The Tohsaka manor's front door slamming open jolted Mordred into action, supporting a recovering Father down to meet Archer as he carried Shirou Cain-and-Abel style. Thankfully, Shirou was still breathing, Archer unceremoniously dropping him to allow a panicking Saber to stumble over and check his condition.
Honestly, should the boy die, Father would've sensed it and ran on her own spiritual reserves for some time before fading away or contracting with Rin. And yet, Archer's conviction managed to make Mordred sweat a little…
Rin stomped up to Archer, fuming as she swung a palm towards his face while the independent servant stopped her incoming slap. Rin's other slap was similarly halted, resorting to kneeing Archer between the legs to cause Archer's grip to fumble.
Archer's expression wrinkled before doubling over, making the noise of a deflating balloon while clutching his groin. Mordred walking up to pat him on the back while sharing what happened on their end.
"Sorry, Archer. Rin cornered me and had me spill everything I know, as well as why you have it out for Shirou. Honestly, I was also worried since you chose to act now, and I honestly couldn't tell if you'd commit to your murderous mission."
Rin stared at Archer, "Archer, or Emiya… What exactly do you call yourself?"
"I was always comfortable with Archer, but I suppose you can call me Emiya to differentiate me from Shirou."
"Why?" Archer understood Rin's question, displaying a rare expression of regret.
"I fell into despair after failing to uphold my ideals, being conscripted as a Counter Guardian who massacred people en masse to maintain peace. I just wanted to end it all by killing my past self."
"So what changed, Arc… Emiya?"
"Careful. Other servants and masters would thank you for mixing those two terms up while in the midst of combat." This earned Archer a lighthearted punch from Rin, his expression softening a little upon witnessing his unconscious past self.
"… I give up on that idiot. I tried to break him with my words, and he used me to become stronger. He'll become his own man who fights for the happiness of those closest to him, hopefully no longer rushing to his death for his 'Hero of Justice' spiel."
" And what's your wish now?" Archer took a while to find his answer.
"… I want to see it. An Emiya Shirou who creates and fights for his own future and ideals while taking inspiration from the ideals of others."
Seeming satisfied with that answer, Rin got up and dusted herself off before walking away.
"Rin." Stopping in her tracks, Mordred could see a second wind revitalizing Archer compared to before, when he only seemed interested in acting with the best results in mind.
"Despite my best efforts in trying to break him, Shirou has successfully confronted the more impractical aspects of his ideals.
He's chosen to protect those closest to him over everyone else, realistically choosing to save whoever brings purpose and happiness to his life over upholding ambiguous terms like 'justice' and 'saving everyone' to feel better about himself.
Don't give up on that idiot, no matter what." The moment between master and servant was broken as Mordred quick-drew Clarent in response to the killing intent flaring from behind her, blocking an incoming Excalibur aimed at Archer.
"Archer…" Saber was propping herself with Excalibur, looking ready to murder Archer even as she was still recovering from fighting Assassin and surviving Gae Bolg on day one; Mordred had also overheard talks of an incomplete summoning and Shirou's ineptitude as a mage, which put Father in a difficult position.
Wildly swinging Excalibur to strike Archer down, Mordred played the mediator by parrying Excalibur.
Father seethed, "Get out of my way, Mordred. This bastard tried to murder Shirou! He will die for betraying us!"
"Father!"
But before the situation got out of hand, Archer lightly pushed Mordred out of the way to confront and stare Father down.
"But you see, Saber. I am also Emiya Shirou. If you cut me down, you'd be cutting him down as well."
"You're no longer the Emiya Shirou I know, Archer!" That statement actually seemed to hurt Archer, his stoic demeanor softening a touch as he fearlessly entered Father's sword range to leave his life at Saber's mercy.
"Really? Then you may take my head. I'm interested in Emiya Shirou's new ideals, but after my past as a failed Hero of Justice and a killing machine known as a Counter Guardian, I guess I don't deserve that chance at redemption after all I've done for the 'greater good'.
In my quest to save everyone, I ended up saving no one. Is it so wrong to wish to come back in time and stop, if not at least warn my past self of my mistakes?"
Saber was seriously considering the thought of murdering Archer, Mordred wondering if she had to vomit blood to fire another Clarent Blood Arthur to defend Archer. But Father's trembling Excalibur was finally lowered as Saber rushed to Shirou's side, helping the boy to his feet after being beaten black and blue, blood seeping from slash wounds.
Archer shared Rin and Mordred's surprise as they enclosed Saber. But murderous rage conflicted with genuine sympathy as Father's fist connected with Archer's face, huffing as the time-travelling servant collapsed whilst clutching his bruised face.
"If Emiya Shirou still exists within you, consider that punch a wake-up call."
Mordred walked up to a reeling Archer, giving him a relieved pat at successfully defusing the situation.
"Well, that could have gone a lot worse."
"It could have, but it didn't." Both time travelers looked back at Rin, Archer straightening his cracked nose before speaking.
"Perhaps in becoming stronger, I made the mistake of thinking my experiences and cynicism equaled wisdom. In wanting to protect everyone, I thought if I erased myself from existence, all those people I massacred as a Counter Guardian, they'd all be saved.
I'm no different from him. I forgot about the other people whose lives I've influenced and saved, only concerning myself with upholding my foolish ideals to the very end, even if that meant killing myself.
Rin, you don't have to command me not to hurt Shirou anymore; I've lost interest in trying to kill him. At least, if he doesn't go risking his life again." Nodding somberly, Rin's left palm which gently patted Archer's cheek transitioned into a light slap, leaving a perplexed Archer with a 'I-deserved-that' look.
"Who said anything about Shirou?
Next time, use chloroform and cloth the next time you want to knock me out. The two times you struck me in the neck hurt even after Reinforcing myself, I think I'm going to permanently need a neck brace the next time you use a neck strike."
"Really? I apologize, then." Rin waved his concerns away, briskly walking off with Archer following behind to leave Mordred alone, the possible disbanding of Team Mordred thankfully averted for now.
She had enough of fellowships breaking up around her in three lifetimes.
Mordred was relaxing on her bed when she felt Father's presence nearing her room, knocking on her door with the impeccable manners befitting a king.
"Come in." Father was wearing her blue gown, looking rather grateful as she closed the door behind her to have their first father-son moment excluding that time in Medusa's Bounded Field.
"Mordred. I'd like to thank you for stopping me just now, when I wanted to strike Archer down. He hurt Shirou, and…" Oh, come on. Even Mordred could see it, confronting her father about this nagging suspicion she had.
"Father, do you love Shirou?"
"… Yes. I fought with Shirou's father, Emiya Kiritsugu in the Fourth Holy Grail War.
It was a complicated relationship and a bloody Holy Grail War. To think Shirou would become who he is while being raised by Kiritsugu, of all people…" Shaking those idle thoughts out of her head, Father sat down on a chair next to Mordred's bed.
With their estranged past hanging over them, Mordred could feel that Father was trying to reach out to her, respecting Father enough to remain silent and allow him to find the right words to use as a parent, not a king.
"Mordred, I want to say… in spite of everything that's happened between us, I'm proud of you. I admit, I was no parent. But I no longer have a throne, no Britannia to manage and no kingly image to uphold, so I want to be a better parent to make up for lost time and connect with everyone, mainly you and Shirou.
I forgive you for everything that's transpired in our past. It was your own way of protecting Britannia from me. To be honest, I was surprised at how you became your own person in this war, instead of constantly attempting to earn my approval or command my attention.
Is this the loneliness felt by a parent as their children fly the coop?" Huh, was she really that different from her past self? Mordred at least agreed she wasn't that desperate to have Father acknowledge her existence, and she certainly wasn't eager to be king with the Greater Grail misinterpreting her wish.
"So this isn't your first Holy Grail War, Father?"
Arthur's expression darkened in consternation upon dredging up unpleasant memories.
Mordred could empathize.
"No. In my previous Holy Grail War, I met and fought Lancelot. He wanted to be punished for bedding Guinevere. But my choice to punish Guinevere and forgive Lancelot drove him mad with guilt, accelerating Britannia's downfall."
Mordred was conflicted about this, unsure of her father's thoughts regarding the Knights of the Round Table in hindsight.
"So do you blame Lancelot and the lot of us for bringing Britannia down?"
"No. Merlin told me that Britannia was destined to fall, and we did everything we could to stop it.
But we merely prolonged the inevitable. I wanted Britannia to end in a peaceful whimper instead of a bang, but perhaps I was a fool to think I would control and change fate. Perhaps, like Rider said, the Fourth's Rider, Iskandar, mind you…
I never shared my ideals and inspired our people to be greater than they were. I instead embodied the ideal of a martyr in peacetime, quietly sacrificing myself for the sake of our people and country.
It was an ideal no one shared." Recalling Jeanne d'Arc's martyrdom in liberating France, Mordred understood how martyrs were only useful when there was a war to fight and a sword to fall on as a sacrificial inspiration, but a martyr as king was a mismatch which doomed Father.
Time for damage control.
"Father. If you have regrets about your rule, which I'm pretty sure you still do, know that this isn't entirely your fault. Me, Lancelot, the Round Table, the people of Britannia. All of us stood behind you, yet we were unable to understand your duties as king.
You were an ideal ruler, but perhaps in being a little more flawed, you might have been much more effective. The whole affair with Lancelot and Guinevere was a total cluster-fuck, I got nothing to say about that. But I don't regret serving under you, Father.
I believe us Knights felt the same. We'd never deign to serve anyone less worthy than you, and if Britannia was doomed to fall anyway, we'd gladly fall along with you."
Mordred's eyes met Saber's, the Knight of Treachery sitting up to hammer home her point. "Even though you made mistakes during your reign, you did everything in your power to bring Britannia to greatness before maintaining its streak, everyone understood that.
Everything ends, Father. Britannia was doomed to fall like the setting sun, even if you prolonged the inevitable out of your love for Britain.
I personally believe if you couldn't stop its downfall, Father, no one could." Saber's eyes widened at Mordred behaving so maturely, a far cry from her impetuous, aggressive and volatile past self. But she realized that her fiery side was only reined in, the fire in her eyes tempered by world-weariness borne of conflict which instead made her stronger.
Honestly, it was as if Saber were looking in a mirror.
And Mordred then brightened up while exemplifying the difference between them.
"Don't you worry, Father. I'll learn from your mistakes and lead Britannia into another age of prosperity by conquering everything under the sun in the modern age.
Ah, but that'll mean I'll need the current queen, Elizabeth II, to 'retire' in order to take over command of Britain…" Saber sweat-dropped at the casual ease which Mordred spoke of knocking British royalty off, along with a chill running down her spine at Mordred's experience at regicide being put to use.
The current Queen of England was also little more than a figurehead, but Saber knew better than to pop Mordred's bubble.
But upon seeing Mordred aim to outdo Saber instead of attempting to fill her shoes, she recalled the meeting of kings in the Fourth Holy Grail War.
"I think you'd be great friends with Iskandar. He believed greed and ambition were paramount in being a king as he leads his people. Although I disagree with his savage ideals, I at least see where he was coming from.
If you are to become a conqueror, will you do it with the help of Caliburn?" Mordred froze up upon hearing that, blinking away the morbid reminder of the inevitable while Saber seemed confused at her son's sudden change in demeanor.
"Honestly? I only thought of pulling Caliburn from the stone to prove myself to you, but … my past has taught me not to solely define myself as your wannabe successor. 'sides, I don't need no stinkin' sword to validate my worth.
I've survived this far without it, drawing Caliburn just means having another equipment to carve out my future with. Even without being 'God's chosen king', I'll still be Mordred.
I'll still be your son, Father." Lightly punching Father in the shoulder with a genuine smile on her face, a befuddled Saber looked as Mordred excitedly gestured to herself while exclaiming.
"Come on, hit me!"
I am a king, but there is no Britannia to rule, no more people to lead. Is there any harm in being more human? Awkwardly returning a balled fist to Mordred's shoulder, Saber cracked a smile which stretched her facial muscles in an unfamiliar, but not entirely unwelcome manner before leaving the room.
As the door closed, Mordred's smile crumpled to wait for Father to walk beyond earshot before picking up the chair. Smashing it into the wall in a fit of rage at the unfair world before collapsing into her bed, Mordred held her head in her hands at how a bitter clash between them seemed to be an inevitable conclusion.