ROUND 6 – Alternative/binary decision


The World turns grey,

The Air grows cool,

The Fog blows in.

Only at evening can you really value Home.

Combatants remaining: 4

When Scholars study a Thing,

They strive to kill it first, if it's alive.

Be lost the whole, for the Link that's missing

Was the living Soul.


Remaining Days: 6

In the morning, I take my time to wake up Saber. This would be our last time waking up together with just the two of us for quite a while, after all. I enjoy every moment with Saber an I would not trade these times for anything in the world, but at the same time, Rin is an important friend for me. I cannot abandon her, even if it may be a bit selfish of me…

I caress Saber's cheek, like I do so often. Her cheeks are just so soft, I cannot help but want to touch them. I am positive there is close to no patch of skin on her body which's softness could match her cheeks. I softly pressed my lips on Saber's. "Wake up, Mordred." It feels really intimate to use her True Name, and I know I should not do that in front of anyone else.

But it fulfils its purpose – Saber instantly shoots up upon hearing me call her by her name instead of her Class, along with a faint blush decorating her delicate face.

"Oh, you are awake," I say, sounding as carefree as I only can at the start of a new round, when we do not know who we would face yet. There is a high chance it would be Leo we are facing, since there should only be four Masters left. I prefer not to think about this, though, we will check our opponent soon anyway.

"Yeah, I'm," Saber agreed groggily. Even being called by her True Name will not make her any more of a morning person, it seems. Though that is to be expected. "This is the second last round, huh?" Surprisingly attentive of her, in this state.

"Yes. If we win this one, there would only be one more opponent." I can hardly believe we made it this far already. In the beginning, I felt like every day could be the last one. I have no skill or talent, I am just unfitting as Master. But now, at this point… Thanks to Saber, I overcame so many strong opponents. I feel like I may have a real chance and winning and making it out alive now.

If I am still alive outside of the Moon Cell, that is.

I pushed away any thought about this the last few days, but in the end, I do not know much more than I did before. I may be dead, or in a coma or anything. And as Saber has said before, if I am dead the Moon Cell would delete me even if I win. I would probably not even get to make any sort of wish. And yet, I will not give up. I cannot give up at this point and make everything Saber and I went through go to waste.

Spending as much time as I possibly have left with Saber feels like a good enough motivation to keep going.

I get up from our bed and get dressed, while Saber throws her sleeping clothes on the bed and materialises her revealing armour – I imagine while it offers less protection it is much more comfortable to walk around in. Of course, our first thing to do today is going to the bulletin board to check our opponent's name.

However… This would probably not be my life if there would not be an unexpected irregularity. I am not even surprised anymore at this point. Written next to my name, barely readable, is:

ERROR_406

Whatever this error means, I do not know who I am going to face. I turn to face Saber, who seems more irritated than me, although not as much. It probably just surprises us that this exact error has not happened to us before.

"Training?" I ask her.

"Training," Saber agrees. "And let's look for the Trigger."

It is a great idea – we do not know who we will face yet, so they would not really be able to check it themselves, would they? This means, today is the safest day to look for a Cipher Key, it will give us a head start. In some way, at least. On the way to the Arena, I still do not meet Leo or his Servant. They are probably avoiding us, or they are too busy. That would explain why I have not met them for a long time. Or maybe they lost already? I could not know.

In the Arena, Saber has no trouble. I doubt any Enemy Programs would give her any trouble anymore at this point, but still, slashing through those poor, helpless programs makes her happy, so I will gladly let her do so.

I am surprised on how easy we find the Trigger Code Lambda, though. It is as if someone has just put it there for us to collect, but I chalk it up to the odds being in our favour this time and that is it.

Now that we are back in school, we cannot really procrastinate any longer. We have to take Rin to our room now, she is probably already waiting for us. (Not that she would ever admit that)

"Taking long, didn't you?" There is no hostility from Rin, just a certain sweetness in her words. I chuckle.

"Sorry, we went to the Arena and lost track of time." It is true, though somehow it sounds like a lame excuse. I could have also told her that I just wanted to spend some more last quality time with Saber alone.

On the way back to our room, the conversation stays just between Rin and me, Saber does not participate. Well, I do prefer this over them fighting, so I should not complain.

"Who's your opponent this time?" That is a really good question. I wonder, too.

"The bulletin board showed 'Error 406', so we don't really know." Rin seems concerned, though she does not really know what to make of it either.

"I'll look into it for you, don't worry." Moments like this would remind me why it was no mistake to save Rin or to risk tension by inviting her to our room. She is a close friend to me, and I probably would not have made it as far without her.

"Thank you, Rin."

There is not much more talk before the three of us go to bed – hopefully there will be no reasons to fight any soon for the two of them…


Remaining Days: 5

I wake up earlier than usual, earlier than even the terminal would dare to take me out of my slumber, because two girls just could not help but raise her voices.

"I never asked you to sleep here!"

"I never asked to sleep here!"

"Then don't!"

"Hakuno invited me, it would be rude to decline."

"Master's too kind! You could've brushed her off!"

"And you could have told her, too!"

"I did!"

"Maybe she's bored of you?"

"Maybe your head's been on your shoulders for too long?!"

With a swift motion, I put an index finger on each girl's mouth to finally silence them to prevent any blood being spilled in this room. "Just be quiet for a minute," I groan. I cannot believe they could not refrain even half a day from fighting. Actually… Thinking about it, I can believe that. I should be more surprised why it has not happened earlier.

Saber and Rin turn away from each other so synchronous, it makes me think the two of them are more alike than they would ever want to admit. I turn to Rin.

"Was it even comfortable to sleep in your clothes?" We sadly do not have any clothes left to offer her to sleep in. Rin removes the blanket, revealing that she only wears her red sweater and panties, possibly a bra. Though, maybe with her size she would not need one…

"It's fine, really. Actually, it's pretty cosy." I am glad this is no issue I will have to worry about. "But I'll be out for today. I'll have to run some checks and try to get some info on the error… I'll be back in the evening, no worries." And with that, Rin does not even take five minutes to get dressed – because she uses a Code Cast for that – and takes her leave.

This should ease the situation.

"Do you want to go anywhere today?" I ask, because there is not too much on our non-existent to-do list for now. We already got a head start by acquiring the first Trigger yesterday and Saber is in great shape. Well, everything about her is 'in perfect shape', if you ask me.

"Not really," Saber admits and I can relate. Rin will be gone for the day, so we have time for us.

"Should we take another bath?" The last one did not end so well, but maybe this time it will. Saber at least agrees. Saber still seems to be sulking from earlier, though. Maybe Rin's words really hit home? "I am not bored of you, if you think that." I do not want her to worry about such a thing, how could I ever get 'bored' of the most precious person in my life?

"That's not it," says Saber. Though, she seems grateful that I at least stated it and gave her some assurance.

"Then what is?" I really want to know now. I need to know, or this will not work out. They would kill each other…or, more likely, Saber would behead Rin.

"Can't you tell, Master?" Saber looks at me pleadingly. She really wants me to make sense of this myself…

What could it be that I have missed? At first, they did not seem so hostile towards each other. It started, when Rin kissed me and I made it a habit to get closer to Saber, to raise our bond. For our survival, at first.

The closer I feel I got to Saber and the more I held her dear, the worse it got between the two of them. Wait a second…

Rin kissed me. In front of Saber.

"Back off from my girlfriend, bitch."

"Make me."

"Rin…likes me," I state in disbelief. Really? Rin? My best friend here, she developed feeling for me? That…

"Finally…" Saber seems tired of my obliviousness. But now that I figured it out, I really want to slap myself for not realising this sooner. It should have been obvious.

"Explains why she kissed me once in a while…" The moment this passes my lips, I feel regret. I definitely should not have said this.

"She did WHAT?! I'm gonna kill this fucking—" But I wrap my arms around Saber from behind her to keep her from murdering Rin after all. I do not think I have ever seen Saber this angry.

"Sorry! Really, I am sorry! I…I did not think much of it, I will tell Rin that I do not like her in that way so that she will stop… It is my fault, okay?" It really is… I should have noticed earlier and rejected Rin. How much false hope did I accidentally give her? I am such a bad friend.

Saber sighs. "Fine. But any more moves on you, and she's dead."

I do not respond to that, she should know I would never approve of that. But I am tired of this talk and I do not want to waste this rare occasion of being alone with Saber – we would not know when it happens again – so I go prepare the bath, waiting for Saber to join me. Which she does, after not much of a wait.

The water feels hotter than the last time, it slightly hurts the skin but somehow this also feels a bit nicer. More relaxing, so to say. But I am sure that we cannot stay in the tub for long this time or we would get dizzy. This time, it is me who inches closer to Saber, until I wrap my arms around her.

"M-Master?" Apparently, she has not expected this. But I somehow miss touching her, the last time we had sex I did not really get to do anything myself, after all… It was really one sided.

"Call me Hakuno when it is just the two of us, okay, Mordred?" Whispering her True Name into her ear startles her, and her face is flushed instantly after.

"B-but…" But I bring my finger to her lips again.

"No 'buts'." I nuzzle my cheek to hers, enjoying the proximity of this innocent touch. Just being by Saber's side like this, forever – I would not mind it one bit. "Should I wash your back?" Saber probably knows I would not really accept a 'no' as answer, so she reluctantly agrees.

She turns her back to me, facing away. This is the back that has been protecting me for weeks, I cannot really help the impulse of wanting to kiss it. Instantly I sort of regret it, though, because it tastes bitterly soapy from the bath water. I take a soft sponge and gently rub it up and down Saber's back, who seems to really enjoy it, according to her sighs.

After a while – and I am sure there cannot possibly be any sign of dirt left on her back, if there was any to begin with – I wrap my arms around her sides, softly pressing my front against Saber's back, which she arches upon impact.

"Mas— Hakuno, w-what's that for?" Saber asks surprised, her voice at least a pitch higher than she probably intended to.

"Washing your back, of course," I half-lie. It would be somewhat cleaning, I suppose… But that is not really my intent, to be honest.

With the soap that is spread on Saber's back, I can easily slide my own skin over hers, before I softly squeeze her small breasts, eliciting a soft moan from her. Before she can even complain or ask, I give her a full lie, not that she would buy it anyway.

"Just so I do not slip." Not that I would, not in this position.

"Y-you're unfair…Hakuno," Saber whines. She is just too adorable. I wish I could see her expression, but one cannot have everything.

"I just want to make up for something," I say. Maybe that is true for a big part, but at the same time I just do it because it is indeed hard to keep my hands off Saber for too long. And considering we will not have much privacy anymore, I have to take this occasion.

This will be a long bath, I think as Saber moans out my name.


Remaining Days: 4

When I open my eyes in the morning, Saber is clinging tightly to me yet again. Rin, on the other hand, faces away from us, having put as much distance between us as this bed allows. Which is enough space to fit one, maybe two other people. She does seem to have a bit of a rough time after last evening, when she came back.

"Rin? We need to talk," I said, knowing this one sentence woke the biggest fear in anyone. Especially when it came from someone you really cared about.

"Okay," she said, seemingly insecure. Well, it could be anything that I was about to say. From telling her that she has crumbles on her face up to sending her out of this room for forever. "What's up?" I really did not want to keep her unknowing for too long. It would be mean, and cruel. Almost as cruel as not really avoiding advances of my best friend in front of my girlfriend. I was really indebted to Saber for not freaking out much more, or breaking up.

"I… I know you like me," I started. It was a hard and awkward thing to say. Usually a crush would not tell their admirer about their very own crush. Rin's cheeks flushed. "But… I love Saber. From the bottom of my heart." Rin took approximately two seconds to take this in.

"I know," said Rin finally. "I know, but… I can't help it." She was on the verge of crying, exactly what I feared would happen. I was more than sorry to break her heart like this, but there is no helping it.

"I know it is hard, but this cannot go on… I do not want to be afraid of Saber killing you any second I am not there to stop a fight, or you provoking her." I felt like I was sounding a bit too harsh, but maybe this was the only real approach to not leave any doubts. "Saber is right to be angry at you… You crossed a line a friend should not cross so, please, just get back behind this line. I do not want to lose you as a friend."

This talk was so hard for me, I could not possibly imagine how hard it must have been for Rin, who was now wiping off the tears with her sweater. "I promise I'll stop. Just…give me some time," she said.

And I knew what she meant, even though I was too dense for way too long – I was supposed to keep a bit distance towards her now. Hard when we all were sharing a room (and a bed), but it had to work out. Rin needed time to sort out her feelings, get accustomated to my rejection and move on, hopefully soon.

Because it was me who broke her heart it is also me, as her only friend, who cannot really be by her side to help her get over this.

I wake Saber, surprised it works silently and I get dressed, trying to not make a noise. Rin seems to still be sleeping and she asked me to give her space, so it would be the easiest to leave before she wakes up. I have to press my palm on Saber's mouth to keep her groaning and complaints down, though. She is just such a morning grouch.

Thankfully, materialising her red, light armour makes absolutely no noise, and within few minutes we are out of our room.

"Can't believe we're being sent out of our own room," Saber complains. It really is off and should just not be a thing, but after yesterday's rejection I would feel like a real jerk if I sent Rin away on top of that just so she does not have to face me. "You're way too kind, Master." Her compliment makes me smile, even though it is not meant as such.

"I know. Sorry, but please deal with this for now, okay? We will find a solution," I promise. And while I do not expect too much from myself – I have absolutely no idea how to deal with this, how did I even get into this situation?! – I am sure Rin will find a way to avoid me while still not coming off as selfish or a burden. Another thing she and Saber have in common – they hate doing anything that would hurt their pride, and being a burden would be part of that 'anything'.

"So, what now?" That is indeed a good question. We could go to the Arena, but I feel like this would tire us out and we would have to call it a day much too soon.

"We could go to the church, for an Alteration of the Soul," I suggest. Not much speaks against that, there is probably nothing more that either of us would want or need to hide from the other, after all. So, it is decided – we make our way to the chapel.

"You're back? Good to see you're still alive and kicking," greets Aoko us. Touko just glances up from some kind of book she is reading, nodding at us. That greeting works, too. I am sure neither of them has expected us to be back anymore, which is understandable. We definitely cannot be a team one would have any expectations of, and yet, here we are.

"Yes, we would like another Alteration," I say. Aoko agrees gladly, but not before asking another question.

"What about your weird penalties? Seems like they got lifted," she notices as she runs a check on us. I have not noticed it before, but she probably has been doing this before any Alteration of the Soul. Probably just routine.

"Ah, that… I sort of disabled the last penalty in the last round, so we should be fine now," I say. Aoko seems surprised, if not shocked, and even Touko seems like she can hardly believe her ears.

"You? Impossible," Touko states. This would be offensive if I would not be thinking the very same. "It's more of a miracle than this monkey not having killed anyone this time around." She must be referring to Aoko.

"I know, but seems like I pulled it off after all… Thankfully," I say. There is not really much more to it. Aoko grabs my shoulders.

"My bet's on you, then!" She practically beams at me. This is a great encouragement, even though she is just an NPC. And, without further ado, we start the Alteration of the Soul, and I find myself in Saber's mind, more specifically her memories again.

I feel like I am in deep sea. Uncomfortable and suffocating, and I cannot tell how fast time passes. It feels like I am waiting for something, for someone. Suddenly, my heart throbs. Then, there is another heartbeat but my own, going fast. Way too fast to be healthy anymore.

"You have been called upon by a Master candidate. Will you answer their summon?"

My mind is set on yes, without questions or conditions. A light is shining down on my form, blinding me as I stare into it. While I pass through, I hear glass shattering and a lot of weight on my body is lifted as I rise up, through the light and find myself in a room reminding of a colourful chapel. I turn back to face a brunette girl, lying on the ground helplessly, obviously hurt.

"So, I guess, you are my Master?" I say, as I walk closer to her and hold my hand towards her, offering my help to support her stance.

"Yes," she says weakly, and I immediately get the feeling that I want to protect this girl, from everything, for forever. She takes my hand and I pull her up to her feet.

"Quiet type? Not that I mind," I hear myself saying. My hand feels warm just from holding hers.

Suddenly, I come to, back in the chapel. Saber's and my gaze meet.

"You went through all that?" She asks me in disbelief. I am right – we both have seen our first meeting, and the moments leading to it. I nod.

"How long have you been waiting to be called?" I really wonder, because I could not tell.

"I dunno. I can't remember much of that, but usually we Servants only gain some sorta consciousness soon before we get summoned." So, it was probably since the effigy tailed me, back then. I smile to myself.

"I knew that effigy was not just a puppet." Well, in fact it was, but it also woke Saber up, so she could answer my summoning and my resolve. "And it is nice to see that you took a liking to me right away," I tease.

Saber blushes madly. "Shut up, Master."

"Aww, cute little lovebirds," comments Aoko, which embarrasses me as well. This is just so unexpected. "You were gone for half the day, though. Both of you passed out for some reason."

"It's probably because the Alteration of the Soul is not meant to show memories from here, and it did so for you for the second time already. It puts a strain on your cyberframe, I suggest to rest," advises Touko, who does not even look up from her book.

"We will take our leave then. Thanks, as always," I say, as Saber and I leave the chapel. In front of it, we see a girl. She looks oddly familiar. Lilac hair. Darker skin. Wait a second. This is the girl who blew herself up, the one I saved Rin from!

"R-Rani..?!" I call out in shock. This cannot be her, right? Maybe she has a twin or it is a trick.

"Surprised to see me? I would be, too," she says nonchalantly. Well, I am surprised. "I am sorry about the error. But to tell you now, we will be facing each other this week." Oh. Oh. Of course, how could I not have expected this.

"P-Pleased to meet you," I say, though I am not sure about that. Even if I can beat her, what would stop her from blowing up the two of us?

"You are the other one, after all. The similarity is fascinating," Rani says, as she takes a closer look at me. I do not dare to move, but I can feel Saber's glare on us, ready to jump at her any moment it gets dangerous for me. "But the differences are, too. I am really looking forward to the result."

And with that, she takes her leave. Just like that.

"W-Wait, what the hell were you—" But before Saber can even finish the question she was shouting after Rani, our opposing Master is gone. Completely, gone. Nothing left, we did not even see her leave, at one point she just vanished.

"I am not exactly lucky with my opponents, am I?" I mutter. I think I would almost rather face another Ronnie.

"Not really. Sorry, Master," says Saber.


Remaining Days: 3

Even after a full night of rest, I cannot make sense of Rani. Who was she talking about? Who is the 'other one'? Is she referring to Leo, assuming that either him or I will be the one to win this? There is no other possibility, is there? Maybe I should procrastinate this for now, it is not important to figure it out. For all we know, Rani could be insane and there is no sense to her words at all.

I look at the new door in our room. Well, at this point, you may call it a flat instead. When Saber and I got back yesterday, Rin was not to be found in the room, but there was a new door, opposite of the door to the bathroom. There was a note on it, too.

Made my own room here, so I won't bother the two of you. If there's something urgent, you're welcome anytime, Hakuno.
…You as well, Saber.
-Rin

I knew I could count on Rin to find a solution, though I fear she feels lonely. Due to that, and because I want to talk to her about Rani, I knock at her door. I wonder if she is even awake already.

"Come in, Hakuno," I hear her voice from behind the door, so I open it and step in.

"How did you know it was me?"

"Would Saber knock?" …Probably not.

"Good point." Of course, Saber would not knock, she would just come in. That is just the kind of person she is. "She is still asleep." Yes, that is a reason, too. Saber would not be awake at this time, unless I woke her up. "Nice room," I add. It at least looks like a normal room, with a decent bed and desk and everything you would imagine in a teenager's or young adult's room, unlike the former classroom Saber and I share.

"Not so much, but thanks. Is there something you want to talk about?" Straight to the point, I see… Well, I cannot blame her. I know she wants distance.

"So to say… I have met my opponent. It is Rani," I tell her, though Rin seems not that surprised to hear of that.

"I know. I found that out last night," she informs me. "Her status is similar to mine… So someone must have pulled her out of her suicide bombing." Someone else did the very same thing?

"She mentioned someone… He is supposed to be similar to me, but also different," I tell her.

"Great, Hakuno, could be literally anyone." Ouch. Her biting remark stings a bit, mostly because I am not really used to Rin acting like this towards me. "But there's only three Masters around, apart from you. Well, Leo seems to have made it, so two."

"Does Rani not count?" She is my opponent, after all.

"Not likely. She's an anomaly like me, she shouldn't exist anymore. That's also why the bulletin board showed an error." This goes way over my head.

"That means there is a Master around who will not fight this round?" There is no other conclusion, or is there?

"Possibly. Or not. I don't know, really," Rin shrugs.

"Thanks for the talk," I say disappointedly, as I leave her room.

"Anytime."

This 'anytime' can stay as far in the future as possible, I do not look too forward to another conversation of this kind with Rin. I sigh, as I drop myself down on the bed. Apparently, this has woken up Saber.

"What's wrong, early bird?" She asks while poking my cheek, as if to see if I am still alive and any responsive. I just let out a louder sigh and press the pillow to my face.

"Rin hates me. I know I hurt her pretty badly, but she cannot even talk to me like a normal friend anymore," I mumble into the pillow, not even caring about how understandable my muttering is for Saber. "It sort of hurts, and I think I relied on her help too much." It is true, I never should have relied on a possible opponent so much in the first place. One-sided feelings just make everything more complicated.

"Cheer up, now's not the time to sulk," Saber pouts. Well, I cannot see it, but from her tone of voice I am sure she does. I mumble incomprehensibly into my pillow in response. I do not even want to say actual words. Unexpectedly, I let out a yelp – Saber buried her finger into my side, effectively startling me with this sudden ticklish sensation.

"Stop that," I say, pulling the pillow away. I wish I would be sounding just any serious or angry, but from Saber's chuckling I can tell I definitely do not.

"You're so red for once!" Does Saber really have to mock me for that?

"T-That is just from the pillow. Really!" She obviously does not believe me and I have to be real fast to avoid her hands. "Okay, okay! I will stop. Let us just go to the Arena!" Thankfully, Saber agrees to the suggestion. We still need the second Trigger, after all.

"A frown doesn't suit you," comments Saber on the way to the Arena's entrance. I can feel my cheeks heating up slightly.

"Shut up already," I tell her off, increasing my speed.

The Arena still has not changed to much. The Enemy Programs still prove to be mostly not a real challenge for Saber and she seems almost bored to kill them off. Almost. But, not really.

"Does Rani never train here?" I really wonder about this. We have not met her in the Arena yet, and half of the Preparation Period is over.

"Probably no need. Her Servant's Berserker and she seems to be a high-level Master," Saber says nonchalantly, though it hurts a bit. We only have to train so much because I am a failure. But, in the end, being diligent got us very far. I should not complain or take offense, Saber probably meant no harm.

"I see."

It takes us quite a while, but we find the second Cipher Key after all – Trigger Code Mu. With this, we are set to face Rani… more or less.

"What can we do from now on?" I ask, as we make our way out of the Arena. My invisible(); Code Cast really is handy for such moments, as we do not have to fear being attacked and thus interrupted. Saber shrugs. "Do you need more training?"

"I think I'm fine. It's more up to strategy at this point. Figuring out stuff about her Servant, I mean," says Saber, looking at my apologetically, albeit not really in a genuine way. She probably thinks it serves me right for inviting Rin to us in the first place, now I have to deal with this. It is fair but Saber could at least pretend she feels bad for me.

"Yes, yes. I will talk to Rin. Tomorrow or the day after."

Or, preferably, never.


Remaining Days: 2

"Master?" Saber touches my shoulder, slightly shaking me. "You're not asleep anymore, are you?" I do not react. I could not check the time for quite a while, to be exact I have no idea what time it is. The last time I checked, it was almost noon but some time has passed, possibly an hour. Maybe even two. Saber sighs.

"I know you're awake. Your face looks different when you sleep." Still no reaction from me. As long as I am not awake, I would not have to face Rin or try to come up with an excuse. How could it even get this far? Me pretending to be asleep in front of my girlfriend just so I do not have to talk to my best friend? This is a mess. "It'd look cuter," Saber adds, whispering straight into my ear.

Feeling her warm breath on my ear is so hard to ignore and I fear that I shuddered, for possibly shorter than half a second. But, for someone like Saber, noticeably enough to know I am not asleep. Right? You would not react so sensitively when you sleep, would you?

But I cannot cover my ear now. Any movement might give a stronger hint that I am awake, even if it was a knee jerk reaction to cover your ear after a tease, even asleep. It would probably be different in speed and motoric when you are asleep. And now seconds, a minute or two have passed. It is too late for a knee jerk reaction to happen.

Suddenly, Saber bites my earlobe and I cannot help but jerk up and whimper in surprise, holding my hand defensively over my ear afterwards.

"I knew you're up already," she comments disappointedly. I can imagine she is slightly upset that I tried to trick her. It is not really an honest thing to do, especially since it has nothing to do with her.

"Sorry," I apologise. I turn away. "I am a coward." In this case, I really am. It is not really like me to run away like this, but… facing someone dear to you who is just cold towards you just hurts too much.

"I know," says Saber, letting herself fall down on the bed next to me. "But it's fine, just go talk to her." Since when does she want me to talk to Rin?

"Maybe tomorrow," I mumble. Saber groans. It is only fair, I suppose. I made her face Rin for weeks while it surely hurt her, especially seeing me not really rejecting Rin up until now. "I will, okay? Just…give me time," I say. I do not want to wrong Saber any more.

"What's the plan for now, then?" asks Saber. Well… I have none.

"We could go train?" A weak suggestion, I know that.

"Meh." Okay. Submission rejected. What did I even expect? I think for a while. Staying in our room, hidden below the covers is probably not an acceptable solution either. We also have both Triggers. We did an Alteration of the Soul. We had a bath.

"We could talk," I say, before I could even consider that. Great idea, Hakuno, I scold myself inwardly.

"About?" Saber eyes me. Well. There is not much we could talk about, is there? It is not like we have much free time here to do anything but participate in this tournament.

"Uhm… What are your hobbies?" Such a casual, small talk question, and yet it makes me realise I do not know much about Saber. Besides her story which I could have read in a book as well.

"Hobbies?" This question seems unexpected for Saber, but of course. You probably do not ask this of someone you are dating for quite a while already. "I didn't have much time for such things. I enjoy winning…and I'd wanna travel, if I could. Really far," she eventually tells me. "How about you?"

Of course, seeing victory as a hobby. That could just come from my Saber, Mordred. But travelling? I wish I could do it with her. It is probably fun, exploring a world neither of us really knows. Me, because I do not remember a thing; Saber, because she is from a long time ago. But when it comes to me…

"I have…no idea. I cannot remember and I am not sure what would be fun to do. I would tag along on your travels, I suppose." This is really the only thing that comes to my mind when I think about what I would enjoy to do. Am I really this bland that I have no hobby? I have barely more personality than an NPC.

"Sure! Let's go on a trip someday. I'll drive," says Mordred enthusiastically. I take her hand, making it some sort of promise between us, just the two of us. But…wait.

"You? Driving?" I do not feel safe about that at all. Back in her days, you did not 'drive', did you? They still rode horses. How would she be able to drive something of modern technology?

"My Riding skill is pretty good. I could ride anything easily!" Or anyone, finishes my mind, but I brush that off fast enough. I am not going to turn this talk into any indecent direction. Yet, for some reason, I hope that maybe we will not really go on a journey together…or at least take some form of public transport. "You need some hobbies, though, Master."

Cannot loving you be a hobby, I wonder. Though, I do not think I am that serious about this idea. I think for a while. "Writing Code Casts is not half-bad. Maybe I could pick such a thing up as hobby?" Saber rolls her eyes.

"Great, nerd." I throw my pillow straight into her face.

She talks weirdly colloquial in modern terms for her origin. But knowing Saber, I can imagine that even in her own time period she was not really paying much attention to speaking any formally. And I doubt I could expect her to still speak like she did in her lifetime – after all, now she is a Servant. The Moon Cell would get rid of all language barriers for sure, including outdated speech.


Remaining Days: 1

Another morning and I honestly considering faking sleep again. But it has not worked out yesterday, so I doubt it would today. Maybe, just maybe there is no reason to communicate with Rin about this? Maybe we can fight Rani either way, and win. We did not know anything about Julius' Assassin either. And still, it worked out.

But on the other hand, this time it is a Berserker. I remember how much trouble Saber had with Jabberwock in the third round, and he was not even a real Servant. Rani's Berserker should be much, much stronger. He may even kill Saber in one blow, if he really puts all his strength into it, despite the armour. I need to talk to Rin. I have to. But I just cannot bring myself to even walk to her door.

"Lost in thought?" asks Saber, half-awake, next to me. I nod at her. "Shows on your face." I am that easy to read for her, huh? But, then again, it is the same the other way around.

"I just do not really know how to talk to her," I admit. I do not want to hurt her more, and especially I want to respect her choice of keeping distance. But, at the same time, it hurt the last time I talked to her because it just is not the same anymore. I am afraid of repeating this feeling.

"Am I disturbing you?" asks Rin, all of a sudden. I have not even noticed her door opening, much less her standing in front of it now.

"N-no! Of course not," I answer, not sure if I should gesture her to sit on the bed with us or not. I mean, I do not even know if she wants to have some sort of real conversation or just leave. Saber just eyes Rin warily, ready to send her off any second should she dare to offend me. Sometimes I wonder how someone could make this loyal knight in shining red (and silver) armour rebel.

But then I remember her stubborn and somewhat childish persona, and I do not question it that much anymore, I think.

"Can I…?" asks Rin, gesturing to the bed I am sitting on with Saber. I nod at her, swallowing hard. I have no idea what she possibly wants right now. Rin carefully sits down on the bed, keeping a noticeable distance to use, though. "I'm sorry," she starts. "I've been a bitch."

"I know," deadpans Saber. Saber…, I groan inwardly. She just cannot be nice to Rin, can she? Rin, on the other hand, simply ignores Saber's comment.

"Tomorrow you have to fight Rani, so… I wanted to tell you what I know. If…if you want me to, that is." Rin actually has come here for what I was too afraid to ask her for! Once in a lifetime, I tend to get lucky. Apart from summoning Saber.

"We really appreciate any help regarding this fight," I tell her, speaking for Saber as well as me. Before Saber can even say another rude, uncalled-for thing, I glare at her. Or, at least try to. I do not think I can really manage any sort of dirty look at all.

"Okay, so… Her Servant's True Name is Lü Bu Fengxian, some Chinese general. Not much of his story, matters, but – he is physically really powerful. Especially due to Madness Enhancement, the skill that makes Berserkers…well, go berserk.

Not only that, but Rani isn't stupid. She mostly casts Buff type Code Casts, boosting Lü Bu's strength or even defence. If she does that, you'll barely lay a scratch on him. Don't take his attacks either – just dodge."

That sounds not so good. And the advice is just things Saber and I could and would have figured out ourselves.

"That's obvious, not too helpful," Saber voices my concern. Really…This girl…

"I know. Sorry," Rin apologises, genuinely. "I could help another way, though. I think." Rin's cheeks redden at this suggestion. What could she possibly— Oh. I think… I have a guess.

"You do not mean to suggest…" Please, Rin, you cannot be serious! Saber looks at me confused. For once it is her not getting Rin's intention?

"...Yes. A t-threesome would be the best sort of help, increasing Saber's stats." Now even Saber seems embarrassed.

But, this decision is not only mine, it is mostly Saber's – after all, she should be on the most receiving end. My eyes meet hers, and I really hope she refuses because I do not think I have the heart to reject Rin again.


EXTRA

"Seriously?" Of course, Saber is against this idea. Why would she not be? There is no way she would want to sleep with Rin.

"It…would improve your performance by almost 200% and that's your best shot, I suppose," says Rin. "You know, it's not easy for me, either!" That…that does not really justify this! It is so out of the blue, too. I am really speechless.

"Okay," Mordred gives in. "Fine. But only 'cause of the strengthening. Touch my Master and I'll rip your head off." At least she still has the decency to keep Rin off me. Wait. Wait. Saber accepted?! She cannot be serious. Now I could not possibly refuse. Does she realise what this means at all? I understand that she wants to win badly and I do not really want to die either, but still… This seems a bit too much for me.

"Sure," says Rin, as if it was the most normal thing to agree on conditions for a threesome with your crush and her girlfriend. "H-How to start?" Do not tell me Rin never did those things herself on top of all… This cannot go well. No way.

"Kissing, I suppose?" Saber shrugs. How can she be so indifferent? I am just a bystander, I feel so frozen, so taken by surprise.

I cannot even process much thoughts before, and especially not after I see Rin leaning in and kissing Saber. My precious, beloved, rebellious knight. Blushing now, a face of hers only I saw like this up until now. It hurts, and I can barely swallow.

Why can Saber not push her away? Why are they still going?! This is too much, I cannot watch this… Much less participate. I do not want my girlfriend being touched by anyone but me. I run towards the door of our room, smashing it close behind me and run. I keep running, not minding the hot tears flowing down my cheeks. I run, and run, and run.

I stop, due to my lungs hurting – which I have not noticed before, my whole chest hurts so badly anyways; emotionally, not physically. But I am not even sure anymore it is not really physically. I find myself quite a while away from the school building, on a field of grass. It is probably close to the limit of this whole simulation, I would soon run into an invisible wall if I kept going.

Or just be deleted, which seems quite welcoming right now. I sit down on the cold ground, pulling my knees to my chest, hiding my face. I just cannot stop crying, and I cannot stop thinking about what they may still be doing. Maybe Saber would leave me for Rin? I never doubted her love and I still do not, but…still. I am not really sure what to feel right now, besides pain.

Then, I feel a warm hand on my shoulder. I try to shake it off, whoever it is, I hope they just leave me alone. I am not going back, definitely not. "Master," I hear Saber's voice behind me, sounding worried. But I cannot bring myself to face her, not after what I have seen her do with Rin. Even though she did not initiate it, it was bad enough.

"Hakuno!" She still tries to reach me, but to no avail. Just go to Rin and be happy, I think. But deep inside, I do not want her to leave. Then, she wraps her arms around me from behind. We do not talk for quite a while and stay just like this, up until my eyes seem to have run out of tears. She would not do this if she preferred Rin over me, right? Why am I so insecure all of a sudden?!

"I'm sorry," Saber says, her voice breaking. Is she close to tears herself? "I should've seen you were uncomfortable with this. Really… I'm sorry."

"I should have said something," I sob. I must sound really pathetic. "It just happened so fast and hurt so much and I just feel like doing something really violent to Rin right now." This makes Saber chuckle, which in turn angers me.

"It's nice to see that even you can get jealous, Hakuno." So that is what I am, huh?

…So, this is how Saber felt, when Rin kissed me? Ouch. Or even whenever I mentioned her, possibly?

"Why did you never run off, crying like a baby?" I always thought Saber was overreacting, but now that I have been in a similar position… I feel like she has so much patience and self-control. This does not suit the 'Knight of Treachery'.

"Ah, well," Saber says, scratching her cheek. "Running away is like losing, not really my thing, I suppose." But this cannot be all there is to it, right?

"And why did you not jump on Rin? Or…did you, just now?" Saber seems offended at my question.

"Of course, I didn't! She started crying and ran off to her room as soon as you left. She kept mumbling 'sorry', I think. I tried not to freak out because I…care about you. I know that acting on hurt emotions won't end up nicely." Saber has such a distant, sad look in her eyes.

"You regret your past? Your rebellion?" Saber shrugs.

"I'm not sure, sometimes. But I know it ended badly for everyone involved, and even uninvolved people. I can't help the past but I don't want to repeat that."

"It was a mistake?"

"…I guess you could say so."

"Would you ever admit it to your father?" Saber's eyes fill with hatred for a second, but she manages to swallow that, somehow.

"Never. She got what she deserved, whatever she cared about in ruins." Somehow, I feel like Saber is not really honest with herself about this.

"Why did you agree to this?" It takes Saber a while to follow my change of topic.

"I didn't want to lose you. No matter what," she says, as if it was nothing.

But to me, those words meant the world. I feel so unbelievably stupid for ever doubting her love or loyalty. She is my knight, after all.

My legs feel too weak, so Saber carries me back to our bed.

I need to talk to Rin tomorrow…


Elimination Battle

I have not really slept well, again. It has been a while since such a situation occurred, but here I am. I simply dread talking to Rin. In hindsight, rejecting the threesome right away would have been more sensible than running off crying. I am more than thankful that Saber came after me, though. But, I am sure, had it happened the other way around, I would have followed her as well.

This is just the kind of relationship we have – no matter what, we would care about and support each other.

I get to Rin's door, and knock. I do not really want to procrastinate this as much as the last time, I fear it would only make things worse. I have muster up all the courage I possibly can, but it will be worth it. There is no answer to my knocking, though. What should I do now? Try again later? There may not be a 'later'.

I decide to just try opening the door – after all, if Rin really wanted peace, she could lock her door. Turns out, she has not done so. When I step in, I can see her still in bed, tapping around on her terminal. The dark bags under her eyes tell that she has not really slept tonight.

"I am sorry for running off like that, yesterday," I say as I bow down slightly. I really feel bad about it. Not as bad as I felt yesterday and I still cannot help but feel somewhat angry and hurt looking at Rin, but I need to learn to swallow those feelings. If Saber can, then so can I. Especially because I should not have to worry about Saber's loyalty. It meant nothing.

"No, it's…not your fault. It's mine. I shouldn't have suggested that," Rin gives in, though she averts my gaze. I do the same, though, trying not to meet her eyes.

"I could have refused. I was…stupid. And selfish," I say. And I know it is true. The only reason why this has not worked out is because I felt so hurt, jealous and insecure upon seeing them kiss. If not for that, we would have had a threesome and Saber would have gotten such a boost that there would be no reason to worry about the battle later.

"You? Selfish?" Rin meets my eyes, visibly shocked about what I said. "You're way too selfless! I was selfish. I didn't suggest it for what I said…for the most part. I just…" Rin does not need to finish this sentence, I do understand her intention. I sigh, then take a deep breath.

"Still, I should have refused but… I am doing this now. Okay?" Rin nods at me, understanding.

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again," promises Rin. I accept her apology and leave her room, giving her space.

I do hope she keeps her promise, because I cannot really stand up for her against Saber in any form of fight if she cannot treat me as just a friend. We will never be more, so I sure hope she finally accepts that.

When my eyes wander to the bed, I find Saber is already awake.

"Ready to go?" I ask her, and with a swift motion she jumps up, materialising her armour, but leaving out the helmet.

"Anytime. Don't you want to repair your jacket?" Saber points at the black sweater I am still wearing as the only thing covering my torso, over a bra, of course. She was the one to rip my uniform's jacket, though.

"There is not so much time left. I am fine like this," I smile at her. Also, what I would prefer not to admit, I do not want to have a perfectly fine jacket. The shredded remainders of mine will always remind me of Saber's built up anger, when I leave her jealous for too long. I would like anything that reminds me of Saber.

In the elevator, Rani and her Berserker, Lü Bu Fengxian, are already waiting for us.

"I see you have come early?" I try to strike up a conversation with this mysterious girl, who may as well be nuts judging from the last time I talked to her.

"Of course. I do not particularly enjoy losing time," she says nonchalantly. Great. She plans to kill us off in a single strike, I think.

"Then, let's just not," says Saber irritated. She seems to have taken offense, but of course. She hates losing so the thought of anyone thinking they could beat her within mere seconds would majorly anger her.

When we step out of the elevator, Saber readies her stance. Now, in the Coliseum, the battle could start anytime, but charging in would be a bad idea. We will wait until Lü Bu strikes, dodge and when he shows an opening attack. Fast. Saber's speed is probably our only advantage.

But, Lü Bu does not move from his spot. Saber seems tense, but very attentive. She would notice any small movement of his to react accordingly.

"Allow me one question – What do you fight for? Why do you want to win?" Rani surprised me with the question, and even Saber glances back at me. Of course, she would wonder about this as well. When we first met, I could not have told her of any reason to fight, but I think I have found one yet.

"I want to be with and protect the ones I love. I may not be able to do much… But I just cannot allow myself to give up, I want to live. I want to live with Saber," I tell her. And this is how I really feel.

I suppose most Masters have a very important wish to them, one that is worth risking their life for. Me wanting to 'live' and risking my life for that seems a bit paradox in comparison.

"But, you will not live. You cannot. You know this, do you not? Out of the Moon Cell, you are as good as dead. What would your wish even be, if you could name one?"

I swallow hard. Yes, I… feared this would be the case. I may not be able to return to the real world, but I am sure there is a solution. Just any solution to allow my wish.

"I want to keep going, I want a peaceful life for Saber. And I want to be there to share it," I say. Yes, if I have to name a wish, that would be it. What I know about Saber's life as Mordred does not sound nice. I want her to have a normal life, one without battles, death and rebellion. Just a normal life, one I have lead before this war.

And, if it is not asking for too much, I would love to be there to share this time with Saber. This happiness is all I want.

"Also, I want to save Rin," I add. I do not want her to die, of course… even though I cannot really imagine how I could fit her into my wishful thinking of my life with Saber, I cannot abandon her either. She is my friend, after all.

"Interesting," comments Rani.

"Are you done already?! Come at me!" Saber grows impatient. From behind her, I can only see that her ears have reddened, so she must be blushing. Maybe what I said was a bit too much for her? We never really talked about what I would wish for, should we win. Maybe Saber even disagrees, but we will talk about this later.

"We are," says Rani, taking out her terminal, seemingly texting someone or at least typing a lot, really fast. "But, there will be no battle. He told me not to fight you, I was to study you. After all…"

Rani casts a Code Cast, similar to the one she used with Rin, though the barrier is forming already between us, despite the fact that we have not laid a finger on her, neither the other way around. Rani smiles at us, though she seems sad.

"After all, you are his Soul."

And with that, an explosion engulfs her.


Epilogue

I cannot make sense of what Rani said at all. Whose 'Soul' am I? I am Hakuno Kishinami, am I not? I have lost my memories, but still, I am me. Saber stays quiet, though.

As we get back to our room, Rin is already waiting for us. "You won?" She seems relieved, and surprised. But mostly relieved.

"Yes," I say. "But we… did nothing, really. Rani killed herself." Rin's eyes widen in shock. Well, this is not the first time Rani did this, and yet, she may have won against us.

"Why would she do that? She had the advantage, for the most part." That seems a bit rude, but then again, it is analytically correct. And Saber as well as I know that it is true and Lü Bu could have killed us with a blindfold, if he really tried.

"She said 'he' told her not to fight me, but to study me… And that I am 'his Soul'. But that makes no sense," I tell Rin.

"Oh my god," she gasps. Then, she takes her terminal and runs scans on me, I suppose.

"What—" I would like to know what she is doing, really.

"Shut up," Rin commands. Saber sits down on the bed, watching us uncomfortably.

"It's true, isn't it," Saber asks Rin. Do they again know something that goes over my head? This feels unfair.

Rin puts down her terminal, bites her bottom lip and nods. "I can't believe it. How could this happen? How long did you know?!"

Saber crossed her arms in front of her chest defensively. "I don't owe you any answers." Rin sighs.

"Could any of you please explain?" Really, I think as the one this concerns the most, I should know.

"Let your girlfriend explain," Rin says, leaving for her own room. Of course, even if it was something crucial, feeling jealous because I am dating Saber instead of her is more important. I look at Saber expectantly.

"You know, you're…not really you here, right? Like, not flesh and blood or anything, like in the real world." I nod. This is some sort of digital simulation, so of course I am not real. My conscience is fused with a cyberframe, like an avatar, so I can move around and interact in this simulation. That is the gist of it, if I remember this correctly.

"A cyberframe is always made of three parts… Mind, Soul and Body. If you don't have all three, you'll vanish soon enough. Though, the Soul…is the least important for the cyberframe to stay intact."

"And I am just a Soul?" I ask. What does this mean, anyway? Saber shrugs.

"From what her check revealed…you only have Hakuno Kishinami's Soul. Her personality, her will. You are Hakuno Kishinami, but without the Mind you don't have memories."

"Then, if my Mind was elsewhere, without my Soul… It would not be me?" This is too philosophical.

"So to say. It's your capacity of thinking, your logic and your memories. Usually the Mind is so influenced by the Soul that even without the Soul, the personality stays somewhat the same, though… I dunno how to put this. Less intensive, and more cold."

"That person Rani talked about…" There is no other way, is there?

"Yes. It's probably your Mind."

"How could I get split like this? And…where is my Body?" Saber rubs her chin, thinking hard on this. I am sure Rin would be more suited for this talk, but she is not available.

"I dunno, really. But if that other you had the Body, you would have disappeared by now. Maybe your Body got destroyed? Then…whoever of you doesn't die, will be the complete one in the end, I suppose."

This goes way over my head. There is another me?!


Why didn't you accept me as your son?

Were you ashamed of the circumstances of my birth? Because I was born to Morgan le Fay, the witch?

Did you despise me because I'm not like others, a homunculus?

Am I not the son you can expect?

I gave my whole life to you. And never once, did I ask for anything in return.

The one time I did, all I wanted was you to call me your son once. To accept me, you were the father I always looked up to, before I even knew of our blood relation.

I wanted to be just like you, a supreme king. Strong, skilled. I knew, as your son, one day I would be.

I loved you.

But you hated me. You couldn't accept me, Mordred, the witch's son.

There was no way I could have loved a father who couldn't accept me. I needed to surpass you, because you were wrong.

You were cruel, and cold.

I wanted to take everything from you, because you took everything from me.

But, father…

Why?