I am currently posting this from 30,000 feet in the air, somewhere above vast amounts of water. Going from Oz to UK is a bit of a long trip. Sorry this took so long, been preparing to leave Australia the last couple weeks. Here we go.
Fate/Last Order
++Chapter 5++
"We remember important things when we hurt the most."
The rain has subsided.
The clouds linger.
The ground is dampened red with rain and shed blood.
The stench of death is embedded into the land.
This...
This is peaceful.
...throb
... Oof. A headache... that is what ended up waking me up. I raised myself a bit and found myself draped in a blanket. I instantly recognized this as the one I loaned to Saber... speaking of which.
"Good morning, Saber-"
Of course she wouldn't be there. For one who was supposed to be following my every command, she liked to stray a bit. I groaned as I tossed my legs over the side of the bed, feeling a bit limp in them... somehow, I felt more tired after sleeping. Outside, the sun was shining... no idea what time it could have been. I shakily stood myself up on those legs composed of mere wet noodles and realized that I was still in a set of dirty clothes from yesterday.
What next caught my eye, however, was a set of clothes, neatly piled, in front of the door opposite me. How nice, Tsumiki must have acquired me a change of clothes. So sweet of her. I stumbled over, adjusting myself to the weakness of my legs, and claimed the clothes... and then it dawned on me.
"Wait a minute, if she came here and Saber is gone..."
I could feel the color leaving my face as a terrible scenario introduced itself into my mind. I switched my attire with record-breaking swiftness before bolting out the door and...
"Uwaaah!"
THUD THUD THUD!
I fell down the stairs gracefully like an idiot. This is it. I'm done for. I could feel everything in my body broken and crippled by the time I landed at the foot of the stairs. The great adventures of the amazing Fubuki Endou reach their anticlimactic conclusion...
"Master!"
No, wait. I didn't feel any such pain from the hard landing. Instead... I was floating.
I looked up and saw her plain face, her eyes as daunting as ever.
"Oh... hi Saber."
"Hello, Master."
Blood rushed to my face as I felt myself blush crimson. I was being carried like a dainty bride.
"P-put me down right now!"
After she had set me down, due to my attempts at flailing like a mental patient, I turned to her and just now noticed her new get-up. She had been thrown into a cherry pink sweater, a long skirt, a white bandanna wrapped around her head and was wearing a white apron on her front. She... she looked just like...
"You look like a housewife."
"E-eh?... Oh, I see... Um... thank you."
She blushed. I admit, that was kind of cute... though hold on a second, this was really weird wasn't it? First of all, why was I so flustered about another girl holding me like that? It must've been that position... yeah, definitely that. Okay, second of all... why was she dressed like someone who could actually serve me nicely now? Granted, she looked nice. But...
"Never mind that, where did you go Saber, and where are-"
"Good morning, Miss Endou~."
I was interrupted pleasantly by the voice of Tsumiki who came into view from the kitchen, jolly and innocent as can be. She seemed fine, though the fact that she was not put off by the presence of Saber at all was weird.
"A-ah... good morning, Tsumiki... a-about this! This is, uh..."
For some reason, I fumbled my words for an excuse to the presence of Saber, to no avail however. Despite this, her expression was nothing but reassuring.
"Ah, you mean your friend? I understand fully, it's okay dear. You two ended up here similarly, so I'm more than willing to take care of both of you."
Both of us under similar circumstances? I guess there's some truth to that, though it begs the question to how much Saber has just lied to her about why she is here...
"Your friend seems to be experiencing some memory loss too... she can only remember her name, bless her. I can't pronounce it too well though..."
"Her name? What was it?"
"It was... Aruter?"
"Altera, kind one."
Saber interjected with her correction almost rudely, though Tsumiki seemed more relieved by it than anything. Altera... I didn't know any hero with such a name. There was no way it was her real name... maybe she was suffering from memory loss?
"Even so, it's not really a name we can use."
Haru came by now too, seems he's recovered from the shock... huh, he handled that pretty well. Too well. How suspicious.
"What do you mean?"
"Altera isn't really a name I've heard of from anywhere, so we can't introduce her as such, even if she's foreign... it just sounds odd."
"But... that is indeed my real name..."
Poor thing seemed dejected at her "real" name being debunked so much. I almost felt sorry for her. Though, the idiot was right. If she had lost her memory, this name could have been a mere jumble of whatever she could remember. In that case...
"Let's call her Saber."
"... Come again?"
Haru gave me a look, like I was some kind of weirdo. What a punk. Though, I guess it is a weird suggestion. It has some basis to it, however.
"It's... a nickname I call her a lot! From our time as friends. It's one of those outrageous Western kinda things, ehehe."
"Saber isn't any better than Altera. Though... I guess it's an actual name in some cases, as rare as they are. It'll do I guess."
"But... Altera is a good name..."
Look, you made her pout, Haru. This guy is really insensitive, huh... I resisted the urge to laugh at him as he looked flustered from his rudeness. Tsumiki had meanwhile reentered the kitchen, and was baking up something with a delicious smell... it was almost enough to make the mouth water.
"Breakfast will be served soon. Could you all help me set up the table?"
Awkwardly settling on the decision to label Saber as... well, Saber, we proceeded to help with the breakfast preparation. This kind of stuff... I wasn't familiar with it, usually a table is set for my arrival. I didn't mind it though, it's a nice change at least. However...
"Ah... Ah!"
CRASH!
... It seems Saber isn't used to this at all. At this rate, all of poor Tsumiki's fine china was going to be dropped into smithereens.
"It's okay, Saber. Haru and Miss Endou can set the table, you'll be great at helping me cook though!"
With a sheepish look, Saber scurried away to help with the cooking. Lucky break for her... I would prefer to be doing that than setting the table, in all honesty. Cooking sounded fun.
"I think I'll also go help-"
"You stay right here and do this."
For once, Haru's sternness was conveyed in his words quite well. To reward him for that, I shall indeed endure this manual labor. Usually, I'd think this to be rude, it's nice to see him grow a pair for once though.
"And... don't mention a word of last night to Tsumiki, got it?"
"Huh... scared she will think you're kind of a wuss?"
"I don't think that needs acknowledgement at this point..."
Wow, now he's feeling sorry for himself. At least he is true to his words. Without any further quarreling on the matter of his level of strength, we proceeded to do a fine job of setting the table for what was likely going to be a very fine breakfast.
Breakfast was delicious as always... I missed that nostalgic taste of freshly baked goods, it was some of the greatest toast and muffins I've had in my life! And Madame Ran's cooking was not too shabby, mind you... Tsumiki's cooking had a certain distinctness to it, however. It was difficult to describe, aside from just something wonderful.
After helping clear the table and clean the kitchen, seems the fool wanted to talk to me about something.
"So what do you want?"
"Right... I spoke with the doc the other day, he said he wanted you to come in for a check-up."
"A check-up, eh?"
That sounded fishy. I've heard the stories about the weird doctors that compromise the privacy of their clients... the inhumanity of it all. However, this was a guy who soloed the medical front of the entire town. I doubt he would've had any type of scandalous secret to make people doubt him. Though, doctors can be as tricky as magi. You never quite know what they hide behind locked doors... and masks.
"I suppose that's fine. It's only sensible to do so, I haven't had one in years."
"That's probably a very bad thing!"
"Eh, I rarely get sick, so where's the issue?"
"Don't you have your own doctor where you come from?"
"Ah, no. The maids took care of my every need, even taking care of me when I was ill."
"The maids, huh... well we have no maids here. So this will do."
He seemed to give me quite a glare there... is he opposed to the concept of maids? What guy doesn't like cute maids?
Well, no matter. This was just as par the course around here, it seems. So might as well fit in as best as I can.
"Yeah, let's do that then."
Something then came to mind, quite prominently.
"What about Saber? If she is under similar circumstances to me, it would make sense wouldn't it?"
"Ah... yeah, it would. Though he doesn't know about her yet. I'm not sure. He could maybe help with her memories though?"
That was true, though I'm not quite sure... I want Saber to be remembering too much for now. She seemed dangerous, enough that the amnesia was a bit of a god send.
"Let's leave her here to help Tsumiki around the house, it'll be good for her."
Besides, she was a Servant. It could be dangerous to let a normal doctor inspect her... for both her and the doctor, so might as well rid myself of all risk in that regard.
"Yeah... you're right. We can take her another time. Let's go, then."
"Don't we need to book an appointment?"
"He isn't that busy. We can just walk in anyway, he is expecting us."
The fact that he was expecting us was a little creepy, though I guess they organized this beforehand without my approval. Oh well.
It was a mild day. Some clouds in the sky, just about enough for me to be comfortable. A light breeze here and there. Clearly, it wasn't anything like the weather of home but here it just felt right. Like a home away from home. A point I cannot deny.
We found ourselves in front of that clinic once again. From the previous tour, I had actually not met the doctor since he was out. Inside, it was strange. It seemed like a rustic pharmacy you'd find in the 1900s or something, with wooden aisles and shelves full of brand medicines, and a few shelves with more... unusual looking items. Likely the herbal remedies and stuff, maybe he makes them himself.
... And then I met him-
"Greetings, Miss Endou."
I... this man...
You could say he was a man who had aged well. Seeming to be in his mid-forties, his face was stern and had sharp features, making any expression he would wear into something quite imposing. His keen green eyes watched me, as if they were deducing my very existence based on my appearance... where I came from, and who I was. However, the warm smile adorned on his contrasting features was the most unsettling thing of all. It made me feel at ease, a disarming smile that told you everything was fine, to quell the paranoia... yet equally as much, the discomforting factor of what lies beyond that smile. He held secrets... I knew it.
This man was not a good person... but did that make him a bad person?
I shook his hand, rather firmly. I didn't dare say anything, for once speaking my mind was something I wanted to avoid.
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Young Hatsuharu has spoken amiably about you."
"H-hey now..."
"Anyway, I shall not take up much of your time. I am sure you are a very business lady, Miss Endou. The check-up will be swift and to the point, if you would accompany me into my office."
I didn't want to accept that invitation. Though, it wasn't really an invitation. It was more like a forceful suggestion. It was almost like Magecraft on my mind.
So I found myself walking forward, into his office. Haru stayed outside, out of consideration. I kinda wished he would have come in with me.
I was sat onto a bed, made for patients. His office felt more like a laboratory or scientific study. It contrasted with the storefront, a variety of computer consoles here and there and a white-washed interior, likely sterile. It... reminded me of Chaldea, ever so slightly.
"There is no need to feel intimidated by me. I can see as much in your eyes."
"You are..."
"I am a medical professional, first and foremost. I have taken care of these villagers for years, so you can rest easy. I am just... better than most conventional doctors."
He smiled at me again. I didn't like that smile, though what he said was true. To have taken care of this place by himself was an extraordinary feat, and others had nothing but good to say about him. Maybe my imagination was running a bit too wild.
"Sorry about that, then."
"That is quite alright. Why do you think my wife divorced me?"
He chuckled...
How can you chuckle so casually about that?!
The check-up went without issues. I felt a little bad for doubting him, he really was just a doctor. I've mostly always been good enough health anyway, so the problems that came up were only temporary ones.
"Just how did you get all these scratches and bruises? It is like you fell down a hillside and ended up in a bramble bush."
"Pretty accurate."
I couldn't deny that what I went through was a pretty prickly situation. He stared at me with those perceptive eyes, as if to detect my lie.
"I see. Well, try not doing that anymore. Aside from that, you are infection free. You are quite a healthy subject, Miss Endou, so I shall help all I can to keep it that way."
"Thank you!"
I certainly felt more at ease around him now, after that simple session. After he handed me some ointment for my injuries, I left the clinic with Haru.
"... I still don't like him."
Not matter how easy I could come to feel around him, I just couldn't like him. Maybe I just have an aversion to older men, ever since... that idiot died. Maybe I've been put off men in general since then. I don't know, but I definitely couldn't come to fully tolerate the doctor.
"Aaah... I guess it will take time then. I can understand that he comes off as intimidating to some."
By now, a long suppressed urge had suddenly roused itself within me. I was too distracted by everything up till now to notice it, but now it was becoming unbearable... an Inversion Impulse welling up inside of me, ready to explode, taking over. I tapped Haru on the shoulder... there was no turning back now.
"Haru..."
"E-eh? What's wrong?"
"I... I need... SHOPPING! I NEED TO GO SHOPPING!"
"EHHH?!"
For what has seemed like years, I've been holding it in. Before all this, every week I would explore the city of London on a wondrous shopping spree, sampling goods from all over the world. It was such an experience I had never had during my youth, and it was just cruel for it to last so shortly during my time at Clock Tower, before moving to Chaldea. The itch had become a burn, one that needed to be soothed.
"There must be a mall here right? I haven't seen one but maybe it's underground!"
"If you haven't seen one, then there isn't one! What is this all of a sudden?!"
"That's a lie! It is under here! I swear, I'll start digging and expose all your secrets!"
"What are you, a dog? HEY! Stop digging!"
I stretched my arms as I left the charity store. The burn had been soothed, somewhat. It was enough to satisfy me, though. I even had a fellow to act as my interim bag carrier.
"I really thought you'd go off the deep end for a moment..."
"Oi, at least I didn't make you pay for it. Carrying my precious loot should be a luxury to you."
"Man you're full of yourself..."
"Excuse me? You don't say that to a lady, silly Haru. You need to be more polite."
How rude of him. I suppose I can give him the benefit of the doubt, though. Poor guy went from zero ladies to the best in his life, so clearly the lessons of etiquette need to come in hard and fast.
Anywho, it was about time to go and invest in some lunch. Town seemed bustling as it could get at around this time. The older adults was still a matter at the back of my mind, though I didn't focus too much on it. This seemed like the type of town that would have a sensible population of elderly individuals, with its rustic demeanor, though due to circumstances it couldn't be helped.
We obtained a nice meal at the local cafe. Since I had none of my credentials, Haru was kind enough to pay most of the expenses here. What a gentlemen.
"Ryuka? My, my. That's a lot of shopping."
Tsumiki and Saber suddenly greeted us outside the cafe. Seems like they've been grocery shopping... again. She must get through a lot of produce. I wonder how this town thrives around that.
"Not by choice..."
Thump!
"Ow..."
"He volunteered cause he's such a gentleman!"
"Heheh, that's Ryuka for you. Always tries his best~!"
She started patting her little brother on his head, how adorable. He flushed in embarrassment as Saber helped him with some of the bags. She then came up to me.
"Hello, Master."
Crap. She already broke the hidden rule.
"Saber... no. We went over this."
"What is wrong, Master?"
Don't stare at me so blankly like you have no idea! I was already garnering stares, Tsumiki and Haru included. I waved my hands up in innocence as i pulled Saber to one side.
"Listen, during the day, don't call me "Master". Call me... Fubuki. Alright?"
"... Understood."
She seemed to understand. Though, it wasn't apparent if she was entirely willing to abide by that order. Regardless, we turned to address the audience.
"You see, uh... she calls me that because we are actually members of a... stage-play! Gotta keep our act together!"
Tsumiki's eyes suddenly seemed to light up at that, almost in a scary way.
"Stage-plays?! You should've told me! I love those productions! Which one are you being cast in? Please do tell!"
There's an enthusiasm I didn't expect to witness. Haru was just sweatdropping at me from the sidelines as Tsumiki took the spotlight. She seemed all too eager to hear about my fabricated tales of theatrical expertise... great.
"Uh... the one where... the guy... sings for the girl?"
"... Phantom of the Opera?"
"Yeah! That one!"
"Oooh, that's certainly a classic! I don't recall anyone being called Master in it though-"
"I-It's an alternate rendition, in modern times. Very interesting stuff, I'll tell you more about it another time!"
Time to shift subject.
"Where were you guys headed to anyway?"
"Oh! We were going to take this stuff home and make some sandwiches for the children. Would you like to help us?"
Haru nodded. These children sure were demanding, though it was likely more Tsumiki's charity that was rallying us. Nonetheless, I had no complaints. Saber seemed unsure about this prospect as she gazed at me with a blank look of concern... it's already gotten to the point where I could somewhat tell how she felt from her expressionless face. I guess that's what they call familiarization.
"Let's me drop my spoils of war off, at least."
"Hehehe, great! You are the newly assigned crust-cutter, Miss Endou."
"Ah, you can call me Fubuki, Tsumiki... and eh?! Crust-cutter, really? Something so mundane?"
...
++Interlude 3.5++
The crows watch ensuing conflict...
The sounds of battle filled the night air of the quaint town, though the Bounded Field that had been set prevented it from reaching any innocent ears. Though, Caleb's ears weren't quite innocent enough, nor his sight as he stood ominously atop the town hall's highest point, overseeing a skirmish of Servants from afar with an eagle-like gaze.
"My my, master. You look evil tonight."
The black-clad Lancer with scarlet eyes appeared beside him at a lower point, indicating her position in this business relationship. She was watching him, as he was silhouetted by cloud-mottled moonlight.
"We could swoop in like hawks and claim the prey... but you won't, will you?"
"Nah."
A nihilistic response didn't draw any kind of aggression from her, just a silence of mild contemplation and acceptance. As time passed, the battle seemed to hit a low point as both sides took a breather. She broke the silence again, for it seemed impolite to let it continue.
"Why do you fight in this war?"
"Because it's fun."
"I can see your reasons beyond that. You should be honest with your Servant."
Caleb knew all too well just how wise and insightful his Servant was... and how brazen she could get about such disciplines. Troublesome, he thought.
"If you can see, then why do I need to say it?"
"Because I'd like to hear you admit to those types of things."
She smirked, as if she had seen through him entirely and scoped out some kind of scandalous secret.
"I have no clue what you're seeing, you witch. Though you don't seem to have any issues with it."
"I may do. I am simply biding my time and seeing if it will rip my Master asunder in the long run."
"How cruel... any other Master would find themselves a slave to your whims."
"Sadly."
Lancer deep down was intrigued by the youngster who she had taken to calling Master. A bold youth with some... interesting ulterior motives for this entire scenario, and a deep understanding of the war itself. It was unbecoming of his age and appearance, for he looked like a simple thug... no, that's right. When you burned away the trivial details, he really was just a thug. She realized this a while ago, yet that is what made him interesting... it reminded her of a certain man.
"... What are you gazing at?"
"Your silhouette is nostalgic."
He clicked his tongue.
"Tsk. What the hell is that meant to mean, you hag?"
"I'd be careful with that tongue of yours, Master. Lest you live to see it pried from your jaw."
His first impression was right all along. She really was scary if you didn't stay on the same side of the coin. The fear only made him howl in laughter, however. He could feel insecure as he liked around this ancient witch. That in itself was some form of demented sense of security.
The sounds of battle renewed for a few instances, and then it died out permanently. A winner had been decided... though it seems like it was a Pyrrhic victory.
"That's just disappointing."
"Oh? Did we have bets?"
"Nah. Just... expected a bit more. Maybe I need to procrastinate some more."
"I am content to abide by such a course of action, so long as it is taken in moderation. Remember, we aim to "win this war". Yes, Master?"
Of course, there was something else they sought. They were the villains in this equation, however. Therefore, of course their designated goal was shared with everyone else. They had a role to play, and they would do so with something akin to enthusiasm.
"Yeah. Let's win it."
They vanished into the night, as if they were never there in the first place.
...
++Chapter 5.5++
One week later...
We visited the children daily. They only seemed to get happier each day. Supposedly more people coming to see them made them feel more loved. Well, there was certainly something about seeing smiling children's faces that you could take to heart. It was annoying at times, especially when they wouldn't eat the food I made, or did... things to my precious hair. My precious, precious hair...
"You're shivering, Master."
She never did stop. It had become a normal thing by now, though. Haru and Tsumiki rolled along with splendidly, though the fool always gave me a look every now and again. As I indulged myself with pieces of fish and rice, I briefly recalled Saber's experience with the kids. She seemed a bit unsure at first, likely because... whatever time she was from, she probably didn't see many kids. In fact, I was a tad worried that she would go berserk or something, silly as that sounds. Thankfully...
She acclimatized pretty well. After a couple days, she was starting to play with them too. Little bits of nervousness held her back from some things, though regardless she was implementing herself well with us. We were almost like one big happy family.
After finishing dinner and helping with the washing up, we prepared for bed. There wasn't really much to do in the evenings, otherwise, and I didn't have much in the ways of reading material or time wasters so this just became the routine.
"Good night, Fubuki."
With that same serene smile she'd give me every morning and every night, she retired to her quarters. Haru just gave us a curt nod as she disappeared into his own room. Informal in comparison, though it fit him quite well.
"Master."
As I entered my room, my Servant called to me.
"Hm?"
"We need to mobilize."
Mobilize? As in, move out? I gave her an inquisitive stare... what did she mean by that?
"..."
Oh, that's right. We're fighting a war here... this isn't my new life that I am supposed to living to my fullest. Although, I wouldn't mind just kicking back and letting the rest of my days become spent like this...
"Master, do not tell me that... you've given up?"
She pouted at me. Of course, an entirely different reason caused me to flip a switch and return to my usual senses. I blinked and cursed at the floor as I realized my folly.
"I've been dilly-dallying too much... I got too wrapped up in trying to fit in. No! I have not given up, Saber. In fact, let's mobilize right now! Get our coats, we're heading out."
"A-ah... yes! Very well!"
She seemed enthusiastic for once. I forgot, she probably wasn't very comfortable with just sitting idly all this time, having to life this life with me... granted, she enjoyed it at times, definitely from what I saw. However, there were times where she seemed restless. I assumed she was like a dog or something and just... needed a walk or something. I completely forgot... that-
Servants are basically just Familiars, summoned to fight. Nothing more, nothing less. By subtracting the reason for her being there, I had effectively nullified her existence. Maybe that's why I neglected her up till now. Regardless, it wasn't too late to settle myself back into a proper magus' routine.
We left the house silently as we could, and decided to... go somewhere. I didn't have a plan at all. I didn't even know who the enemy was, save for Assassin and Archer... even then, I had my doubts. Were they really working together? Something didn't seem right about the whole ordeal. There was little point in thinking about it, since I simply didn't have enough facts settled in my mind. Just a sea of doubt.
Hm... an idea sprouted itself in my mind. I decided the town wasn't really the ideal place to be patrolling, since it seemed be a hunting ground for Assassin. Instead, I chose to investigate somewhere that I should have investigated first-hand: the forest.
This forest seemed as dreary to me as it did before. The evergreen landscape only brought back unpleasant memories of recent events. However, most of the snow seemed to have cleared at least. Saber seemed a little thoughtful as she wandered by my side in this area too. She did save me, after all... in her own weird way. I never did ask her about that, actually.
"Saber... you helped me when I was stranded out here. Though why didn't you stay with me? You shouldn't abandon your Master like that."
"Ah... I apologize, Master. There was an immediate threat in the area and I decided to take the battle away from your vulnerable position."
Huh... surprisingly insightful for her. I felt appreciated that she went to such lengths to ensure my security, and a little bad for accusing her of leaving me... I would have definitely been an obstacle if she stuck around. Though, it is a wonder that the enemy did not try to target me. I'd assume I would be a priority, though maybe the enemy is someone completely unrelated, or one that loves to fight?
"Tell me, who did you fight?"
"... I..."
She can't remember. I settle her train of thought with a disappointed sigh, and she gave me a dejected look. It couldn't be helped, I suppose. However, as we came into an opening, she stopped. Seems like she was staring at a certain patch of ground here. So, that must mean...
"It was here, Master. This is where I found you."
"I'm glad you have a better memory of scenery than I do. I was near death though... I think."
That was something else plaguing my mind. I'm thankful for it, but my rate of recovery has been... abnormal. I was near death just a week ago and now I feel like it never happened. I am no average human, though none of my practiced Magecraft dealt with anything such as self-preservation. Never really thought I'd need such abilities... I don't think my circuits were suitable for it anyway. Maybe... Saber was doing something? She shouldn't be able to use Magecraft of any sort in the Saber class, though maybe it's some special ability. It linked up with the timing of when I came here, and as far as I know, I've never had a good recovery rate. After all... that one incident left me bedridden for ages.
Click.
Wait a second.
"Master!"
I felt myself swept off my feet and once again was cradled by my Servant as she saved me from-
CRASH!
The ground kicked up as it was broken apart by a fearsome blunt strike. The sound of it maybe me wince as I clenched my eyes shut, feeling some strong momentum on my body as Saber leaped to relative safety.
"W-what the?!"
I scrambled out of her grasp and landed on my knees, turning around to see-
... What-
"-the heck... is that?!"
Hissing. Whining. Clanking.
A monster of girthy proportion raised its metal club-like weapon from the ground, bits of soil tumbling off of it. Steam hissed and whistled from various pipes along its bodily framework as it shifted, the shrill cries of the vapor ringing in my ears. It was entirely composed of twisted metal, its movements were robotic in nature yet menacing in intent. My eyes squinted as it glared right at me... at me, with a single, vigilant red iris. Like a cyclops. It was as if it were scanning me... scheming my destruction. There was no emotion to be found in the construct's gaze, the only thing I could feel was my own fear.
Two red eyes were glowing in the darkness of the forest now. There were two of these hulking things. Even though they didn't seem much taller than us... they were dangerous. Usually, robots wouldn't faze me. Yet these things... they weren't natural. Not that robots were natural in the first place, but these were not of these world. These were... Familiars.
One suddenly shot forward. It's bulk belied it's speed as it jetted towards us, leaving a trail of steam.
"Master, take cover!"
I ran. I heard the clash of metal against twisted metal behind me as Saber confronted the automaton... followed by the splintering crashes of trees being toppled as Saber was driven back by the force of the enemy. I hid behind a cluster of rocks, crying out as I toppled over them haphazardly in a panic. My back pressed against the uneven rocky mass as I focused on my hearing. The sounds of banging metal continued. Saber was outnumbered, I needed to think fast. Even though they were just Familiars, they seemed to be giving her a hard time... plus, Saber is severely handicapped due to unknown circumstances. Combat was something we needed to avoid entirely until we figured it out.
I unlocked the circuits in my arm. Yes, this should suffice, I thought. They are just mere golems at the end of the day, therefore Magecraft should have more effect on them than it does on Servants. I nodded to myself to bolster my resolve and affirm my intentions, as I clenched my fist. I rose from the rock and vaulted over it, thrusting my arm back-
"-Swarming Auburn!"
I waved my arm out in front of me in an arc, facing towards one of the golems who was in the process of shifting to face me. I filled the air with orbs like angry fireflies and tumbled to the side, ducking behind a tree and making a similar action again from the new position. They hung in the air as the golem started to slowly march towards me.
"Are you underestimating me, idiot?!"
Even machines had such nerve. My arm was heating up... this was enough for now. I snapped my fingers and the temperature cooled. The hanging fireflies flashed and darted forth, homing in on the advancing automaton. I glimpsed around the safety of the tree to evaluate the damage... I couldn't believe my eyes. My bolts were pinging off of its metallic hide like deflected bullets. It continued to march. Swarming Auburn was one of my weaker spells next to Crash, it was a very simple attack involving the fusion of magical energy and heat energy... I thought it would at least melt through that metal though.
I waved my arm again and created two new waves. The heat increased again. I ran to another tree and repeated the gesture. Heat rising. My arm began to throb. Time to switch!
The golem continued to deflect the incoming magical projectiles, its single eyes watching me intently, never letting me out of its line of sight even as I ducked behind cover. I unlocked my other arm and continued creating Swarming Auburns. I heard a crash from elsewhere, more trees being ravaged. The golem raised its club as it came closer and closer.
"Crap! At this rate... I need to pull out a bigger gun..."
I loved the idea of it. I had dozens of offensive spells to put to work here, some of them would definitely be enough for this guy right here. Though... my body protested. That was what I hated. It was like I was born with this amazing potential, but my body could not keep up with it. No matter how hard I had trained, it never became adjusted. My body was weak, but my spirit was strong. I used that hate of myself as my fuel... because it shouldn't protest against this. It shouldn't protest because this is MY body.
I raised both arms up in front of me as it came threateningly close. Heat was rising along every bit of my arms now, from fingertips to the shoulders.
"Stay away! You will regret getting any closer!"
As if this mindless construct would heed such a threat. There was some semblance of hope in the back of my mind that something humane resided within that armor, though as I stared into the glowing red gaze of its single eye... it was essentially staring into the emptiness of an object made to destroy.
"Here I come!"
As I said this, Saber came twirling in the air, out of nowhere. The moonlight shining down from the parted tree canopy silhouetted her form as she delivered a fierce kick to the side of the golem, before using that momentum to drive her sword hilt into its head. I could hear the metal buckle and dent, as the golem was pushed aside a bit.
"Yes! Way to go, Saber!"
However-
The howl of steam jetting was heard as its arm shot upwards. Saber yelped as she was grabbed in mid-air, caught right in its crushing iron grip. She groaned in pain as the construct started to squeeze down... squeezing her like some toy, right in front of my eyes.
"No! Let go of my Servant!"
I ran forward without thinking. What on earth was I doing? All that I knew was that I couldn't lose Saber. Not now, not here. I needed her. She was too valuable to lose! No... it was something else as well. She was useful, yet at the same time... I felt like I wanted to save her.
"M-Master! It's too... hnngh! Dangerous!"
The golem's hand tightened more, cutting her off from speaking as air was forced out of her confined lungs. I channeled energy through my left arm. The heat was intense, it was throbbing from within. I was about to lunge at this golem, to take it on at point blank range. It was utter suicide. I didn't care, though. I didn't have the capacity in my mind to care right now. All that mattered was my safety. Her safety. Our safety.
The golem's head exploded in a burst of shrapnel, fire and expended steam. The red glare vanished in an instant. I stopped dead in my tracks as pieces of flying metal whistled past my head. Saber was released from its grasp as it toppled over backwards, half of its head completely demolished and smoking. The other construct would experience a similar fate as it was shot through the torso by a familiar projectile, followed by a cleaving attack that dismembered its right section, causing it to explode.
"Get down!"
Saber seized me and threw me to the ground harshly. I yelped from the impact as I felt my body shaken to its core by the force of Saber's action, plus the explosion of the golem. She didn't spend long on top of me, standing up quickly to assess the situation. I did the same, adrenaline belying the agony my body was likely in.
Both golems had just been put out of commission in an instant. A surprise attack. The one that exploded left small flickering flames in its wake, scattered around the area.
Saber tensed up and raised her weapon. I turned to where her gaze wandered, and saw...
Assassin.
I felt the adrenaline expelled from my body suddenly and my legs became wet noodles. I clung to Saber and looked around frantically for an escape route.
"S-Saber, we need-"
"Stop. We're not here to kill you."
Assassin spoke out to us. I stopped and took a deep breath, glaring at the one who had tried to kill me not so long ago. She had a rather unamused look on her scarred features, and her tone of voice sounded like she didn't want to be an ambassador right now. However, she was not brandishing her weapon like before. Instead, she clipped it to her side, away from our eyes, as she addressed us. Saber lowered her weapon as well, watching her movements carefully.
"Don't look at me like that... I'm friendly now, I swear."
"Why the change of heart, Assassin?"
Even though I was trembling, I felt the need to figure out some answers and facts. This opportunity could not be allowed to escape me.
"Assassin? You're mistaken. I am Rider."
"R-Rider? I see... so it's Rider and Archer that are collaborating against us."
"Archer? Huh... Ah, yes. Yeah, sure. I will roll with that."
She chuckled. Is she mocking me? I growled a little, though Saber gave me a reassuring look as she loosened up her stance a bit... if Saber was feeling safer around them now... no, I needed to stay like this. My legs were giving out.
"You can rely on my support Master. Rider is not here to harm us anymore."
I raised myself a bit more, my arms aching as well. I didn't want to see too weak though, just in case Rider here... developed some kind of killing urge. She walked up to us, holding a letter out towards Saber. Up close and seeing her properly, she really was on the short-side. The height was a great compliment to the way she battles, however. Not like a bold warrior, but a slinking assassin. She would've fit that class perfectly... after all, she didn't feel very heroic to be around. Then again... neither did Saber, in some way.
Saber took the letter and continued to stare at Rider.
"Ahem... that is all. Heed the words in that letter, otherwise we will simply attack you next time and finish what we started."
With that ominous statement, Rider turned and leaped away like a jackrabbit, disappearing into the surrounding treeline of darkness. Saber handed me the envelope, which wasn't even sealed properly. Seems like it was put together in a rush. I pried it open and tore the letter out of its holding.
"To the port... to negotiate? Do they think we are that stupid to fall for such an obvious trap?"
"I do think there is more to it than that, Master. However, we should still proceed with caution."
Saber was right. Even though I felt like they wanted to mock me and kill me in a humiliating way, we didn't have many other options. The golems seem to be their enemies too, so that was a little reassuring. I folded the envelope up and pocketed it, managing to steady my stance now.
"I suppose... we shall go there now then. They went out of their way to deliver this to us. I should at least have the decency to thank them in person. If they try anything funny though..."
"... Yes, Master?"
I didn't feel like we could do much against this type of adversary. This is what the Grail War was about though. It shouldn't be a surprise at all to be coming against veterans in this equation. Regardless, I wasn't going to be put down by such presumption. All I needed to do was figure out a good plan to get me through this safely... and this was ideal for me to think up something off of.
"We'll give them hell. Let's go."
