[h2]Mihama Nanako[/h2]

Meltryllis had taken such an issue with what she'd done she'd broken off from her fight to tell her. But no, she couldn't back down on this. Even given the memories of the pain she'd felt... these people, who were doing their best to escape from the sudden fighting, were people who had given her a warm meal dozens of times over. They'd chatted with her when she felt down, laughed along with her while she made fun of herself for stumbling when she made and order... She wouldn't let them be put in danger. She couldn't.

"... Even so, I can't let them get hurt," Nanako said, finding her voice. She paused for a moment. She knew Meltryllis wouldn't accept that, but maybe she'd at least accept this...

"... And... and besides, even if you don't care about them... I know how Servants work. That thing is probably the same... if it were to kill one of them and take their soul, wouldn't it get stronger?"

For the moment, the shadowy figure was [i]seemingly[/i] incapacitated in the crater, but there was no telling how long that would last.

Though a part of her realized something else.

Meltryllis cared enough to think about protecting her above killing her enemy...? To the point of abandoning killing her opponent and going over to her to try and encourage her to get to safety, and to move into a position where she could better defend her...

And on top of that, Meltryllis had come down from above. Had... she been looking for threats while Nanako got her food...?

Did that... mean...

There was a red glint from the crater the Shadow Servant had been slammed into.

"Look out!" cried Nanako before she could think, pointing past Meltryllis!

[@PKMNB0Y]

[hr]

[h2]Saber - Arturia Pendragon[/h2]

He'd been able to guide her blade just far enough off-course to open a little distance. Just as expected from a Servant of Fionn's caliber! But Arturia's conviction was growing. This would be an honorable duel, and it would be one she was going to win. Perhaps some would say this was her competitive nature surfacing, but the fact was that her opponent's shows of skill had made the King of Knights all the more determined to claim victory!

But that was never to pass.

Before either fighters could make another move, a terrible scream arose from the stands. It was followed my many others, and as the blonde-haired swordswoman turned to see what could possibly be happening her eyes widened in shock. Shadows, terrible facsimiles of true Servants, had pulled themselves from the darkness as if they were rising from the mud. Those with Servants accompanying them were defended, but... some had already lost their lives...

Arturia did not need Chiron's words to know exactly what action she must take.

"Knights of the Round Table!" she cried, "To arms!"

With that, she slammed one foot down and exploded forward. The moment she hit the edge of the arena, the small knight placed one foot on the barrier wall and pushed upwards, fragmenting the earth beneath her from the force of her leap and easily clearing the structure in a single leap.

There was a shadowy figure, one with a cloak with some sort of clawed gauntlet, just beneath her...!

Twisting her body as she landed, Arturia cut the figure in two from hip to shoulder with a single blow, blood spraying from the shadowy, misty apparition as both halves toppled to the side! Without a pause, she lunged forward, clearing the space between herself and the next target in and instant. This one was unarmed, a hulking figure with some kind of axe. Before it could bring its weapon down on one of the spectators, Arturia cleaved one of its arms from its body at the elbow before piercing it through the chest!

But there was no time to delay, even a the great, dark corpse faded she was moving once more!

Another Shadow cut down as it raised its weapon! Another, pierced through the chest...!

The final of this group of shadows managed to deflect her initial blow with a swing of its sword, but the followup shattered its weapon and cut a deep gash through its chest, sending it crumpling to the ground and dissipating into mist!

[hr]

"Ah?"

Oh... oh no, the audience was being attacked?!

"Ah... I... we'll have to put off out duel!" 

Sprinting to the stands, Gareth took a deep breath. It was the duty of a knight to defend the innocent, and this was under the command of her King! Swinging her arms and crouching, the armored girl hurled herself high into the air and cleared the wall around the arena itself!

As she did, she brought her shield slamming down, crushing the skull of one of the shadows with an earsplitting crack, the impact of the steel on the stony stairs causing them to crumble!

Without missing a beat, she turned on her heel and drove her lance forward, skewering another of the shadows as it attempted to lunge for her!

"I, Gareth, won't allow another innocent soul to be harmed!"

[@PKMNB0Y][@Rune_Alchemist][@GhastlyInc][@Raineh Daze][@1Charak2][@RoleplayerRoxas]