[h2]Saber - Benienma[/h2] She was escaping?! No, Benienma couldn't allow that...! "I apologize, Hijikata Toshizo-san. Had I finished you in our first battle, you would not have had to suffer this denigration. Meet peace with the Battoujutsu of Benienma!" As the puppet Hijikata's blade boar down towards her, the tiny redheaded girl tilted her body and hurled herself to the side, the sheer pace of her movement leaving a mighty burst of air that rocked the entire room, blowing sheets and papers about as she moved! When she hit the wall, it almost seemed like she appeared for a second, the sheer pace of her movement having rendered her impossible for the human eye to track just for that instant. Her platform geta clicked against the wall, and then in the blink of an eye she pushed herself upwards towards the ceiling! By this point, the shell of a Berserker's blade had hit the ground and bit into the floor. She had no time to waste...! Somersaulting in the air, Benienma's feet hit the ceiling, and she pushed off as she unsheathed her blade...! She landed. Her katana had gone through the puppet Hijikata's neck as she passed. The shell's severed head spiraled through the air, spurting blood, even as the body began to crumble into loose motes of light. Moments later, the body had vanished entirely, as if it had never been there in the first place. Sheathing her sword, Benienma immediately darted towards the monster Kiara- But it was too late. She had sunken into the darkness and disappeared entirely. But Benienma could still sense it! That foulness on the air! She couldn't have managed to go too far, there was no time to lose...! But first... The diminutive redhead turned, dashing out of the now-no-longer sealed room. She had to make sure her Master and the others were safe before anything else! [@RolePlayerRoxas][@PKMNB0Y] [hr] [h2]Mihama Nanako[/h2] Having seen Meltryllis fight once before already, Nanako was somewhat better at following what was happening this time. The Alter Ego was capable of moving as if it was a dance, as if this was simply ballet... if not for the danger of the situation, it would be something incredibly beautiful to behold. But something was wrong. When had Meltryllis gotten hit? There was no way that the first shadow, the one with the crossbow, should have been able to shoot her. Not with how either of them had moved. The crossbow should have missed entirely, especially given the Archer shadow was now looking quite a bit worse for wear. And yet even from her hiding spot, Nanako could see the crimson streak flowing from Meltryllis's upper arm. Even as she drove her heels into the huge figure's face over and over, and it staggered backwards with a roar... She could dance throw the bigger shadow's attacks like it was nothing. And yet, as the Archer recovered, every time it unleashed a volley from its crossbow... It didn't matter how the Alter Ego dodged. No matter how graceful her dance was, another gash appeared on her body. And what was worse... they were getting closer and closer to her center mass. The last one had sliced into her torso, cutting a bloody gash along her waist even though she should never have gotten hit. "... M... Meltryllis..." It didn't make any sense... The Archer shadow was aiming at Meltryllis again, the purple-haired girl turned away as she was forced to engage the bigger enemy. For the moment, the huge shadow was stunned, but... Nanako could feel it. Somehow she had come to an understanding. If the Archer fired again, the crossbow bolt would pierce Meltryllis's heart. It would kill her. The aim with every short had come closer and closer, violating all logic. "I..." Nanako trembled. Meltryllis... Meltryllis had hurt her that night. And yet that look in her eyes, her words... Meltryllis had used her own body to shield Nanako from danger. Meltryllis had already been searching for threats. Meltryllis hadn't simply crippled her to make her into a battery. At the cost of her own safety, taking damage to her body, Meltryllis was fighting alone. ... Maybe... if that crossbow bolt hit someone [i]else[/i]... Nanako understood what had to be done. Meltryllis wasn't a monster, and so she didn't deserve to fight alone. Her fists clenching, the brunette girl rose to her feet. There wasn't a single moment to waste. Channeling magical energy through her body, Nanako reinforced the muscles in her legs, glowing green lines spreading across her flesh as she did. She thought she saw the Shadow Archer's finger twitch... She broke into a sprint. She had the smallest window. She had only a single split second. She had to time it perfectly. Anything less and she knew that her Servant would be killed no matter how swiftly she evaded. With a shout, Nanako ran faster then she ever had before. Slamming her legs down, she leaped further then she ever had before. She spread her arms wide, and threw them around the Alter Ego's petite frame, wrapping herself around the other girl just as she heard the crossbow bolt be loosed. Absolute agony shot through the back of her right shoulder. She could [i]feel[/i] it. The bolt was tearing through her flesh, ripping through her body, the tip biting into her and causing her nervous system to scream out in pain. But she'd already felt so much worse, hadn't she? Nanako's body spun, even as she held onto Melt and both of them hurtled through the air. She hit the ground first, her grip loosening on the Alter Ego and sending her rolling over the ground. For a moment, she thought she saw the tip of the bolt protruding through the front of her body... it... had gone all the way through...? But it hadn't hit Meltryllis. And she was disengaged from the giant Shadow, too... that meant she could take out the Archer. This... this was the right thing to do. [@PKMNB0Y] [hr] [h2]Saber - Arturia Pendragon[/h2] Perfect...! The Shadows' numbers had thinned! No-more innocent civilians had been claimed by the darkness, and thus their numbers were incapable of spreading further! Now it was a simple task to clear what remained of their number, and ensure that the injured were quickly moved to the nearest medical facility... As Arturia cut through another shadow's body, letting the bloody remains vanish into nothingness, she could [i]feel[/i] the building mana at the center of the stands on the other side of the arena. She could [i]hear[/i] something rising... Something beyond the shadows they had already faced... Turning on her heel, the King of Knights watched with shock as an enormous shadowy dragon exploded from the ruined seats, rising with a roar and a gout of black flame. But... Their mission didn't change in the slightest! The shadows seemed as if their focus was now on the Servants present, as well... if that made it easier for the civilians to escape, then that was all that mattered right now! "Fell as many shadows as you can, but the dragon must be destroyed as swiftly as possible!" Arturia called as she sprang from the stands and began to sprint across the field, to all the remaining Servants in the arena. She was certain her knights were already aware of what must be done. But slaying a Dragon... she had done it in life. Not only once, but many times. So had her knights. That didn't make this any less dangerous! [hr] "Ah?! A dragon?!" Gareth's eyes widened. Where... where had the dragon come from? It was all dark and misty, just like the shadows she'd been killing were, too... But that didn't change what she had to do! She was a Knight of the Round Table, so... so a dragon didn't mean anything, either! She had to protect these people all the same! Spinning in place, she caved in a shadow's skull with a strong bash from her shield, as blue magical energy began to build along her lance. Merlin had made it for her... It wasn't any ordinary weapon! The shadows that were coming swarming up the stand weren't going to stop her! Gareth slammed into the first shadow, and the magical energy tore its body apart! Then the next! And the next! And the next! Each of the monstrous spirits that she slammed into was torn apart by a torrent of mana, swirling around her lance! Even those out of the direct path of her weapon were being shredded apart and falling to the side as she made her way back down! Protecting the civilians and taking out the dragon was what mattered most! [@PKMNB0Y][@Raineh Daze][@Rune_Alchemist][@ghastlyInc][@RolePlayerRoxas]