Fate/Fallen Order

"I like this plan." Berserker says.

"Of course you would." Aaron mumbles.

"You could set up an alpha strike, but you run the possibility of one of the enemy servants being able to counter you." Mashu comments.

"Alpha strike, never heard of it." Takeshi replies.

"It means you gather all your available strength and hit as hard as you can as fast as you can as soon as you can. Essentially you try and end the fight in one overwhelming attack." Troy explained.

Tamamo turned eagerly to Takeshi. "I can do it, Master! Just say the word and they're as good as dead!"

"I like your spirit Caster, let's go blow up a castle."

Aaron glanced at the barrel of his pistol but elected to just take a drink out of a conviniently place bottle "Do what you want."

"Sir, should you be drinking?"

"No."

Tamamo, permission thus granted, turned her wrath against the castle's wall. First, she froze the front of the wall solid - draining the heat away until frost centimeters thick began to gather on the stonemasonry. Then she reversed it, superheating the material in an instant. The shock of the sudden temperature change shattered the wall's structure, bricks crumbling into stone shards and the whole thing collapsing into a pile of wreckage. That gave Tamamo a clear field of fire to attack the main keep itself, launching a barrage of rimefire blasts that tore its structure apart. Any Servants that survived the attack would be bereft of their fortifications and therefore their greatest advantage.

The second the dust settled, the servants realized something. The keen smell of flesh.

The sound of clapping filled the air "Congratulations, you just killed the good people of France and accomplished nothing."

Archer stood utterly unharmed flanked by Saber and an unknown servant wearing a dress and a crimson shall.

Troy noted that there were only three of them, even as he followed up on Tamamo's attack by firing Fluffy twice at each one.

All six shoots where caught mid-air by Saber, who moved at speeds so fast one might consider him to be a Lancer. He dropped the bullets on the floor and glanced at Archer.

"Normally, we give introductions before duels Archer."

"Fascinating." Troy materialized his spear, hefting it in his hand to test the weight - and also to check its reflection to make sure they weren't about to be outflanked.

They weren't, or at least, not that Troy could see.

Saber took a step forward, slowly bringing his blade through a soft arc "An Archer with a spear? You are a strange one."

"Full of surprises," Troy confirmed, "and candy." <Berserker, if he charges us how about you intercept him?>

<He won't know what hit him.> Berserker promised.

Saber looked between the group before him before settling his eyes on Takeshi.

"You, what are you? You have the air of a hero and a simple man. What became of your soul?"

Tamamo bristled, interpreting the remarks about being simple and something involving a soul the worst possible way.

Saber glanced at Caster's reaction "Do my words anger you, servant?"

"Nobody talks about my Master like that!" she hissed at him.

Troy arched an eyebrow. "Pretty sure that's not what he meant, actually."

Saber glanced at Caster "Your master's soul is not his own. There is another that seeks control. He is... an abomination of nature. I pity his fate."

"What do you mean? What fate is that?"

Saber of Ash stepped back and glanced at Archer "Ask your archer."

"Being bitched out by me and Mission Control."

"That I can handle."

Saber shook his head "May you find peace in the arms of the lord when you burn."

"Speaking of that." Archer says.

Suddenly, artillery shells fire at the group of servants.

Takeshi raises his shield, defending against the barrage.

"Was that supposed to hurt?"

His question was about to be answered by Saber, but Berserker stepped in between them. He grinned like a madman and picked, but Saber blocked with his gauntlet.

Berserker was about to attack again, but he was shot into the air from the servant in robes. The figured lowered its hand before watching Saber punch Takeshi in the face.

Troy figured Takeshi was more than capable of tanking a simple punch to the face, even from Saber of Ash. Accordingly, he dropped a magic circle nearby and threw another stick of chalk, aiming to land it straight under Archer of Ash. It was one of his transport circles - hopefully he'd drag Archer out of position, landing him within easy killing range since his only trick seemed to be field cannons for the most part. Oh, and he snapped off a number of railgun shots at both Archer and Caster? of Ash, partly to cover his move and partly because if he painted the contents of their heads over the landscape without resorting to translocating them out of position hey, why not?

Tamamo brought icicle spikes up out of the ground at Saber, from the sides and rear so as not to risk Takeshi being struck by the attack. Magic Resistance sucked but at the very least it should reduce his options for movement.