The American Holy Grail War

Chapter 11: Army of Dolls

          Sol ran through the forest, looking for Lucy and Assassin, when he heard a voice in his head. "Master, have you found them yet?"

          Sol didn't stop and answered, "No, I'm still looking. Did you deal with the enemy?"

         "I engaged, and they retreated."

         "They?"

          Rider replied, "Archer's master appeared. I summoned Mei Mai, but they retreated due to our position being overrun by the dummies."

          Sol looked around the wood as he ran, "Are you currently engaging them, Rider?"

          "Yes, but they aren't as powerful as the likes of Archer. I can handle them. Remember, if you need me, summon me."

         Sol smiled, "Got it."

        Lucy and Assassin continued to walk in the woods, when Assassin stopped. Lucy stopped too and asked, "Is something wrong Assassin?"

        Assassin looked around, and said, "I sense a murderous aura around us, one even worse than mine."

        Lucy looked around. "But we're alone here, aren't we?"

         Assassin drew his knife and scalp. "I don't know about that.", he said as all around them, Caster's dummies armed with a wide assortment of weapons representing the classes, ready to strike. "Lucy, stay near me!" Assassin raised his blades. The dummies ran toward Lucy and Assassin, and Lucy ducked and whimpered, while Assassin stood his ground, and kicked the first dummy that was in ranged, then, he jumped on the next that got in range and stabbed it in the neck. A dummy attempted to strike him from behind, but he threw his scalp and struck it in its neck. Another dummy, welding a spear, jabbed at Assassin, but only managed to graze him, as he moved toward that dummy, and struck it in the forehead with his knife. And sword-wielding dummy move behind the last one, and slashed at Assassin, but Assassin blocked it with his knife. He did lose his knife in the process, but also disarmed the dummy. He quickly took the sword and decapitated the dummy with it.

         Lucy remained frozen as Assassin continued the fight with the sword. Assassin yelled, "Ma' Lady, they're focused on me right now because they see me as the biggest threa!. You need to run from here now!" Lucy heard him and began to move away from the center of the what was now a circle of dummies. As she crawled out, Assassin continued engaging the dummies, slashing them in their vital spots above the chest, since those were the parts that weren't protected by the mortar. But as he took down another dummy, more and more appeared and continued to attempt strikes. Assassin was slowing down however, beginning to tire as the endless wave of dummies continued to attack unrelenting. Finally, a spear-wielding dummies pierced Assassin in his midsection, and the rest of the dummies with sharp weapons began impaling him with their weapons, and held him up with their weapons pointed up. Assassin began to say, "So, this is how I die again, huh? I just wish that these bitches were a bit more attractive, but it still is a fitting death for a murderer of women." He turned and saw Lucy's horrified face. "But maybe it was too noble when you consider it a sacrifice for a young woman." He coughed blood and look Lucy in the eyes. "I'm sorry that I couldn't be of more help. But for what it's worth, I'm glad to have been summoned by a master like you. You may not have been the fighter we both wanted, but you have proven to be very entertaining. And remember, life is for living, and fear only hinders. Only when you break out of your fear, can you rise." Assassin begins to dissipates, "It's a shame really, I really would've like to meet a woman like you on the streets. You might have turned me into a better person. Well, farewell, my young, adorable master.", he said as his last word while he finishes disappearing.

         Lucy's eyes begin to tear up, "Assassin!", she yells into the night. The dummies turn to Lucy and approach her. She tries to move, but is too frozen from fear to do anything. Then. She hears Assassin's last words. "Fear only hinders you." She begins to move, and slowly turns and begins running. "I may be afraid, but it won't stop me from living." She says to herself as she begins to running. Then, a yell is heard ahead of her. "Torment de Rayos!" Multiple streams of lightning flow pass her, and she turns around and sees a large number of dummies fall and disappear. She turns back forward and sees Sol with his hand pointed up. Lucy smiles, "Sol!"

        Sol smiles back, "Hey, did I come just in time?" He saw that the horde readied their weapons to charge. Without hesitation, Sol grabbed Lucy by her hand and began to run away from the horde. Then Lucy said to Sol. "Assassin, he ..."

         Sol continued to run, "He died. But I know he didn't go down without a fight."

         She looked around and asked, "Where's Rider?"

         "She had an encounter with Archer, now she's trying to dwindle their numbers."

          With the horde still running behind them, Lucy then asked, "Can you use that spell again?"

          Sol shook his head, "I used too much mana with that last one, I can't do more than one."

           She scoffed, "Then why did you use it in the first place?"

          Sol looked back to Lucy, "I had to save you somehow." He turned forward, then stopped. Lucy looked forward too, and said, "I see, so you do wonder around her, don't you Caster?"

          They found Caster, who held a rod in her hands, and next to Caster, was a dark-skinned man who wore a dark suit. "So, you must be Caster's master.", said Sol. The man glanced at Sol and Lucy, and said, "A couple of kids. I see, so you were chosen by the grail. It's a shame that these dummies won't cut it for you two.", said Caster's master. "Since you're kids, I'd figure I could show you something cool before we kill you. Caster."

          Caster nodded, "At once master." A dark aura surrounded Caster, then expanded around Caster, her master, Sol, and Lucy.

          Sol and Lucy find themselves alone in a dead forest, where the trees are gray and hollow. Lucy looked around. "Is this a failed death spell or something?"

          Sol looked at his two opponents. "No, I read about these, some Servants may be able to use a Reality Marble as their Noble Phantasm. This has to be Caster's." The trees began to shake, and their roots lifted from the ground. Then, the roots began to act as legs for the trees.

         Caster explained, "These trees are my elite soldiers. They will destroy any force that opposes them."

          Lucy says, "This looks really bad."

          Sol responds, "I figured." He raise his hand, with his command seals glowing, "By my command seal, I summon thy, Rider." His command seal stopped glowing, and didn't dissipate. "What happened?" Asked Sol.

          Lucy said, "I see, Caster's master must have used a circle that renders command seals useless, but." She put her hand in Sol's, "I still have a lot of mana, maybe, if we add my Mana and yours to your command seals, they could break through the Spell."

        Sol looked at her, "Worth a try." They now lifted their hands, with Sol's command seals glowing, "By my first command seal, I summon thy, Rider!" A glow appears in the side, and Rider emerges from the light and takes Sol's side. "You summoned me Master?"

          Sol smiled, "Just call me Sol, please."