Author's Note: Here's the second Chapter.
ForteOfTheBallad98 helpfully edited this
Chapter Two
The dark alley was filthy with the garbage and debris of society. Trash cans lined the walls and rats scurried in the shadows of the fading day. It wasn't any place a normal person would have liked to stay in. However, it suited Kariya's purposes enough. He had to be on the move, partially to prevent detection from enemy Masters and partly due to his hatred of Zouken.
Kariya sat down against a cold brick wall, taking a deep breath in an attempt to suppress the agony he felt from the crest worms moving through his body. Even if Berserker was barely taking any magical energy from him, it still was agonizing for Kariya, given how his flesh was being devoured minute by minute.
Berserker stood quietly and attentively over him. He hadn't spoken or done much, except to help Kariya move around in place of a pair of crutches. It was something that Kariya did appreciate, if only for the easier mobility. Right now Berserker's green eyes stared down at Kariya with a calm and inquisitive look on his face.
''Master,'' he spoke calmly.
''Yes?'' Kariya looked up with his one functional eye at his Servant.
''I feel I should be candid here. Even if I wasn't a trained medical professional, it's obvious to me that you only have a little time left to live. I don't know why you have those creatures inside of you.'' Berserker observed after a few moments.
''I'm not a magus, but even I can tell that those worms are filthy and disgusting creatures of the most twisted magecraft. I don't understand the issue between you and that old magus back at that house. If I may be candid, I find myself puzzled by your reasons for being in this war.'' the Servant continued.
Kariya sighed. How to even begin?
''I need these worms to give you prana when you fight. I have circuits, but I never trained them, so I had to have Zouken implant them in me to fight.'' Kariya explained.
''But why are you fighting? If you were healthy before, then for what possible purpose could you have for putting those things inside you? Even a wish for the Grail can't be worth it when you die soon after anyway?'' a puzzled Berserker asked him.
''It-it's a long story. I don't care about the Grail or the sick, horrible world of magecraft. I'm doing this for somebody else.'' the Matou master replied.
''Someone else?'' Berserker blinked.
Kariya paused for a moment, wondering if he should tell Berserker. He wasn't the type of person to go around spilling his issues to people. Interpersonal communication had never been one of Kariya's strong points. On the other hand, it wasn't like he had anything better to do at the moment, and it was quite a relief to talk to someone other than Zouken or his drunken brother Byakuya. He hadn't had many chances for conversation when he was sequestered in the worm pits.
''There's a girl named Sakura Matou. We aren't blood-related, but I'm trying to save her from Zouken…'' he began.
It was going to happen soon.
Kirei would direct his Servant Assassin to ''attack'' the Tohsaka mansion. Lancer would, of course, intercept her and defeat the intruder, thereby putting forth the deception to the other Masters that Assassin was an enemy to Tokiomi Tohsaka. Then Kirei Kotomine would take on the appearance of an enemy Master and allow his Assassin to operate in the shadows. Initially, the plan was to fake Assassin's death, but the Hassan of Serenity couldn't do that. Instead, the plan was adapted to expose Lancer's abilities.
However, there was one thing to do before he went to conduct his scouting role. He found himself intrigued somewhat by the golden-armored spearman's apathy. Not as much as the fascination he held for Kiritsugu Emiya, but his desperation to know some meaning drove him to investigate any and all possibilities. The cold and distant nature of Lancer reminded Kirei of himself. What desire did Lancer have? What drove him to answer the call of the Grail as all Heroic Spirits in the Grail War did? The hero Karna must have some wish.
He entered the hallways of the Tohsaka mansion as the sun dipped low over the horizon, casting great shadows over the landscape. The crimson rays of the sinking sun illustrated his cassock-clad form as he turned into the living room of Tokiomi's house. Having studied with the man for three years, he knew the place like the back of his hand. Tokiomi should be out, taking care of some last minute preparations for the upcoming events. If his guess was correct, then he should be free to confront the golden-armored Servant and get the answer he sought.
''Kirei Kotomine.'' a flat, apathetic voice sounded through the room.
Golden motes of light gathered to form a slender figure. The piercing blue eyes of Servant Lancer regarded Kirei with an unreadable expression, his plated arms folded over his pale chest, exposing only the blood-red jewel that was embedded in Lancer's flesh. It seemed strange to Kirei, but it was if the room suddenly rose in temperature.
''Lancer. I wish to speak with you.'' Kirei spoke.
''If you have questions about the upcoming plans, then you should direct them to my Master Tokiomi.'' the Servant replied.
''No, it's not about that,'' Kirei replied.
''Oh?'' Lancer cocked his head a little, though his expression did not change.
''I have a question for you Lancer.'' the priest pressed on.
''You are intensely curious about something. Very well, ask your question.'' Lancer sighed.
''What is your wish Lancer? Why have you answered the call of the Grail?'' Kirei questioned.
The great hero Karna had a tragic life that was almost absurdly unfair to an incredible degree. By rights he should have been the King of India, being born to the Princess Kunti and the Sun God Surya, but he had been abandoned by a mother who was fearful of having a child out of wedlock. His birthright was taken away from him; he was raised as a peasant until he felt the scorn of other people for his low caste. He fell in with the Kaurava clan and served the evil king Duryodhana. He suffered multiple curses and met a cruel fate after having his armor taken away from him and being treacherously killed by his half-brother Arjuna on the field of battle. Did he desire to become King? Or to perhaps avert his tragic fate? Both would have been very human responses.
''I have no wish,'' Lancer stated simply.
Kirei blinked, not quite processing the information. Had Lancer no wish? No desire for the Grail? It was absurd. Heroic Spirits answered the call of the Grail to fulfill some wish or desire. Even if he didn't have any desire for the Grail itself, one might have a wish to experience life in the modern world or find a powerful opponent to fight. It was so similar to Kirei, but he had a hard time comprehending it.
''You had such a terrible life. Don't you wish to become king? Or deliver victory to Duryodhana?'' Kirei pressed on, trying to see if there was anything more to Lancer's thought processes.
''No. Yudhishthira was the rightful king. I won't alter the fate that took place at Kurukshetra. That would be an insult to every warrior that fought and died in that conflict.'' Lancer shook his head.
Indeed. Didn't Lancer have a similar conversion with Lord Krishna right before the war? A conversation about whether to choose between his honor and his birthright? But if he accepted then how could he call himself the Hero of Charity?
Silence permeated the room for a moment before Lancer gave another sigh.
''I will say that I was happy to serve Duryodhana, even if Yudhishthira would have become king. I was able to repay my greatest friend for his kindness. However, at the same time, Dharma was able to triumph in the end.'' Lancer remarked.
''You don't even want to kill Arjuna?'' Kirei asked. Didn't he even desire revenge?
''If Arjuna were summoned into this war, then I would fight him as my lord commands, but that would just be a ''natural event'', something that would have been the same as my fate in life. I don't feel either way strongly about it.'' Lancer replied.
''Then why did you answer the Grail's call? If you have no desires or wants, then why leave the Throne?'' the priest pressed on.
''It's simple. It's because Tokiomi asked me and I responded to that request. I am the Hero of Charity who grants all requests and boons.'' the white-haired demigod replied without any hint of deception.
''Y-you just want to fulfill a request? Is that all you want?'' Kirei was incredulous.
''My only desire is to deliver the Grail to Tokiomi's hands. Nothing else matters.'' Lancer confirmed.
It was ridiculous. Nobody could be this selfless, except for perhaps those saints that Kirei had studied, but those men and women had a devotion to God to give them meaning. What did Lancer have? Was he that saintly and selfless?
Kirei had difficulty understanding it. He had thought and hoped that Lancer was like him, a machine moving on with a void in his heart and no enjoyment of anything. However, it appeared that Lancer wasn't as empty as much as he was perfectly content with everything he had in life. In short, Lancer was a man without negative feelings or doubt.
''Is this lone of questioning out of some curiosity about your ally's Servant?'' the golden spearman asked.
''…Yes.'' the priest said calmly.
''You are lying. There is something else.'' the golden spearman stated and then continued calmly, ''Do you have a desire for the Holy Grail?''
''No,'' Kirei muttered.
''That is the truth at least. You do not seek the Grail. You must find some other answer otherwise you would have never bothered to participate.'' the golden knight commented.
That shook Kirei, but what Lancer said next shook him more.
''You seek an answer because you are empty yourself,'' Lancer stated flatly.
''What?'' the priest blinked.
''You have a twisted heart. I can see it clearly as day. You don't derive pleasure from things like ordinary people. You want to understand why that occurred. That's why you focused on me.'' Lancer said in a cold and blunt tone.
''You know nothing of that. I am a man of God.'' Kirei tried to refute him.
''You are a man of God. But you are also a miserable existence without any meaning or purpose. Even if you embrace your God, you still are an evil existence.'' Lancer confirmed.
Kirei Kotomine couldn't speak. Lancer was exposing dark and uncomfortable truths that Kirei himself knew full well but kept that hidden behind his stoic mask. This trait was the Discernment of the Poor skill that Lancer possessed, a product of being raised in poverty that allowed him to see into the inner depths of the human character. The personality and emotions of Kirei Kotomine were as clear as day to Lancer, all his flaws and twisted soul laid bare before those cold and merciless eyes.
''O priest, you should not feel lost. Your answer is simple. Your existence was a natural event. Accept it and move on.'' the golden knight said bluntly.
It wasn't as if Lancer was trying to be cold and unfeeling. Beneath that golden armor was a gentle and kind soul, that didn't hold any hatred or jealousy for anyone. The great hero Karna was truly a generous and saintly person who held kindness and empathy for all. Unfortunately, he also held absolutely no social tact or understanding of interpersonal communication. Thus he exposed all the uncomfortable inner truths that a person had without restraint or hesitation.
In other words, his insights will always come across as cold and uncaring criticism.
He understood and empathized with Kirei's plight, but his words had the exact opposite effect.
''This conversation is over,'' Kirei said, his stoic mask broken as he turned around and walked out stiffly, without hearing the spearman's reply.
This conversation with Lancer had not gone as planned. Instead of hopefully trying to find some answer to his personal dilemma, he had the inner truths of his soul brutally shoved in his face. All the truths that he had suppressed. Truths that he chose to ignore in his pursuit of some answer. The apathetic and accusing words of Lancer bothered Kirei more than any confession to God ever could.
He walked into the Fuyuki streets as the last rays of sunlight disappeared over the horizon, casting the black pall of night over the city. If anything he was more troubled than before.
In the end, he gave an abridged version of his motivation.
Kariya explained what a monster Zouken was. Who Sakura Tohsaka was and why he cared about her. What exactly Tokiomi Tohsaka had done in giving away his daughter. Then he described what Sakura's so-called "training" actually involved. Then he finished off by explaining the devil's bargain he had made with Zouken to rescue Sakura.
''I know I won't survive this war, but I just need to last long enough to give Zouken the Grail and free Sakura.'' Kariya coughed up some blood at the end of that. He looked up to see Berserker.
The Servant was trembling with outrage.
''Master, I beg of you to let me go and kill that monster myself. Something evil like that must die.'' Berserker said with resolution, pulling out a strange, ornate-looking bottle as he did so.
''No-'' Kariya responded quickly and then coughed some more. At the look of confusion on Berserker's face, he spoke again.
"-Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to watch you rip that bastard from limb to limb, but these are his worms inside me. If you go after him, he'll kill me, and you'll disappear from lack of prana.'' Kariya noted bitterly.
''That and the old bastard isn't human anymore. If I thought I could kill the Zouken by stabbing him in the heart or shooting him with a gun, I would have done so a long time ago.'' the white-haired Master contemplated.
Kariya barely understood magecraft in general, much less the specifics of Zouken's immortality. He did know that Zouken was a collection of insects, a monster that had transmitted his consciousness into a swarm of bugs. If mere physical weapons could kill Zouken, then Kariya would have tried long ago.
Berserker looked him over and put away his strange bottle before sighing and sitting down next to Kariya.
''I see, so we would have to fight then?'' he asked.
''Yeah,'' Kariya noted with resignation.
''I understand. That's what I expected when I answered the summoning in the first place.'' Berserker pointed out in a soft tone.
Kariya turned to look at the blonde-haired youth in faint curiosity. It didn't matter what his Servant wanted as long as Sakura was freed, but out of boredom, he supposed he should at least ask his Servant what he wanted from the Grail.
''Well, why did you answer the call then?'' his Master asked.
Berserker paused again, a thoughtful look in his green eyes.
''I wanted to be a Hero of Justice.'' he said finally.
''A Hero of Justice?'' Kariya asked, a tad incredulous. It was the sort of corny line spotted by native schoolchildren.
''Yes, in my lifetime I was troubled by evil. It seemed to me that malevolence too easily stains humans.'' Berserker began,
"All people possess both good and evil aspects. I wished to eradicate evil from the human persona. So I tried to create a drug to remove evil.'' the blonde-haired man continued.
''That didn't work out.'' Kariya guessed, knowing about Berserker's legend. It was his Noble Phantasm, Dangerous Game: Secret Game of Crime.
''It was the worst mistake of my life. It was the drug that created the other part of me, Mr. Hyde. He was an evil and twisted monster who only wished to indulge in violence and carnage.'' Berserker nodded.
''At first, I thought I could suppress that side of myself. But I couldn't control him. Hyde started with petty crime and fights at first. Then he moved on to murder, beating my dear friend to death in a fit of mad rage.'' Berserker's eyes flashed with sadness.
''In the end, the lines separating us were growing thinner, and Hyde was taking over. Eventually, I only faced madness and self-destruction.'' the blonde-haired man sighed.
''After death, on the Throne, I had wondered about myself. Was I a good man or a madman? I wanted a second chance to fight for justice and defeat evil.'' Berserker finished.
Kariya didn't know what to say at first. Berserker's proclamation sounded so…cheesy and idealistic it was hard for the skeptical side of Kariya to take seriously at first. However, the other part of him admitted it would be rather hypocritical of him to criticize Berserker when Kariya himself was essentially committing suicide to save someone.
They remained like that in the alleyway as night fell over the city.
The pale moonlight shone down upon the Tohsaka gardens, illuminating the stately house. Atop the roof was Lancer in spiritual form, guarding the mansion for the inevitable approach of enemy Servants and Masters who would soon come to challenge the Tohsaka during the Holy Grail War. From this vantage point, Lancer had an excellent view of the surrounding area from the top of the roof. Soon Assassin would approach.
In their initial plans, Tokiomi and Kirei had always intended to appear as enemies but act as secret allies. One of the first ideas that they had developed was to trick the other Masters by faking Assassin's death. However, the Assassin that Kirei summoned couldn't fake her death in a convincing matter, thus forcing Tokiomi and Kirei to change their plans according to Lancer's abilities.
Lancer had conducted a patrol around the Tohsaka mansion in full physical form, exposing his presence to any observing Masters. Doubtlessly the enemy Masters had familiars observing the Tohsaka house. It may have seemed an odd request, but Lancer obeyed Tokiomi's orders without question. That was his personality, receiving all orders like an obedient soldier. In truth, this was part of Tokiomi's strategy. Lancer possessed a particular ability called "Uncrowned Arms Mastership'' that made certain abilities and skills appear weaker to observing Masters who did not know his actual name. This was the intention behind Tokiomi's orders. Lancer would present himself and appear more vulnerable than he was, thus setting up a trap for enemy Servants who thought they could gain an easy victory.
Kirei and Assassin had departed shortly before to conduct their objectives. The golden hero felt troubled by the fact that Kirei Kotomine had reacted poorly to his words. It wasn't altogether unexpected, as he knew from personal experience. However the man seemed to come to him for help, and in truth Lancer emphasized with his plight.
To Lancer, with his "Discernment of the Poor" ability, Kirei Kotomine was like an open book. He saw the empty nature of the man who took no joy in the duties he performed. He saw the twisted and distorted view of one who enjoys evil and suffering. He saw the aspect of a troubled priest who genuinely did believe in God, but could not find his faith to be satisfying at all.
He didn't know how Kirei would react after his stark analysis of the priest. If he turned into a danger to his Master, then Lancer wouldn't hesitate to strike him down.
He had seen Tokiomi Tohsaka's true self as well. He saw the elegance and composed inner self of Tokiomi, the part of him that was an archetypical magus. He saw the part of him that was a kind and caring father to his family. He also understood the part of him that held some personal regret, although Lancer didn't know the specifics of that.
Tokiomi Tohsaka wasn't a terribly complicated man. At his very core, he was a magus who wanted to gain the Grail and bring glory to his bloodline. Procedure and tradition were important to Tokiomi. In short, he was a man who put himself as a magus before being a human being. It wasn't the choice that Lancer would have made, but it was one way to live your life and Lancer respected that.
Really, in regards to his Master, Lancer felt that he was the luckiest Heroic Spirit in this war. After all, hasn't his Master placed immense trust in him to achieve victory? Hasn't he been entrusted with powerful divine Noble Phantasms? Heroic Spirit Karna couldn't feel any reason to be depressed about things.
His thoughts turned to the Holy Grail War.
As an assembly of heroes and warriors from across history, it would be a rare once in a lifetime event. Lancer felt blessed and lucky to be able to take part of this. He was a consummate warrior who dedicated himself to warfare and martial arts. With fortune, he would meet a powerful opponent. Perhaps even his brothers might be summoned…
His thoughts were interrupted by the approach of dirks fired into the air.
White-bladed bullets suddenly fired through the air. Having been built with prana and hurled with superhuman skill, they were the weapons of a Servant. Each one of them was a sure-hit kill against an ordinary human. However, against a Servant, they were nothing more than an inconvenient barrage. With one hand, Lancer summoned forth his spear and deflected him.
Perched on the top of the Tohsaka household, he held a massive and ornate golden lance. It was a beautiful and masterfully constructed weapon that no human could wield effectively. Undoubtedly it was a Noble Phantasm of a Heroic Spirit.
Lancer cast his gaze out into the night.
''I see you tried to launch a preemptive attack while my back was turned,'' Lancer spoke coldly.
Before him in the darkness, a single white skull mask appeared, illuminated by the pale moonlight. Nothing else could be seen. In reply to Lancer, a young girl's voice issued forth.
''I see you deflected my dirks. I suppose you must be proud of that achievement.'' Assassin spoke mockingly from the shadows.
''Pride? What a strange thing to speak of Assassin.'' the golden spearman remarked.
''Eh?'' the white skull mask tilted quizzically.
''You who talk of pride. It's strange for such a lonely woman to utter those sentiments. Don't you hate your existence?'' Lancer asked her without emotion.
''Lancer you-'' the white skull began to tremble in irritation.
''Didn't you sacrifice everything for your religious beliefs? Then why do you regret what you have?'' Lancer questioned her. He understood this woman by judging her words and actions. With his insight, he could see into her true inner self.
''Well then, why don't I show you my so-called pride then?'' the white mask froze suddenly, her tone taking on a hint of hostility. Killing intent filled the air as she dropped her Class Skill of Presence Concealment to launch her attack on Lancer.
Moving through the Bounded Fields of the Tohsaka mansion with great grace, Assassin raised a white-bladed dirk and prepared for a killing blow against Lancer. Her speed caused her to disappear from human sight as she made her attack run. Even now, Assassin is faster than Lancer in the quick burst.
Of course, this entire thing is just a farce.
Even putting aside Lancer's golden armor Noble Phantasm and overwhelming abilities, Assassin had been instructed to carry out a fake attack on Lancer, just to demonstrate his abilities to the eyes of any prying Master. Also, it was to put forth the appearance of being hostile to any observing Masters.
Even understanding that her attack would fail, Assassin carried out this attack with indignation in her heart from Lancer's blunt and inconsiderate words.
There was a flash in the moonlight and Assassin's severed hand fell to the ground along with her mask.
On the other part of the Tohsaka garden Assassin landed from her collision with Lancer. Dagger met lance, and she was disarmed with excellent skill. Her scream of pain echoed through the night as blood spurted from her wrist.
In their brief exchange Assassin's attack had failed badly and Lancer's splendid counterattack had injured her. Of course, even then Lancer had been holding back in his attack. Had he wanted to, he could have thrust through and destroyed her heart and lungs in one blow, or incinerated her with his Prana Burst.
In other words, Lancer had spared her life.
Cursing in her native language, Assassin fled into the nearby trees, engaging her Presence Concealment once again. With one hand he covered her face in pain and humiliation. In retreat, she surpassed even Lancer's speed.
With impassive eyes, Lancer watched her leave before he turned into spiritual form and walked away. True, it was a grievous wound. However, for a Heroic Spirit, such a thing could be healed from given enough time and prana. As long as he did not strike her spiritual core, nothing was beyond a Servant's healing ability. Assassin should be fully healed within a night or two.
Saber looked out in the cityscape, adjusting the collar of his black suit. Irisviel had purchased it for him and insisted he put it on, saying that it made him look dashing. Even if the Grail had provided him with information on modern clothing, he wasn't exactly a fashion expert. He looked over at Irisviel who was looking quite enchanting in a snow-white outfit that complimented her hair perfectly.
The great city of Fuyuki surrounded him, a sea of bright lights stretching for miles around. This was the metropolis that would host the Grail War, he realized. There would undoubtedly be heavy combat coming up soon, but at the same time, Saber resolved to try and limit the damage to the innocent civilians as much as he could.
The people of today should not have to suffer for this battle, he thought.
''It's an incredible view isn't it Saber?'' Irisviel's voice interrupted his thoughts. She was standing right next to him, and they were both strolling alongside the walkway of an empty park.
''What? Oh yes. I suppose it is.'' the knight replied absentmindedly.
''Saber aren't you paying attention?'' Irisviel pouted in annoyance at his apparent daydreaming. She had been so excited about seeing the new sights and sounds outside of the Einzbern fortress. She was somewhat disappointed at Saber not being similarly in awe.
''I'm sorry, I had such an incredible sight next to me.'' Saber grinned. Apart from that being a pretty terrible line, it wasn't entirely accurate either.
''Y-you can't say such things to a married woman.'' Irisviel blinked her crimson eyes, sputtering a bit.
The blonde knight could only smile at her response.
''I suppose I should be afraid of your husband then, given his power over me.'' he mused.
Whatever response Irisviel had to Saber's wry comment was disrupted by a shot in the dark.
It was Saber's Instinct that provoked him to a response, not his eyes. In a flash, he picked up Irisviel and jumped out of the way of the arrow that hit the concrete below them like a hand grenade. The blonde knight leaped into the air as chips of concrete sprayed below from the impact of the arrow that had been fired. Equally as quick, he set down Irisviel and equipped himself.
Gone was the black suit he wore. Instead, it was replaced by a suit of polished silver armor and navy blue robes. The hood of his outfit billowed back as he clutched an invisible blade in a faintly shimmering sheath of wind. Green eyes scanned the night horizon for any hint where the arrows came.
There was another faint whistling as more arrows came.
The invisible blade cut through the air, again and again, to intercept the arrows before they hit either himself or Irisviel. Even if she wasn't his true Master, he felt honor-bound to protect her as a knight would for a lady.
Despite being an experienced warrior who fought in many battles over his life, even Saber couldn't tell where the arrows were coming. Indeed, these arrows were fired from several kilometers away from some high vantage point. It might be the bridge over the Mion River or perhaps one of the skyscrapers in the business district. It was hard to tell from here.
The attacker was obviously Archer. There could be only one Servant who was capable of this long-range sniping and who utilized a bow to fight. It was accurate shooting that far surpassed anything a human was capable of in this modern day and age. Each volley of arrows exceeded the speed of sound.
The air whistled again, and steel arrowheads flashed in the gleaming moonlight.
More arrows come this time. Whereas before Archer had fired only a few arrows with a significant pause between them, this time he had ramped up the rate of his attacks, shooting arrows like a machine gun at Saber in a constant rain of arrow shots. With the superhuman speed, only a Servant could display, Saber, repelled each and every one of them.
On occasion, some arrows were directed at Irisviel, but most of them were shooting at Saber himself. That wasn't too surprising, seeing as he was clearly the greater threat on the battlefield, but here it seemed like Archer was attempting to control his movements by targeting his fake Master as well.
He might have considered trying to go and seek out Archer before using his Prana Burst to close the gap. However, he didn't know where Archer was, and if he moved, he risked Irisviel getting shot. Even if she weren't his real Master, he wouldn't forgive himself for letting a gentle and kind woman like Irisviel die because of him.
So he stood on the defensive for the moment.
Meanwhile, Irisviel could only stand behind him; hands clasped before her in a mixture of both concern and fear. Even if she wasn't a real Master, she felt so helpless and vulnerable like this, knowing that death was only a single shot away. The only thing preventing her from being skewered was the fact that Saber was currently acting as her shield. She can't even follow the arrow shots until after they had impacted the ground.
Even so, she can't help but be entranced by Saber's form. Green eyes set in determination, hair, and robes billowing with the winds from his blade, and his silver armor gleaming in the faint moonlight, he looks very much like a knight out of some fairy tale.
Then as fast as they came, the arrows stopped.
The long-range archery that had been assailing Saber ceased and then there was just silence in the night, punctuated by Irisviel's breathing and the night wind. Minutes ticked by until Saber dismissed his invisible sword and silver armor and changed back to his black suit, satisfied that the danger had passed for the moment.
''Saber?'' Irisviel spoke, apprehensive about the situation.
''I think Archer's stopped for now. I don't feel anything with my Instinct.'' Saber confirmed.
He turned to walk over to Irisviel.
''Are you alright milady?'' he asked.
''I-I'm fine,'' she confirmed. There wasn't a single wound on her.
''Oh, I'm relieved. I don't know if I could forgive myself if something happened to you.' Saber smiled kindly.
''You don't need to worry.'' Irisviel put on a fake smile. There was something that would happen to her as Saber cut down more Servants in this war. Her life was forfeit. But she didn't want Saber to know that. She didn't want that kind smile to disappear in front of her.
Over five kilometers away, on top of a half-constructed office building, Archer sighed and put away his ash-carved bow. As he did so he held up two fingers visualizing the length and shape of the sword that Saber carried underneath that invisible sheath of wind. It wasn't hard to put together the calculations needed to figure out the exact length and weight of the sword the enemy Servant held.
That had been Archer's aim from the start. He had spotted Saber and decided to ambush him. As he did so, he noticed the invisible sword that Saber carried and adjusted his shots accordingly to try and figure out what Saber's invisible sword was. By firing at different speeds and angles it was easy for him to gauge Saber's reactions and zone of defense. By using his ''special move'' that the god Apollo taught him, he could force Saber into a defensive stance.
It wasn't hard for him at all to see that. With his Clairvoyance skill, he would easily make out the buttons on the coat that Saber's master wore, or observe the details on Saber's silver armor. For Archer who possessed wisdom and insight second to none among the Servants, it was easy to read Saber's fighting style and abilities.
He was a tall, handsome man, with shoulder length brown hair and calm, kind features. He wore an archaic breastplate and greaves of an archaic Greek style over a fine tunic. Oddly enough, a horse's tail protruded from his back waist. Despite that, he had the presence and aura of a kind and calm gentleman.
''Did you catch that?'' Archer spoke out loud to no one in particular.
Yes, I did. His Master, Kayneth Archibald replied over their telepathic link.
Strength is A, Endurance is A, Agility is B… the only thing subpar about him is the Luck parameter. Truly he's the Saber class of this war. The magus mused.
''Yes, I also was able to discern the length of his blade and his swordsmanship,'' Archer noted confidently. Kayneth gave him a murmur of confusion.
Why did you not use your Noble Phantasm on him? It's possible you might have killed him or failing that, his Master. Kayneth accused him, the very hint of suspicion in his voice.
Archer paused, trying to put it diplomatically.
''My Noble Phantasm is something that can only be used once per night. It better be a sure-kill when it's used. Otherwise, it would be a wasted effort and might leave me vulnerable to a counterattack. It might have killed Saber, but he has a robust body, and he might have survived the shot,'' Archer explained calmly.
Back at the Fuyuki Hyatt Hotel room, Kayneth had the look of a man who had swallowed something sour on his face. He didn't like being challenged or refuted. He wasn't used to such things, especially from someone who he considered merely a tool for his glory. At yet he couldn't stay angry or irritated at Archer. His logic was impeccable and reasonable.
That and Kayneth had to admit that Archer's judgment exceeded his own on this matter. He could not argue with it. It wasn't surprising, though, given who Archer was. As the greatest sage in Greek mythology, he had wisdom and insight that greatly surpassed what even the finest professor at the Clock Tower had to offer.
Archer's true identity was Chiron, the Centaur teacher who had taught great heroes like Heracles, Ajax, and Achilles. Many notable heroes and warriors had blossomed under his teachings as he had received wisdom from the Greek Gods themselves. Normally he shouldn't have been a being that could be summoned by the Holy Grail, being originally a Divine Spirit who obtained immortality from his parents. But he famously gave up that immortality and died as a mortal, thus reducing him to the rank of a Heroic Spirit that could be summoned.
At first, Kayneth had been surprised by the figure he had brought forth using an ancient harp that had been taken from the Clock Tower's archives. Calmly, though, Archer confirmed that he was indeed Chiron, but he had taken the form of a human to disguise himself properly. There were after only a few famous Centaurs in mythology.
As far as Servants went, Archer was first-rate in almost every aspect. He had excellent parameters and abilities. The only real flaw he held was the fact that his Noble Phantasm, Antares Snipe: Heavenly Scorpion Shot, lacked the sort of wide-range destructive ability that an Anti-Army or Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm might have. It was a long-range, powerful sniping ability that could be only used once a night, so put into the current context, Archer's reasoning was quite sound. It would be too rash to use it in the first skirmish of the war.
Kayneth found it hard to argue with Archer's reasoning. When he had first summoned Archer, he had thought to boldly go forth and confront the other Masters face to face in direct combat, as befitting a magus of his rank. , Archer had proven to be…persuasive.
He had constructed such excellent and high-quality defenses, Archer told him. It would be only suitable for a magus of his breeding and caliber to take comfort behind those defenses while Archer scouted out the enemy to observe their strength and weaknesses in a series of skirmishes. With the Independent Action skill, Archer functioned very well as a long-range scout.
After all, Archer calmly pointed out, only some of the Masters in this war would be of the pedigree to fight Kayneth and bring him glory. It wouldn't be impressive at all to go out gallivanting to crush some third-rate local magus from this area. In that reasoning, Archer was probably right. Apart from the Three Families of the Beginning, the ranks would be filled with anyone suitable. As the Association's representative, Kayneth knew he had filled that slot. Therefore the remaining three Masters would probably just be Oriental trash that could be disposed of at leisure.
At this point, Kayneth could only sigh and acknowledge the wisdom behind Archer's words. After all, shouldn't he sit behind his defenses until the playing field had been properly cleared so he could conduct honorable duels? From the safety of the Fuyuki Hyatt, he could watch battles through Archer's eyes using the sensory-sharing magecraft that Masters so often employed.
I see. I'll leave the rest of the night to you Archer, Kayneth said finally before ending their link.
Archer sensed him go before becoming lost in his thoughts…
Archer was a great sage with deep intelligence and insight. He had dealt with many people over his life, Gods, mortals and heroes. This gave him an excellent insight into the personalities and motivations of humans in particular. It wasn't the ''Discernment of the Poor'' skill that Lancer had obtained from living in poverty, but rather sound wisdom and judgment.
Archer understood who Kayneth was. He is a cruel and arrogant man, assured in his abilities and dedicated to the pursuit and excellence of magecraft. Kayneth is the typical magus, cold and arrogant. He had entered the war in search of self-aggrandizing glory. It was plain to see that he wasn't a man used to dealing with women, as Archer had observed from his interactions with Lady Sola-Ui. He is a man in a loveless marriage arrangement and did not realize that his fiancée would never love him.
In short, he was not the Master that Heroic Spirit Chiron would have preferred.
So Archer approached this as delicately as he could. Trying to frame his advice and plans as Kayneth's ideas, appealing to his sense of pride and pedigree, making it seem like this would be the best route to achieving the series of honorable duels that Kayneth had desired.
Yes, in all Archer would have preferred someone else as his Master. However, Archer would put up with the Lord E-Melloi and tread as carefully as he could around the prideful and egotistical magus to fulfill his goals and objectives. He would gain the Grail and make that selfish, prideful wish to regain what he had lost.
His lost immortality.
Author's Notes:
The Archer-class Servant should be easily recognizable as the Archer of Black from Fate Apocrypha.
Writing the bits between Karna and Kirei was tough for me. I hope I kept everyone in character.
Fur those curious, Proto-Saber's stats under Kiritsugu are as is. It's his parameters from Fragments with the Endurance parameter reduced from A+ to A due to Kiritsugu being unable to quite max out Saber's physical abilities like Manaka.
Strength: A
Endurance: A
Agility: B
Magic: A
Luck: D
Noble Phantasm: C (EX)
