Konnichiwa! Planeshunter desu! It's has been a long time! Long story short, a lot of things happened. But complaining about everything is a bad habit I'm trying to stop, so let's say this is kind of a season change.
Since it was so long, I'll do a quick review of the key points of the history. Let's see…
Archer and Caster had an epic battle that was interrupted when Assassin took Caster down and Miyako did the same for Will.
Lancer, Saber and Berserker had a three-way lockdown, that was broken by Leon's spell. That killed poor Raidou (Remember he's not THE Raidou Kuzunoha) and allowed him to escape, only to be caught later by Saber thanks to one of Assassin's traps. Berserker was downed there.
Chloe finally tracked down and ambushed a weakened Archer, displaying an amazing power and a fearsome Reality Marble. She then proceeds to summon her own Servant, True Archer.
Servantless Leon and Masterless Lancer formed a new contract.
Servant Avenger is summoned and begins messing around with the war.
Oh, and Tengu finishes his journey in good spirits, but is approached by Naoe Yamato as soon as he leaves the train.
With that, let's the world turn once more!
We are in a big hotel room that is obviously not their room. Probably not even on the same hotel they are staying in. Shiina-san is serving us tea, all calm and elegance, the perfect example of a Yamato Nadeshiko. If you let her killing stare slide.
-"An alliance"
Naoe Yamato nods, smiling in that soft, reassuring way of his. My antisocial sense tingles.
-"With us."
He nods again, but his wife's expression only shows infinite disdain.
-"You know, I would be happier about this proposal if Mrs. Naoe wasn't glaring daggers my way..."
Now It's Rider's turn to nod firmly, with eyes closed and arms crossed. Miyako has the decency of blushing a little, but she doesn't stop glaring.
-"Please, forgive my wife" -Smooth, way too smooth. Did he seem so fishy the first time we met? Maybe I'm getting paranoid. Well, you would be a bit touchy too if you were summoned to a surprise war room right after coming back from vacat… work, I mean work. What else could I mean?- "She has made a point in not trusting anyone during this war."
-"A good policy in my opinion"
Actually, I'm sure there is good tease material there. Here we are, obviously against her wishes, but Yamato is the Tactician, so she reluctantly follows. If I were to put a smug grin on my face and insinuate her simple-mindedness on the matter, I'm pretty sure we would see an interesting reaction.
And then Miyako Shiina would hate my guts with passionate animosity for the rest of my life, which would probably be exactly as long as our (obviously temporary) alliance. Yup, every jester knows when his neck is really at stake. Even Rider and me.
-"But why us?" -Rider interjects- "We ain't exactly the favored bet here (ze)."
-"Because your "Tengu", with all his shortcomings, is smarter than he looks." -Rider nods, arms crossed-"That and he has the ego of a bowling ball"
-"Hey!" -I can't help but yell when she nods again- "That's no way to suck up to someone!"
Meh, Rider is sharp, but this guy plays on a different league. With just the casual chat we had in a bus days ago he already sees through me. Saying I have no ego is going overboard, of course. But truth is I don't care much about a lot of things. Anything's fine. Greed is not made for me. That short of thing. Actually, if not for my honest admiration towards ambitious people, I would be the perfect example of buddhist asceticism. (And my lack of control towards my urges, and my compulsive lying, and my overall lazyness, and… ok, let's stop.)
So he wants someone he can boss around. I don't really care and he knows. And he knows I know. And since I know, he probably knows that too. But I enjoy messing up with people too much to just accept.
-"So, how would you like to do this? Do you have Self-Gaiss scrolls?"
-"I certainly do" -Damn, having contacts sure is useful. Maybe I should have been more sociable during my life...- "Does it mean we are on accord terms?"
-"Not so fast, this alliance places you in a pretty good position, so I have some demands on my own" -He doesn't react, but I wasn't expecting him to anyway. Miyako's poker face is also good, but since I was looking for it, the quick glance she casts towards her husband doesn't go unnoticed- "First, I will hear your wish for the Grail, but ours are our own."
Now it's time for Rider to steal a glance my way. And I'm sure it didn't go unnoticed either. But so what? It's not like he can know what I'm planning, not this time. And I won't think too much about it either, I haven't discarded this guy's being able to read minds.
Interlude: The Devil and the Knight
Lancer is leaning on a wall, clearly displeased. Her last Master was a brat, but that brat had a decent place to go back to. This guy seems to sleep at random places through the city. Well, she can turn into Astral Form whenever, so things could be worse, but using a decent bed every night seems a bigger deal now that she cannot anymore.
-"Hey Master, you never told me how Saber mopped the floor with you." -She's actually more bored than pissed, but being mean is kind of her policy- "You slithered away some decent advantage with you big boom magic."
Her Master (can you believe he hasn't even stated his name?) almost glares at her. Not with real animosity, more like that's his default. And for a second she's convinced her question won't find any answer. Finally, after some long seconds of trading stares (the stud is quite good, but she has a lot of practice) he stands up, looking away.
-"I triggered a trap."
-"Assassin?" -Her Master nods, and she holds a sigh of relief. She had scouted on him before and, even if it was a pain, she could take him on. But a second trap user could be a royal pain- "Don't beat yourself too much about it, I'd bet most of the obvious escape routes of the whole city are already bobby trapped by now."
He just nods again. This Master's apathism is the exact opposite of her last, and somehow way more infuriating.
-"So?" -He throws her way a "so what?" kind of look- "What happened next? I could tell you didn't want to fight Saber directly, but why? Berserker was pretty powerful."
-"At first it was just a gut feeling" -He stares at the floor, and pauses himself. After a long pause, he seems to give up on something and starts talking more openly- "She was acting far too confident. Berserker's raw strength was formidable, for someone to just try a straight charge against him would be plain suicidal but..."
-"So she did?"
-"When I got struck by the trap, Berserker materialized to protect me. She rushed in and just..." -He struggles to find the right word. Just how hardcore was that blondie?- "Cut him down. With a single strike."
-"What! A Servant with a single strike? No matter how reckless Berserker was, what kind of Noble Phantasm takes down a legendary hero just like that?"
-"Actually, she let slip that it wasn't even a Noble Phantasm, but some technique called Ougi, Zanmaken Ni No Tachi (Secret Technique: Evil-Cutting Sword, Second Strike)"
Lancer whistles. Well that explains everything. Even in Makai you can hear rumors about the infamous Shinmei-ryū dō exorcism style.
-"You had really, really bad luck there, Master. The Zanmaken Ni No Tachi cuts down spiritual or energetic bodies while just phasing through obstacles. Even supernatural barriers can be bypassed by true masters. I'm guessing your Servant wasn't too sturdy under it's unreasonable barrier."
He nods again, and she sighs.
-"The Shinmei-ryū dō is a fighting style developed against the supernatural, and some of the followers of the style count amongst the strongest warriors of their respective ages." -She has never met a practitioner, but it's rumored that even greater demons have trouble against them- "Pretty much anything in this war will be at a disadvantage against her."
-"You?"
She laughs.
-"Greater demons like me can soften the blow of this kind of exorcism techniques, but that's all. Don't worry though, no one has seen yet the true strength of this Lancer-sama!"
He doesn't seem too impressed by her victory pose. Well, so much the worse for him.
After some surprisingly easy negotiations, we are walking back home. As pretty much every time we finish any kind of War-related interaction, Rider takes her time chewing me out for my mistakes. Dear me, for someone contributing so little in conversations, she sure is picky about other's performance…
-"Couldn't ya tell they were desperate (ze)? What's with that sissy demands?"
-"I could tell, but you know what? That guy in front of us was smarter than you and me together, probably more than you and me multiplied." -I usually take the storm silently, but this time is important. If Rider keeps underestimating our new ally we could end in deep shit- "He will get the best out of every deal, you can be sure. But paranoia can save us for messing up too badly."
-"Still, we could've..."
-"You know what I didn't see?" -She pouts when I interrupt her, but still listens- "I didn't see Assasin. Sure, they wanted an alliance. But I'm guessing taking down an unwilling or too demanding potential ally would still be acceptable for them"
That shuts her up for a short while, as she starts rummaging through her hat, finally pulling a familiar big, purple-spotted shroom.
-"Now that ya mention it..." -She finally says thoughtfully- "The place was packed these little guys (ze)"
Don't do it Tengu, it's not worth it… Sighing with exasperation I contain the impulse of facepalming. Too many hits on the head can have permanent side effects.
-"So now they know their traps won't work on us."
-"What's wrong with that (ze)? It's a good threat! Now they know better than messing with us (ze)!"
Wow that sounded really defensive. I bet her kleptomania took the best of her and she didn't even think about what she was doing. Still she could be right. It's not really my style, since I'm the kind who hogs all his aces until the very last second, but let's be honest there, even I know that's not a good strategy. The "You cannot ambush us" insinuation could have helped on the negotiations without me realizing.
-"Have it your way"
-"But ya sure got the paranoid act right, Tengu" -She's all confidence again- "That part about making him write a new contract right then and there in front of us got me good (ze)."
-"Well, he had two sheets, one for us and one for them." -Comprehension lights her eyes. Well, she's a clever girl after all- "I had no way of knowing if both were really self-gaiss paper. Honestly, I'm more worried about Servants not signing."
-"Can't be helped (ze). My Magic Resistance would mess up the contract, and Assassin would've been in disadvantage."
-"He surely left instructions for Assassin before signing the contract. you know, the kind like "Even if I order you not to afterwards, kill my ally when he does this or that". I'm not going to sleep well for a while."
Of course I asked Yamato specifically if he was planning something of the short. But faeries and Aes Sedai have proved that is perfectly possible to lie while saying only the truth. The only point we don't talk about is their wish, but I'm pretty sure Rider thinks the same as me. Anyway…
-"What now Tengu? Some patrol? Anything to sightsee?" -Now she's just jumping on her feet. Man she truly follows her own rhythm, that way of shifting moods cannot be healthy- "After two days out, we don't know what changed around the city!"
-"We are going home" -She drops her arms, and looks at me with the begging eyes of a puppy- "No emotional blackmail!. In case you forgot, I work writing reviews about travels. My job is only half done and we are still penniless."
Also, no matter how much of a Heroic Spirit she is, for whatever the reason she has been on an emotional rollercoaster since we departed. I'd rather have her rest for a while before something inside that hard head of hers overheats.
With that in mind, I guess some traditional japanese cooking would be a nice choice for dinner. I should stop over the convenience store and pick some coffee too, this article is going to be an all-nighter. And maybe they have some of those pyrotechnics for kids, I'm sure lighting some sparklers on the rooftop would cheer Rider up without making her go hyper again.
That's how Riders ends up pouting while watching a sparkler consume on her hands. Ok, that dumb Tengu has to work. Ok, she's, just maybe, a teeeeeny bit distracting. But calling her a bother and treating her like some kid was way over the top… The fireworks sure were pretty though, no point in wasting them because of a jerk.
So she lights and watches each firework consume. There is something relaxing in its frantic sparks, even hipnotic. If you get them out of focus, suddenly you feel way calmer. And that's a good thing, she has a lot to think about. For starters what's wrong with his Master?
For such an unimpressive person, he has shown a lot of facets. But who's the real Tengu? (and how come she still doesn't know his real name? sheesh...) The mischievous plotter always getting foiled by dumb mistakes? The lazy bum who claims work shouldn't be required to survive? Maybe the apathetic guy that seems unable to get interested in anything for five consecutive minutes? The brainless idiot who got himself caught in a battle royale between mages without batting an eyelash? The heroic fool who stayed with her when Saber made a number on her? So many facets… many of them diametrically opposed. And every single one seems artificial, or maybe just a bit forced. Does she know him at all?
Somehow, the sulky mood he got into earlier felt more real than anything else, and that's a bit unsettling. But whatever. She has never been the kind to dwell on small details, and hanging around him is fun enough.
But that's not all, from the start, there has been something VERY wrong with this war. Like the very information derived from the Grail, that all Servants get and is supposed to provide them with the base knowledge and common sense fitting the time and place of the war, were biased. What she wouldn't give for Discernment of the Poor sometimes…
Nothing she can do there either, really. Simply see what happens next. She then smiles to herself, quite warmly. Maybe that philosophy was the only thing she had in common with Reimu. They were always like oil and water. But for some reason they both seemed incapable of worrying about the future. Like Tengu, now that she thinks about it.
It's that why she feels so comfortable around him? Cuz he acts like her old… friend? rival? Actually, there is a better word, but she resists to give shape to that particular thought.
Why is she thinking so much anyway? She has been summoned to the best party ever, she's already kicked the bucket, so it doesn't matter even if she dies. No true wish to pressure her into winning either. Her Master is a nice guy (even with all his faults) and she's freeloading without anyone complaining for once.
She's painfully conscious about the fact that she wouldn't usually be summoned into the War. Calling her a Heroic Spirit, even a Legend, is stretching those terms a lot. So who cares about a few shady parts in this war? Actually, shady manipulations have been part of the Holy Grail War since… forever. There is really no need to freak over it.
And like that, satisfied with her conclusion, Rider got back into Tengu's apartament, masterfully ignoring that small part of her that called her a coward for not confronting her real feelings.
Interlude: We have an army
Leon waits impassive, arms crossed, while his new Servant readies for a ritual. Instead of drawing circles like mages seem to do around here, she seems to push the magical flow around, forcing the circles to appear by themselves. It's like seeing the handle of a water tap turning by itself because the water pressure is too strong to be stopped.
Any magus would be scared shitless by this display. But he has seen similar feats before. Also, it's kind of amusing to watch her getting all worked up when he doesn't react to her showing off, but he won't ever admit that. Finally, she finishes her preparations, and pulls a blue glowing vial from her top (where exactly did she manage to hide it?). She looks inside intently for a while, before shrugging and smashing it against the floor.
The effect is immediate. A powerful mana current is unleashed, and quickly flows into the magic circles. They turn clear blue, the same tone of the flask, but progressively get redder until they shine with Lancer's hair color. Then, painfully slow, the massive magical flow rises from the ground, losing glow as it gets higher.
It's easy to see why the movement is so slow, and why the shine is disappearing. The whole circle is acting as a portal, and as it goes up, it reveals a sea of peg legs, followed by the bodies of a legion of prinnies. The preparations have been made.
-"Ok guys, let's go party!"
The army cheers and Lancer smiles. She has promised to "squish Assassin like a bug", but Leon can only raise an eyebrow at the lack of efficacy of her methods. The slippery Servant fights using landmines as his main weapon. He can't see how an army can be effective, especially in the limited space of a city.
Shiina Miyako gazes at the first rays of light from her room's balcony. Usually she measures her mood from warm to pure bliss, as being married with her husband is enough to take any sadness away. Still, she's kind of melancholic tonight. Contrary to common sense, there was no big trauma or hopeless wish compelling her to the War. Yamato wanted the Grail, that was enough for her.
To say the truth, she hadn't really felt sad in a long, long time. Since that day Yamato protected her from the bullies, and became a member of the Kazama Family. Her life had been so oppressing before, that everything looked enjoyable and warm in comparison.
She doesn't delude herself. Something inside her heart is broken since long ago. She doesn't face life the same way people around her do. And even during the incident that created Akuma, she didn't really share the despair of her friends. Just an annoying restlessness and worry for Yamato's wellbeing.
But tonight… The darkness seems darker and the stars look smaller. Only now the full realization of yesterday's actions have hit her. She is a killer. Another human being has perished because of her direct actions. She's not feeling bad because of the kill, but because the lack of feelings the killing caused. It had shook her back then, but now, in the lonely silence of the night, fearsome questions pop in her head. Can she be a proper lover when she doesn't have proper emotions? What kind of person kills others without feeling neither pain nor joy?
-"Tears are all dried up, kid."
Assassin's deep voice make her jump. What's he doing here? He has pretty much ignored her up to now, even if she's the one supplying prana. Not that she cared, the little Servant has always seemed a bit… unsettling. And they roles overlapped anyway, she doesn't fraternize with competition.
-"What do you mean, Assassin?"
-"We don't feel anything."
That hits home even if not completely true either. After all, she does love Yamato and that's everything she needs. But what if it's just the beginning? What if she loses those feelings too? She's worried about not caring anymore.
-"That's the problem" -Miyako looks around, making sure Yamato isn't around- "Maybe you are fine with that, but I don't want to become a monster."
-"Sight. Shoot. Reload"
Why must this guy talk in code? There's no way to understand him!
-"If you mean I should just keep fighting, that's exactly what I had in mind, thank you very much. But that doesn't solve my problems. I'm fine with losing everything else, but there is a feeling I can't afford to lose."
-"We all live in the jaws of the beast."
-"You get me, huh? So you just keep going and hope for the best?"
-"Face toward the enemy."
-"I suppose you are right, what's important remains. After all…"
She stops herself, there is something wrong. The sound of people has vanished, and a menacing aura fills the air. She can feel killing intent all around them. It's weak and widespread, feels more like a swarm than like a real enemy. The she starts seeing eyes in the dark. Countless pairs of eyes. On the floor. On the opposite building… She leans out the balcony and sees a number of them climbing the walls of the hotel. Assassin's last words had nothing to do with their talk.
-"Where is Yamato? We are under attack!"
I stand again in the Forest of Solitude. It's not time yet to despair, I may be alone, but there are still challenges, there are still mysteries. I figure the day they run out will be the one my life loses its joy, but realizing it is no reason for stopping. As long as questions exists, there will be a will to answer them. Mine.
Today I made a breakthrough, the nature of the strongest finally makes sense. As youkai are born from human's fears, it's only fitting for the mightiests one to be born from their darkest fears, and the one only humans can have.
There is one boundary more important than the one between reality and phantasy, more important that the one between life and death, or even light and darkness. And that's One's Boundary. What makes humans human it's nothing else than their sense of self.
Reason make humans stand over animals, allows them to differentiate concepts, to draw borders, that's what boundaries are fuelled for. So there we have it. The fear of losing One's Self. Yukari Yakumo, the youkai who rules over borders and reason.
This is but the first step, like finding the end of a ball of yarn. After all, the Youkai Sage's vastness was unmeasurable. But it's still a clear starting point. Someday, everything about her will fit inside my Grimoire.
Huh? Looks like I dozed off… Hurriedly, I check my last sent mails and sigh in relief. It's done and sent. I should have my paycheck ready tomorrow morning, but knowing how public administration works, we'll probably have to survive with instant ramen and similar junk for another week. Anyway, that means I can finally focus in the War again.
Stretching and yawning widely, I think about how this was far more enjoyable when Rider just wanted to fool around, but since we insisted in making our own life more complicated, we might as well do it right. If you think about it like a strategy game, it becomes quite entertaining on its own way.
Luckily Freaks is online, I really should have some words with him. After all, only he knows for sure which servants are in and out.
*Hey Freaks, hows goin?*
*Too hectic tbh. you know how many irregularities we had in this War?*
*Sounds like you have it rough. How many Servants are still out there?*
*I really shouldn't be telling you, but what the hell, everybody is screwing the rules, so fuck them.*
*Archer, Caster and Berserker are out, Berserker's Master survived, and made a new contract with Lancer, who lost hers*
*So only four remaining?*
*If only, There have been… unforeseen summonings*
I know, I have my dreams after all. Chloe finally managed to summon her own Servant.
*I feel ya, man. Trouble with your higher-ups?*
*Meh. They kinda expect cheating and shit left and right, is the Church's opinion of mages, lol*
*So what did the Einzbern gal summon?*
*She insists in calling her servant True Archer. Is just a regular Archer if you ask me.*
*Well, the girl really deserved a chance in the war, even if she's a bitch. Don't be too hard on her*
*What? no, no, she's cool. Sucks for you, but she pays*
*?*
*Somehow we got an Avenger mixed in all this shit*
Now he got me good. A Servant I didn't dream about? Serves me right, never trust too much in strange abilities you cannot explain. It takes a spam column of copy-pasted messages to make me focus again in the chat.
*Oi Tengu, you afk?*
*Oi Tengu, you afk?*
*Oi Tengu, you afk?*
*Oi Tengu, you afk?*
*Oi Tengu, you afk?*
*Oi Tengu, you afk?*
*Oi Tengu, you afk?*
*Oi Tengu, you afk?*
*Oi Tengu, you afk?*
*Oi Tengu, you afk?*
*Oi Tengu, you afk?*
*Sry sry. What about that?*
*A magnificent bastard. There's a reward for his head btw*
*Cash?*
*You wish, an extra Command Spell*
*Juicy enough ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, what do u know?*
*Wears a high school uniform and is immortal*
*Dafuq?*
*Chloe's Servant vaporized him, the next second he was standing there like nothing. My wall still has a hole T_T*
Let's not panic here, he's NOT immortal. Immortals cannot become heroic spirits, since dying is a requisite. Still, if some specific method is required for him to die, I'll really need to know his legend. That other mysterious power of mine would come handy now but with my luck, this bastard's sure to be immune.
As I decide to call Rider and hold a strategy meeting. The door opens behind me.
-"Oh, Rider, I was about to call you…"
-"[I'm sorry, but Rider is in another castle]"
The unfamiliar voice makes me turn around. A black haired boy stands in front of me. He wears a dark high school uniform, and his body is kind of lanky. He would look harmless enough if not for Freak's warning. And the fact that he just entered my home uninvited, duh.
-"Who are you?" -Shit! Should I use my Command Spells? But it's the last one…-"What do you want?"
-"[Oh, please, no need to be so defensive!]" -His voice is so insincere that I'm actually feeling nauseated- "[I'm just in for a little trade.]"
-"Mommy always told me to not trade with rogue Servants"
-"[I'm sure you can find in your heart some trust for a harmless stranger]" -The smile never leaves his face, but his eyes (creepy, shineless eyes, by the way) squint slightly, as if trying to ascertain something- "[Will you at least hear me out?]"
-"I don't really have a choice, have I?"
-"[No, actually you haven't]" -His smile grows wider, and his expression looks genuinely happy (Except his eyes)- "[It would do some good for you too. I'll give you some intel to save your allies and in exchange you keep any intel about me secret for them.]"
-"That sounds… good."
Actually, sounds incredibly convoluted. If Yamato and Assassin are really in such a deep shit, letting the War follow it's natural course would make unnecessary to keep any secrets. I have watched enough plot twists to know no one does this without ulterior motives. Then again, I might lose my allies if I don't accept.
-"[Then we have a deal?]"
-"If it turns out that they didn't need my help, I'm spilling the beans."
-"[That's only fair, isn't it?]" -I hate this. At this point I'm already used to not be in control of the situation, but being under his thumb feels like scrubbing a wound with sandpaper. Dunno if it's on just his behavior or some kind of curse, but I want to deny this guy with all my might.- "[Your allies' base is under attack right now. You should arrive in time if you hurry.]"
-"Oi, Tengu!" -That's Rider's voice. Avenger signals me to remain silent and fades into his astral form- "I'm out of fireworks! Who were you talking to?"
-"Yamato just called, they are under attack." -She eyes me suspiciously I guess she heard the other voice. Man, I forgot she was my ally too, keeping her out of the Avenger mess is also part of the deal- "Ever heard of the hands free function? I was typing."
I actually expected her to keep questioning me, but she just pulls her broom and opens the window.
-"Let's go then. Unless you want to betray them already..."
Heh, I'm not the kind that betrays. Anyway, I'm already feeling the self-gaiss contract tugging in my mind, so I would have to go help them even if I didn't want to.
-"Let's go save some asses!" -She rises her fist and cheers with me, let's forget about the complicated stuff and do some saving- "Man, I'd love to see Miyako's face when we get her out of trouble!"
Interlude: They have a Teemo
Leon watches how the fight unfolds, trying hard to not clench his fists. Another explosion, another pack of prinnies screaming in pain. This is no different from the last time. At least not for the ones in the front line. This time he's just observing from some distance away with Lancer. The situation is chaotic, but not as much as it looked last time.
Remembering how it felt for him and his Servant, he can't help but empathize with the prinnies, obliterated by a force they cannot even see. And yet Lancer still smiles. She seems to find enjoyment in her own troops being decimated like this. And let's not forget about the army itself, they are throwing themselves to death like nothing.
-"So… Are those guys mind-controlled?" -He cannot hold his curiosity anymore- "Or are they plain stupid? How come they suicide like that without a word of protest?"
-"Well, they aren't the sharpest hammers in the knife drawer, that's for sure. But I like to think I'm more scary than dieing."
She turns her attention back at her minions. In spite of being wiped like fish in a barrel, they are cleaning all the traps in the area. Then she frowns.
-"You know? I haven't seen Assassin even once, looks like he's not trying to fight. If he abandons his Master and runs away, this could get ugly. My fodder is not infinit…"
She readies her spear right on time to stop an arrow coming from the darkness. But as she does it, her back gets totally exposed for a second shot from a completely different angle. A dart cleanly hits her neck, injecting something. Her face contorts with pain, and she takes her left hand to her eyes.
-"He got me! I can't see!"
Leon raises his hand and casts Esuna, right at the same time, a second shot hits him in his left shoulder. This second shot was clearly hasty, if he had been shot with the precision of that first attack, he would be dead. But that's about everything he can think before an all-consuming pain surges from the wound.
He doesn't fall unconscious, but the burning feeling is so intense he can't think straight. He hears some more shots, and what sounds like Lancer's spear blocking them. Then, another flesh-piercing sound and a muttered curse.
-"Where are you hiding, bastards? Come here or I'll level the whole district!"
Gathering all his strength, Leon opens his eyes again. An arrow is lodged in Lancer's left foreleg, and she's covering her face with her hand again. What's the deal with those darts? Heroic Spirits are immune to normal poison, and her Magic Resistance should protect her from supernatural effects...
-"Smell that?" -That's the voice of Assassin, seemingly from nowhere- "That's fear."
What if… The author had picked his other Avenger candidate?
As we fly through the last corridor, I can't help but feel the anticipation building up. We have bested everything in our way, no more Heroic Spirits in this war. True, that means seven Servants have already fallen, and the Grail was perfectly usable without the taking True Archer down, but whatever. We weren't really into this for the wish after all.
That and Chloe was a magnificent bitch who refused to talk. Man, I would have left the Grail for her if she had just asked nicely. Still, now that the almighty artifact is about to be ours, I can't help but feel nervous.
-"Have you changed your mind, Rider?" -I yell, to make sure I'm heard. A broom is way quieter than a bike, but we are still flying fast- "You can keep the wish if you want!"
-"Not a chance, Tengu. Ya lost the yanken game (ze), take responsibility!"
And we are like this… Somewhere I heard that the perfect person to hold the power is the one who doesn't want it, but it still sucks to be forced into something you don't really want. I mean, my life was far from perfect, but I don't need a wish-granting magic to fix it, just some motivation. Maybe I can ask the Grail for motivation? does it even work like that?.
-"Welcome, welcome. Congratulations for you victory. But you still have a last challenger"
As soon as we enter the Grail room, we are welcomed by two dark figures. The first one, who just spoke, is someone I recognize, but never expected to see here. The second one remains in the shadows behind, and I can only make out that it's stature is short.
-"You? What are you doing here? And what do you mean by a last challenger? You know you can do whatever you want with the Grail, right? I don't really care."
-"Oh, but you will. This girl's wish cannot be granted with so little power, she needs eight Servants in the vessel."
-"And what do you care? I bet you will just use your Command Spells at the end to get away with whatever you are planning!"
Knowing him, that's no doubt his plan. But as I'm pointing at him with a confident smile, half-expecting his own Servant to start doubting him. He just breaks into hysterical laughter.
-"It's so cute that you think that! I just need for a wish to rip away reality. And this kid and me go way back, I wouldn't betray her so easily" -I let out a half-contained laugh of disbelief.- "So do you. Avenger, dear, can you step forward?"
I reached here fighting. I met this guy with all the intention of fighting and was sure that, no matter what happened here, we would end up fighting. But when the shadows uncover the figure of the last Servant, I feel all strength leaving my body. The body of a little girl, yet heterochromic eyes are darkened with the weight of ages. Fox ears stick out of her long, white hair divided in a twin drill curl, and a matching tail sticks out of her gothic clothes. The two sickles at her back resemble small steel wings.
There is no cogwheels turning in my head. There is no need. How could I ever forget her? Of every character out there, the most precious. More than any heroine, more than any waifu. My most loved, most tragic, favorite character.
-"Zo… lyn…"
Episode 9 Extra is now unlocked! Check it out in the author's profile.
I just stand there, staring at her. Rider steals a glance towards me, worried.
-"Oi Tengu, ya'll right?"
-"Ye… Yes" -I recompose a little with her words, but I don't turn my gaze.- "You said you need eight sacrifices? That's a lot of power."
-"You know her wish" -The bastard smiles wickedly- "You cannot usually rewrite history. But with a little help from yours truly..."
I ignore the bastard and shift my gaze to Rider. Cute, rude, tryhard, stubborn, loud, whimsical, random and loony Rider. We have been together for a while. Funny, now that I look back it seems like an eternity, when in reality has only been a month. So what now? Do I fight with my trusted companion for the control of an artifact that nobody really wants? Or do I…
There is only one answer. And I can only hope Rider finds in herself to ever forgive what I'm about to do.
-"Rider..." -My hand shines with the activation of the last Command Spell- "Kill yourself"
It's done. In spite of the dark mood, I'm surprised of how easily the words came out. Maybe I'm just as magnificent of a bastard as this guy in front of me, after all. Poor Rider only has time to address a confused and horrified look to me before she blanks out and blows her own head with her hakkero.
-"Magnificent! Now there is only a last loose thread..."
Avenger, who hasn't said a word, walks towards me and seizes my neck in a chokehold. I don't resist.
-"Of course."
There is a mercifully short cracking sound. And the world ceases to exist.
DEAD END
Would you like to visit the Tiger Dojo?
[ ] Yes
[ ] No
[X] Someday I'll have my revenge!
If you are wondering about this Extra Avenger, maybe you should check my one-shot "Memento Zolyn". I know Tera is not a popular game, and it's history is far from the best out there, but the chainquest around Zolyn really got to me.
Man, I had to replay Miyako's Route in Majikoi with the intention of writting a nostalgic scene that I ended up skipping. It hasn't been even a year since I played it… My memory is not what it used to be. Even so, please remember that a fair deal of personal opinion go into describing her feelings and state of mind. Any resemblance with the original author's idea of the character might very well be pure coincidence.
On another note, I had only seen 1st season of WITCH when I began writing this. Now I regret killing Will off so soon :S. And talking about seasons and anime and such, it doesn't feel like it used too… Even if I'm enjoying a series, I tend to get impatient and think the scenes take too long. I think manga is to blame. Since you can read far faster than you can watch, anime becomes slower in comparison.
So… not much rant this time. I usually put down here whatever crosses my mind while writing, but this time I kinda forgot (ehehe! :P).