avoid. He was a neutral moderator, and he could disrupt the wars balance by killing even a single participant. In this case, he was just trying to convince his opponent that trying what he intended was a very bad idea.


The greatest language for a Heroic Spirit was of course their weapon arm, and Ruler wasn’t a man of many words in the first place. So the battle had wordlessly begun as if it was destined.



But it would not end wordlessly. Ruler had hit his limit. He could easily continue or finish this battle, but the amount of damage he had incurred from just one enemy was too much. This was a rare great opponent, someone who could only be answered with a serious response.



Because he was about to lose, Caster fell back dozens of meters. No, he wasn’t running away. He was preparing an attack. Was it his Noble Phantasm? Or perhaps some other trump card he had prepared in this territory? 



Regardless, a great magical energy was being released. The various weapons across the battlefield shook in anticipation. As if on their own, they raised themselves and flung themselves at Ruler from all sides. Even more had been hidden before this battle, and they revealed their presence by adding themselves to the deluge of steel. It would absolutely destroy Ruler without distinction, flaying him into countless piles of meat and sinew.



In response, Ruler brought 'something' out of his massive satchel. It was a singular weapon capable of overturning an 'absolute death' such as this.



Alone, the weapon could not be considered a Noble Phantasm. But it was an awe-inspiring sight even by the standards of Servants. It was a great-bow the size of a siege weapon, something close to a ‘ballista’ in terms of size. The arrow being notched on it by the giant was of similar absurdity. There was no Hero that could notch that weapon. From sheer physical force alone, something like that could threaten even a Dragon. Even more, without the true name the worth of this Noble Phantasm wasn't even revealed yet. It was an insanity.


And yet before Casters very eyes, the bow was being drawn. It was a divine technique that exceeded the limits of humanity.



….From Casters perspective, it looked as if his opponent had more than a dozen arms, all pulling the string back at once. Whether this was the truth or just merely extreme speed, he could not tell.



One thing was certain, Caster was about to die. Moments before Ruler spoke the true name of his Noble Phantasm, Caster began to take evasive action.



But…



Casters error was made clear within moments of the true name release of the Noble Phantasm. The arrow fired was not something meant to be fired at humans in the first place. This was an attack meant to challenge even a castle. In other words, it was something meant to ‘destroy a fortress’ in the first place. How could a single human, even a Servant, stand against such a thing? To die against Rulers attack was simply the natural result.



It was like a divine torrent that washed away everything in front of it. Space, trees, demonic or holy weapons- the destruction of all was merely a ‘matter of course’.



Within moments, an entire section of the forest had simply become a churned up crater in an instant. Moments later, Ruler made his way back toward Fuyuki City. The tremors of such an attack could probably be felt by even the Servants making battle a meagre miles away, to say nothing of their masters.



However, there was a singular difference between Ruler as he had entered the forest, and this Ruler who was now leaving it. There was a slight ghost of a smile on his face now.



It was the face of a ‘man’ who had revived his joy of battle. Ruler was anticipating a new meeting with this truly worthy obstacle.
[right][h3]interlude out[/h3][/right]


[h1][b]Day Two has Begun[/b][/h1]