CHAPTER 9:
THE ATTACK ON RULER
Harry knew that Atalanta was actually enjoying feeling the wind blow through her hair as much as he did. True, she could afford to leave a motorbike helmet off her head, what with being a Servant and all. Hell, she didn't even need goggles to protect her eyes against the wind. All she needed was to hold onto him as he drove the motorbike along the moonlit Romanian highway. Reika held Jackie in her lap in the sidecar. Had Jackie (they'd started calling the Assassin this by now) been a normal girl, this could have been seen as unsafe and irresponsible. But, like Atalanta, Jackie was a Servant. Both of them could survive something as trivial as a motorbike accident with nary a scratch.
The motorbike and sidecar had once belonged to his godfather, Sirius Black, though the motorbike had been in the possession of Hogwarts' groundskeeper, a half-Giant called Hagrid, for several years. However, Sirius, as a way to make up for giving Harry to Hagrid to chase down Pettigrew, as well as to make up for so many lost birthdays, renovated the motorbike and sidecar, and even modified it further so it could fold up into a small space, making it easier to carry around when he wasn't riding it.
Harry's thoughts turned to Sirius. His godfather had recently celebrated his marriage to Sola-Ui, the former fiancée of Lord El-Melloi. Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri had not been happy with her engagement to Kayneth Archibald, and it was rumoured that she had considered eloping with his Lancer Servant, Diarmuid of the Love Spot. However, Diarmuid had been too loyal to his Master, and Sola-Ui barely survived the Grail War, though it was rumoured she hastened her fiancée's end.
It was a few years afterwards that she met Sirius Black, and despite his suspicion of her, the two began a rather tentative relationship. It helped that Sirius was very different to Kayneth, and Sola-Ui had had enough of kowtowing to the expectations of her family. It was also at about that time that Remus Lupin began seeing one Bazett Fraga McRemitz, an Enforcer of some note in Clock Tower.
Harry's relationship with them both was cordial, but somewhat distant, especially with Sirius. Sirius had this preconception that Harry was basically James Potter reborn, and there were times when Padfoot rubbed him the wrong way. Remus was better, though he didn't take kindly to Harry's encouragement of trying to embrace his werewolf side. But thanks to Artemis' training, Remus had a better grasp of his werewolf side now, not even needing Wolfsbane Potion.
Anyway, he loved the motorbike, and enjoyed using it when he felt like it. It was rare that he had passengers, though. A small but vocal perverted part of him was also enjoying the feeling of Atalanta's modest but noticeable bust pressing into his back.
Suddenly, her arms, wrapped around his torso, tensed. Shit, had he voiced that out loud? But then, she said, "Harry, up ahead."
Harry followed the hand she was pointing, and saw a man wielding a golden lance perched on a highway sign in the distance. There was a blonde girl in her late teens just below in school uniform. He couldn't tell much more from this distance. "A Servant?"
"Servants, plural," Atalanta said. "Lancer, and…" Suddenly, the Lancer pounced on the girl, who then skidded out of the resulting cloud of dust clad in armour, and wielding…a flagpole?
"Atalanta…can you fire an arrow at him? Just enough to distract him?"
She nodded, standing on the back of the motorbike with the ease of a superhuman Servant, materialising her bow, Tauropolos. He heard the bow whisper, and then, a streak heralded the arrow's path towards the Lancer, who wheeled on them.
The girl with the flagpole saw them approach, and tried to wave them away. "Go back! It's not safe here!" she called out in a French accented voice.
"We'll be the judge of that," Harry said as he brought the motorbike to a halt, Atalanta hopping off the back and aiming her bow at Lancer. "I'm guessing this guy is Lancer…but is he Lancer of Red?"
"Indeed I am," the Lancer said. His skin and hair were pale white, all but shining in the darkness, his eyes an icy blue with slitted pupils. He wore elaborate golden armour over a black bodysuit.
"And I am Ruler," the flag-wielding girl declared. "Archer of Red…and Assassin of Black? What business do you have here?"
"Well, it seems obvious," Harry said. "Though why the hell is Lancer of Red attacking Ruler?"
"Do not ask me why," Lancer said with a shrug. "I am merely following the orders of my Master."
"A handy excuse for throwing away your pride and honour, Lancer," Atalanta said, readying her bow. "Leave now, or we will put an end to you, Red Faction or not. Your Master is a Magus without honour if they have seen fit to kill Ruler."
"Bold words, but…"
"GET HIM, SABER!"
A figure clad in armour attacked Lancer, a man clad in armour, bare at the chest, revealing a glowing sigil on it. His skin was tanned, his handsome features framed by messy white hair. Following him, panting, was a rotund man in a white uniform and a Hitleresque moustache, who reminded Harry unpleasantly of Vernon.
Atalanta kept her bow trained on Lancer, who had leapt back from Saber, but she said, "Your intervention, while unnecessary, is welcome all the same."
Saber didn't say anything, though he seemed to shoot a grateful look at Atalanta all the same. "That was a close one, Ruler," the fat man said, as he huffed and puffed his way towards them. "It looks like we intervened in time to save you from the Red Faction."
"From Lancer of Red. Archer of Red saved me initially. However, you both have my thanks."
Reika's eyes narrowed. "Ahh, you are one of Yggdmillennia's stooges?"
"Stooge?! How dare you!" the fat man snapped. "I am Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia, one of the seven chosen Masters fighting against the oppression of Clock Tower!"
"Right…well, while we're naming names, I'm Harry Jaeger, Master of Archer of Red," Harry said. "This is Reika Rikudou. You wouldn't know her, but thanks to your pal Sagara, she's got…issues with Yggdmillennia. Now that's all settled…what shall we do with Lancer of Red?"
Lancer narrowed his eyes at the Saber. "…While my orders were to kill Ruler, the situation has changed. I will take this opportunity to fight this Servant of the Black Faction."
Gordes snapped, "You do not give the orders around here, insolent Servant! You will be punished for your insolence by Saber and Ruler, and then…"
"Forgive me, Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia, but I will not be assisting your Saber." As the rotund man gawped, Ruler continued, "Lancer making threats against my life is an entirely different matter from an honourable battle between him and Saber. I will not interfere. Should these other Servants wish to assist your Saber, regardless of their affiliation, then I will allow that."
Atalanta shook her head. "Unless Saber wishes for me to assist him, I will not intervene. Whether he or Lancer perishes, I am satisfied. Saber is a member of Yggdmillennia's forces, and Lancer has just attempted to kill Ruler. I doubt that Assassin will intervene either."
"Nope!" chirped Jackie.
Gordes seemed about to have an apoplectic fit, before he snarled, "EXTERMINATE HIM, SABER!"
Lancer nodded. "I see. It seems we will be clashing. I've seen the look in your eye before, Saber, in a man I have crossed blades with in life. Know then that I am Karna, child of Surya the sun god. If you do not fear my lance, then come."
"I am Siegfried, wandering hero of the Netherlands. Pardon my brashness." With that, Saber dashed forward, and the two began fighting.
"Siegfried…Siegfried…why does that name sound familiar?" Harry mused, as they watched the spectacular fight.
"He is one of the main heroes of the Nibelungenlied," Atalanta said. "I have to commend the quality of your Saber, Magus, despite your arrogance. As for Karna, he is from the Indian epic known as the Mahabharata. Didn't Lord El-Melloi II say that Feend vor Sembren would be summoning Lancer? For what reason would an academic from Clock Tower want in trying to kill Ruler?"
"A double-bluff!" Gordes snarled, pointing at them. "You faked an attack by a splinter faction in order to deceive Ruler and to get her to come with you!"
"…Look, we haven't even met the other Masters here yet," Harry retorted, rolling his eyes. "Frankly, if Ruler's supposed to stay neutral, we wouldn't press her."
"And yet, there you are, with the Assassin who was supposed to be part of Yggdmillennia! You admitted to being involved with Sagara's disappearance!" Gordes snapped.
"He tried to murder me in order to summon Assassin," Reika said coldly. "Assassin…took issue with that. Given the cavalier attitude Magi have towards the lives of other people, why should I treat your life with any kind of value, hmm? I'm tempted to have Assassin attack you here and now, and make you squeal like a pig. However, I won't do that. Firstly, Ruler may object. Secondly, and more importantly, I want you to bring a message to Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia. That I will take my time with him."
As Gordes recoiled, Harry, meanwhile, was watching the fight between Karna and Siegfried. While he knew of how superhuman the Servants were due to knowing Atalanta and Jackie for long enough, this was on another level entirely. Soon, part of the nearby field was aflame from Karna's attacks, with both Servants looking fairly well, considering.
"Ruler, I beg you, please lend us your aid. I didn't expect anything better from these Clock Tower curs, but Lancer intended your death!" Gordes begged.
"And I told you before, I shall not interfere," Ruler retorted.
"Then what about this woman who made threats against my person? She stole Assassin from us!"
"I will decide on the matter. However, if your intended Master did intend to murder her to summon Assassin, and Assassin took umbrage with that, I do not believe I have anything to do on the matter." Ruler looked over at Reika. "That being said, please compose yourself. I can understand your anger, but you are not helping the situation, Miss Rikudou."
"Your point? In any case, is it against the rules of the Grail War to kill him by raising his stress levels, and thus his blood pressure? I ask purely for information," Reika asked.
"Insolent little…" Gordes snarled.
"Mind your language, there's a child present," Reika said primly, hugging Assassin to herself in a perversely protective manner, despite the fact that Assassin was stronger than Reika.
As the sun peeked over the horizon, Karna remarked to Siegfried, "Well, while I myself am fine with fighting until the sun rises, your Master seems less content. Therefore, I bid you farewell."
"Lancer, wait!" Ruler snapped, but Karna disappeared in a flurry of light. Sighing, the armoured girl trotted over to Siegfried. "A magnificent display, Saber."
"You have my thanks, Ruler," the taciturn Saber said.
"We have a car ready to take you to our stronghold…" Gordes began, only for Harry to roll his eyes.
"Do you realise how you just sounded, asking a teenaged girl to get into the car with a strange man?" Harry snarked. "If Ruler is meant to be a neutral referee, it's up to her, and her alone, if she goes with anyone."
"Oh? And are you saying she should go with you?" Gordes sneered.
"Uhh, hello? I'm barely able to fit four on my motorbike and sidecar. There's no room for Ruler, even if she did agree, and I doubt she would. Am I right, Ruler?"
"Indeed. I will make my own way, thank you."
Gordes seemed about to have a stroke, before he snapped, "Come Saber, we're leaving! And as for you Clock Tower curs, there will be a reckoning!"
"For you," Reika responded serenely as the man waddled towards his car, and Siegfried shot them an apologetic look, before disappearing in a flurry of magic.
As the car drove away, Harry sighed, before noticing Ruler's suitcase, now a shattered ruin, strewing clothing all over the road. "Reparo," he intoned, waving a hand at the suitcase, which repaired itself under the influence of the spell. "Sorry, thought you'd appreciate that, Ruler, even if you don't want a lift. Though what are you doing in this part of Romania? And with luggage? I didn't think a Servant normally needed a suitcase."
"…I am a somewhat special case. My summoning went awry," Ruler confessed. "My true name is Jeanne d'Arc. When my summoning ran into trouble, I was forced to ask a French girl called Laeticia Delacroix if I could possess her, as she had a compatible body. Thankfully, she agreed willingly. My presence forms a shell around her that absorbs any damage directed at my person, so she will come to no harm."
"Joan of Arc," Atalanta mused. "The Maid of Orleans, the girl who followed the voice of her god to liberate France from the English. So, you are the Ruler Servant. I sincerely hope that the girl you are borrowing your form from will truly come to no harm."
"I hope so myself, Atalanta, Huntress of Arcadia. However, do any of you have any idea why a member of the Red Faction would target me?"
Harry shrugged. "I've no idea…unless Feend vor Sembren was a closet Francophobe. Sorry, that was probably overly facile. I don't have much patience with people in general, and Magi in particular. I think my mother has been a bad influence there."
"And your mother is…?"
"Artemis."
"The Greek goddess of the hunt?" Jeanne blinked in surprise. "Adopted son, then. Small wonder, then, you have summoned Atalanta as your Servant. And you are accompanied by Assassin of Black, true name Jack the Ripper…but can you trust her, knowing what she is?"
Atalanta bristled. "For all her misdeeds, she is a child who never learned the truth values of life and love. She deserves a chance to learn them. I believe we can teach her this. As for Reika, she was embroiled in this against her will. I will protect her as well."
"I see. Your resolve is admirable, and I hope that your trust is not misplaced, Atalanta," Jeanne said. "I would appreciate it if you looked for any irregularities. Karna's attempt to assassinate me, my irregular summoning…I am not a believer in such coincidence."
"We'll be heading to the coordinator of the Red Faction to find answers," Harry said. "Shirou Kotomine. But we won't be working with the main part of the Red Faction. We weren't planning on before, and now, it's looking less and less attractive. Now, we can't have you hitch a lift, but you're sure you don't want, say, a Portkey?"
"No, thank you…"
As they drove off, heading for the church where Kotomine was meant to be, Atalanta said, "Is this wise, speaking to Kotomine after Lancer's attack?"
"Probably not. But sometimes, in hunting, you know as well as I do that sometimes, stealth doesn't matter as much as shaking stuff and making a noise to flush quarry out," Harry said. "If he's innocent, he can point us in the right direction. And if he's collaborating with vor Sembren…well, we might get information anyway…"
CHAPTER 9 ANNOTATIONS:
So, Harry and company have met Jeanne. But what will happen when they meet Shirou?
Review-answering time! rmarcano321: My personal favourite is Doctor Who, though in terms of anime, the Nasuverse is now at the top of the list. Gaming…well, the Final Fantasy games top the list. And as for movies…well, the MCU now.
Onishin Tsukitenshi: Unfortunately, the world (especially the internet) is filled with idiots who lack perspective. Though it's more that I know what misandry actually is, anyway. Sadly, you have a lot of vocal misandrists who make themselves out to be feminists to protect themselves, and thus detract from the genuine feminists. Personally, I am a strong misanthrope.
Guest: I dunno about the Hermione one, but Blake and Kuroka would definitely be interesting. In the cursed sense of the word, anyway, where Kuroka is concerned.
No numbered annotations this time.