Arturia and I get out of bed and put our clothes on, it's… Ah shit, about 1045, way too late for me to be getting up. We exit the room and everyone else is already out watching tv. Schellick looks at us and grins when he sees Arturita's embarrassed but content look, "Have a good bath last night, boss?"
"Shut up." I say with a grin that doesn't do well in getting rid of my slightly reddening face.
Mordred looks at both of us, "Wait… you two-?"
"Moving on!" I say loudly, trying to change the subject.
"So you two did do the ritual! How was it?" Mordred asks.
"It was very nice, Master showed a surprising amount of endurance when he picked me up and-" Arturia starts.
"Arturia, we don't need to go into detail about-" I stop her.
Mordred chuckles, "I know what you mean, Father, Master's actually pretty good at that, I really liked the part when he sucked on my t-"
"Can we please just stop talking about this!?" I yell, Schellick and Minaki are laughing their asses off, after they've recovered I ask Schellick, "Anything going on right now?" Immediately after I ask this, I hear a high pitched beeping noise that lasts for about a second. Everyone else except for Schellick jolts a little and looks at each other. It takes me a moment to realize that that's the sound of the magical alarm I set when we first got here.
"Not right now, we're just hanging out and-" Schellick starts, not noticing us, but is interrupted by the sound of a doorbell. We all look towards the door. I go to the front door, Arturia a few feet behind me, and open it. Standing on the other side is Astolfo, wearing a purple zip up hoodie with fluffy draw strings and black sleeve cuffs on top of a horizontally striped purple/pink and white crop top and a necklace with a silver cross-like image made from three arrows on it, along with a short frilly black skirt with black stockings and purple sneakers, and a light blue aesthetic belt hanging loosely on her hips. I've also just noticed that she has a white streak in her hair, and one tooth hangs down a little lower than the rest, making a fang. She looks incredibly cute, and has the personality to match. She's standing leaning forward with her hands behind her and one foot crossed over the other when I open the door.
She gives a wave as she smiles and says "Hi, Master of Saber! Hi, King of Knights! I have a message from the King of Conquerors for you!"
"Uh… How did you find us?" I ask, bewildered.
"Hmm? Oh, it was kinda simple really, I just walked around the city until I felt the presence of a Servant and I followed it. You aren't the only one that this message is for. Anyways! Iskandar would like you and the other kingly heroic spirits to join him in the courtyard of the Einzbern's castle tonight to have a civil discussion about the Holy Grail!" She delivers this message with the same gusto that she's done everything else I've seen her do.
I turn to look at Arturia, she nods and says, "We shall accept the offer, thank you."
"Yay!" She hops in the air a bit, "Thank you! You'll make him so happy, see you there!" She waves back at us as she takes off back down the walkway to the road. I close the door and report back to everyone else what just happened.
…
During the day, while preparing to go meet Iskandar, we decide that everyone is gonna go, but Minaki and Schellick will stay in the car on standby in case shit goes down, and I along with my Servants will go to the castle itself and speak with Iskandar and the other Servants that decide to show up. I start once again poring over my video of our previous fight, working with Arturia and Mordred to figure out the other Servants' abilities and Noble Phantasms. I scratch my head in frustration as, around 1400, I'm watching footage of the Archers, we've figured out that the golden Archer pulls his weapons from small portals linked to some large room somewhere, he has absolute control over what he pulls from the portals though, from the looks of it.
We've brainstormed a few different possibilities as to his identity: he was a king of very high standing, he most likely owned a large empire and was very wealthy, and he sees himself as above all other people, including other kings, which leaves people like King Darius III: the last ruler of ancient Persia who attacked Greece and after several battles became a bitter rival of Alexander the Great, he was known to be extremely wealthy. Or he could be one of the pharaohs of Egypt, like Narmer, one of the first pharaohs, or Senusret I: a pharaoh whose rule was during peacetime, which would explain how wealthy he is and why he has so many weapons stored away. He could also be King Gilgamesh, the world's first king of Sumaria, and the protagonist in history's first fictional story: The Epic of Gilgamesh. Being the ruler of the entire known world would definitely grant you a good deal of wealth, at least a good amount for that time.
On top of that, we've been trying to figure out the red Archer's identity as well, he looks more modern than most other Servants, so I don't know what time period he could be from, and his weapons don't resemble any known famous historical weapons. It's almost like this guy never existed until he became a Servant. I've been watching the footage of myself fighting him a few times, trying to figure out how he makes them appear in his hand, the only thing I have to go on is that at one point I enhanced the audio and heard him mutter "Trace: On" when his weapons appeared. I grunt in frustration.
"Having problems, Master?" Mordred says while she stretches her arms.
"Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out how the red Archer guy keeps bringing his weapons back, it's obviously some form of magic, but he doesn't just summon them, it's like he's just copied a template and replicated it, his weapons aren't of amazing quality, so I doubt that they're his primary Noble Phantasms, they're just like replicas or some kind of fancy projec-" I pause. "Oh. Oh, wait! Maybe…"
I pull out my spellbook and flip through the pages until I find what I'm looking for. "Hmm… summoning magic… no, that's more complex than what he does… Projection magic: creating a replica… no that can't be it either, it says here the weapons and items made are shitty, and his are sturdier than what it says they should be… dammit." I mumble while I read.
"Still no luck, Master?" Arturia asks.
"No, it doesn't make sense, the only thing I can think of is that the red Archer guy uses projection magic to summon his swords, which explains how I am able to destroy them with my regular combat blades." Granted, my exo-suit's blades are made out of a diamond-tipped tungsten carbide and titanium alloy, making them some of the strongest blades mankind has ever made outside of some Noble Phantasms, "The problem is that I don't know how he does it, his weapons are still of relatively high quality for projections, so it's some form of magecraft that is either unique to him, or it's undiscovered right now, meaning that he's from the future, and I thought that Servants could only really be from the past. Everything about this guy is so mysterious and weird, it's infuriating!"
"Then perhaps it is best to wait and try to discover more through more interaction with him." Arturia suggests.
I growl a little, "I don't like that, fighting an enemy you don't know anything about is a really stupid idea. But I guess it's all we can do." Maybe I can talk with him if he shows up to this little talk tonight.
…
We walk through the old Einzbern's castle, it's only myself and my Servants. I left Minaki and Schellick in the car parked off the road near the main entrance to the castle, and I left my M4 and helmet as well. I'm not wearing my combat top or armor, just my pants and boots, a black t-shirt, my glasses, and my exo suit, trying to convey a message that I'm not looking for a fight but prepared if one breaks out, though since we're going to be talking with the more honorable Servants, I doubt it'll happen. The castle itself is built in a square and surrounds a large courtyard, and I push open a large door that leads to said courtyard. There is a stone path going around the perimeter, and down the middles, making a cross, and in the middle is a fairly large space that is circular in shape. In all the areas that aren't made into a path, there are white roses that are still thriving even though there's no one around to tend to them for a little while.
Sitting in the middle of the courtyard, next to a large barrel, is Iskandar, wearing some jeans and a white t-shirt with a map of the world on it and some japanese words that I can't quite make out from here. I gesture, a little comically, for Arturia to go ahead of me, saying, "After you, my lord." She smiles at me and walks into the courtyard, flanked by Mordred and myself. Both my Servants have their armor on and Mordred has her helmet up as usual. Behind Iskandar stands Waver, near the entrance to one of the lanes that goes to the perimeter, and Astolfo is prancing around in the flowers, looking for the best ones to pick, she also has her casual clothes on.
"Yo, Saber!" Iskandar calls as he sees us, raising a hand in greeting, "It is good that you could make it. But… Battle armor? Did you decide to forgo your modern attire this evening?"
"Our modern attire is far too informal for such an audience, and a king should always show authority and power, would you not agree, King of Conquerors?" Arturia says as she walks up and takes a seat a few feet from Iskandar, her legs folded under her, and her back erect as it usually is, she is as elegant as usual, probably more so now than most other times, since she now has to prove herself to this other king.
"Hmm… True, true, but tonight is less of a Holy Grail War, and more of a Holy Grail discussion. It is said that the Holy Grail will ultimately be claimed by the one that is most worth of possessing it. I believe that bloodshed should be unnecessary if we Heroic Spirits can all mutually agree on who is the strongest, the issue will resolve itself." Iskandar smashes the top of the barrel, and dips a large ladle into it, taking a drink from whatever's inside, probably some kind of wine. He then dips the ladle in the barrel once more and extends it to Arturia. She takes it and downs the contents almost as if she's taking a shot. She turns the ladle upside down as she hands it back to Iskandar, causing him to raise an eyebrow in surprise. They continue their discussion about who is more worthy of the Grail while I and Mordred move to one side, in a different lane than the one where the door is. Almost immediately after we do this, the Lancers walk through the door and join the party, Lancer Arturia taking a seat between my Arturia and Iskandar, she is not wearing her helmet, instead she has on an elaborate crown.
She also doesn't have her armor on, and is wearing a red cape, and a blue gown similar to my Arturia's dress, it has a, for lack of a better term, boob window in it that shows her breasts, and ho boy does she need it, to say that she's busty would be like saying that Stephen Hawking was kinda smart. I mean she has to have at least DDD cup boobs. This causes me to say, "Oh… My God." When I see her.
"What? What's going on boss?" Schellick asks.
"Schellick, let me just say it's a good thing you're not here."
"What? Why?"
"If I told you right now you'd leave your post, I'll tell you later."
Diarmuid stands at the entrance to the circle like I, Mordred, and Waver are. The Lancers are greeted by Iskandar when they arrive, and the two Arturias nod to each other. Iskandar brings Lancer Arturia up to speed on what they were just discussing, and finishes with, "...And so, we must wonder, which of us is the vessel most worthy of the Grail? The answer lies at the bottom of this barrel."
From the lane that no one is currently occupying, a mass of golden light appears and the golden Archer forms, walking towards the group in the middle, "That's enough comedy for one night, mongrels." He says as he appears. Both the Arturias tense up as they see him.
"You're late, Shiny!" Iskandar says as Archer takes a seat with the group, causing me to chuckle a little. "Though I shouldn't be surprised, since you travel on foot, unlike the rest of us."
"Surely you don't mean to hold a feast of kings in this depressing courtyard? How do you intend to make amends for dragging me out here?" Archer says with the same amount of arrogance as I saw during our last confrontation.
"Let's not be impolite, here, have a drink." Iskandar extends the ladle to Archer.
After a pause, Archer takes the ladle and has barely a sip of the drink inside before he scoffs, "What is this swill? You honestly believe this is sufficient to measure a Heroic Spirit's quality? You are ignorant of what true wine should be, mongrel." He holds his hand up and summons one of his golden circles, then tips it upside down, and from within it comes a golden pitcher, and four golden goblets. "Behold, and be amazed. This is the drink of a king." He gives the goblets to Iskandar, who pours wine into all of them, and hands them out to the other kings.
All except for Archer drink, Iskandar exclaiming, "Fantastic!" and the Arturias have looks of surprise on their face, the wine must be absolutely amazing. "Be it wine or swords, only the best is held in my treasury. I believe this alone should settle the matter of who is the true king."
Ooh, them's fighting words right there, "You two hearing all this?" I mutter.
"Lima Charlie (loud and clear) boss!" I hear Schellick say in my earpiece.
"Your wine is exquisite and deserves only the finest of cups, however, the Holy Grail is no mere wine goblet. Our discussion on it cannot progress further until we learn your reason for seeking it." Iskandar says.
"You do not command me, mongrel. First, given that we each strive for the Grail already, our reasons are meaningless. But that is beside the point, the Grail is mine, all treasures on this earth can be traced to my collection." My Arturia is looking at Archer out of the corner of her eye, a look of annoyance on her face.
"So you've held the Grail? Would you know it by appearance alone?" Iskandar asks him.
"No, my criteria for possession are entirely different from you mongrels. The vastness of my storehouse overtook my personal knowledge of its inventory long ago. The mere fact that a treasure exists is enough to show that it is mine. For another to claim it, that would be thievery of the highest order."
"You words make as much sense as Caster's. Apparently, he is not the only one suffering from delusions." my Arturia says, eliciting a chuckle from Lancer Arturia, and a slightly bemused glare from Archer.
"What a fucking arrogant bitch. 'Eh, just 'cause it exists means it's mine!' Dick." I mutter. My comment causes Mordred to laugh beside me. I really don't like this guy, he's the most narcissistic POS I've ever seen. I think I know who he is now, it only really makes sense that he's Gilgamesh, based on the stories and history surrounding him, a man that has everything and anything he could ever want. I'll have to wait and see if I'm correct.
The Servants continue their discussion about the Grail and why they want it and other such things. I look around, Diarmuid has sat down cross-legged with his spears in his lap, and I look up on the roofs, there's no sign of other Servants, not even the other Archer. I decide to sit down as well, I tell Mordred she can sit if she wants to, but she says that she's good, and I move a little so I'm sitting leaning against a rose bush just inside the circle. I pull out my phone and start looking up any info I can find on the Servants that we don't already know from the research we've already done.
After a minute I look up and see Waver looking at me, so I beckon him over to me. He reluctantly comes over and sits beside me. "Howdy, how you doin'?" I say.
"U-uh, good, I- I think." He responds shakily.
I'm half listening to the conversation the Servants are having and keeping my tone low so I don't interrupt them. I watch them as I talk with Rider's Master. "You know, you don't have to be scared of me, I'm not gonna do anything to you unless you directly attack me or my Servants."
"But… Aren't you my enemy?"
"Kinda, the way I look at it, we summon the Servants and they duke it out to see who's better, we're just supposed to support them in any way we can. We're like… Like generals in a war, and they're the soldiers, we aren't supposed to take direct action against anyone, just sit back and watch as they kill each other."
"But you were up with your Servants at the shipping yard."
"Yeah, that was a personal choice of mine, because I don't like the thought of someone fighting for me if I can fight myself."
"Master, the red Archer is standing just a few feet behind us." Mordred informs me.
"Roger."
"Huh… I wish I could do that." He looks sullenly at the ground.
"Ah, don't beat yourself up, I'm an idiot for what I do, no human, no matter what enhancements they have, can match a Servant, it's a miracle that I'm even alive right now. Ain't that right, Archer?" I turn my head to look behind me, and the red Archer materializes standing about ten feet away from me. His arms are folded against his chest and he looks down, eyes closed, as he chuckles.
"Hmph, of course, Saber's Master." His voice is deep, which matches his tall, masculine physique, and he definitely has a Japanese accent. He looks at me and holds out one hand in an explanative kind of way, "I could have killed you a dozen times or more during our little spat, but I decided not to." He has a slight, cocky grin on his face.
"Ah, that hurts, why didn't you?" I ask.
His smile drops for a moment and he doesn't respond immediately, like he's thinking of how to respond. "I decided that it wouldn't be fair to Saber to… 'defeat' her before we actually had a chance to fight."
He makes it sound like there's more to the story than that, but I decide not to press it further. "Anyways, Waver, you've got more guts than you think. You may not be strong, but you've got guts. The other Masters, Lancer's, Archer's, Berserker's, Assassin's, Caster's, they're all cowards, I don't even know what they look like. But you, you stay with your Servants when they go into battle, that's pretty commendable… You heard anything on the other Masters?"
"Ah, not… not r-really, but… I did find what might be Caster's hideout."
"Really?"
"Y-Yeah, we think they may be in the sewers under the city. We were going to go check it out tomorrow."
"Hmm… Alright, thanks for the info, we'll check it out too, I'd recommend you let me handle this, we can be more…" I look at Iskandar and Astolfo, "Discreet than you."
"Oh. Well, okay then." It was a lot easier to get information out of him than I thought it would be.
Astolfo comes up and sits down next to us, a makeshift bouquet of roses in her hand. She hands them to Waver, "Here ya go Master! It's a thank you gift for being the best Master ever!"
Waver's face gets extremely red as he thanks Astolfo. Mordred has moved closer to us, she's standing with her arms crossed, helmet still on, watching her Father discuss the Grail with the other kings, only about three feet away from me. I look at her, "Why don't you ever do things like that for me?" I jokingly ask her.
She turns her head to me, "We already did a mana transfer, I don't know what more you want from me, Master." I chuckle and say, "True."
I hear Archer behind me mutter, "Ho? So he did too…" I turn my head and I'm about to ask him what the hell he means by that, but my attention has to turn to Waver.
Waver looks at me in shock, "Wait… You two… did the…"
"Yep. What, you didn't at least think about doing it with Astolfo?" I look at Astolfo, she's not exactly my ideal woman but she is pretty cute and I wouldn't mind giving her a little extra juice.
Astolfo laughs as Waver's face turns even more red, "Um… N-No, I uh… I haven't really thought about it."
"You gay or something?" I don't really care if he is or not, I'm just messing with him at this point, and wondering what his reasoning for not doing the ritual is, since he obviously knows what the ritual entails.
"No! N-No I'm not, um, and t- that's why I wouldn't want to do the ritual…" His voice trails off.
I'm confused for a second, that doesn't make sense, if he's straight, why would he have a problem with-... I blink a few times. "Uh… Astolfo… Are you… a guy?"
"Yeah, you couldn't tell before?" She- no wait, he says simply.
My whole world comes crashing down around me. What the fuck? I bury my face in my hands. I'm fighting a goddamn trap! Am I gay? I mean I'm in love with a woman that up until about a month ago I thought was a man, and now there's this person that I see and think "Oh, she's cute." and then it's like, "That's a guy." God fucking damn it! I'm so confused now. I ask Astolfo, "Why, like, just… Why?" I wave my hand and motion to his clothes and hair.
"Hmm? Oh this stuff? I just thought it looked nice."
"Uh… O...kay."
I'm spared from further awkward conversation when my Arturia stands up and glares at Iskandar and Archer. "What right have you to mock me!?" She says, "A king should be prepared to sacrifice if it ensures her kingdom's prosperity!"
"You're wrong." Iskandar says quietly, the Arturias look at him, "A king does not sacrifice anything, his subjects and his country offer themselves for him."
"What? That is the reign of a tyrant!" my Arturia retorts.
"Yes, it is. We are tyrants, and so we are heroes. If a king regrets his reign or its ending, he is simply a fool, a worse ruler than a tyrant!"
"Iskandar," Lancer Arturia speaks up, her tone and expression are much more collected than my Arturia's, "When your reign ended, your heirs were murdered, your kingdom split into three parts. Do you have no regrets about the fate of your empire?"
"None. If it came to pass by my subjects' sacrifices or my decree, then the collapse was inevitable. I shall mourn the loss, I will shed tears for the fallen. But I shall never regret! And never shall I wish to undo it! To foolishly meddle with the result of my conquests would be an insult to every person who lived in my time!" Iskandar starts raising his voice.
"Only a warrior sees honor in destruction!" my Arturia says, "What good is a king who ignores the plight of the weak? A just rule, under just laws. That is a king's desire." She starts using her hands as she speaks, trying to emphasize her words.
"So… as a king, you are slave to this justice?" Iskandar muses.
"That is acceptable, a king will sacrifice herself for her beliefs." Arturia responds.
Iskandar sighs and takes a drink from his cup. "Then you cannot even live your own life. To rule a country is to give up living for oneself."
"King of Conquerors," Lancer Arturia starts, it's a little eerie how similar their voices are, if I wasn't looking I wouldn't be able to tell which Arturia is speaking, "You seek the Grail in order to become reincarnated, to continue your reign, yet you cannot even realize that to hold a throne is to help those below you, not to satisfy your own greed."
"A king without greed is unfit to even decorate his throne!" Iskandar almost explodes, "Saber, you said a king will sacrifice himself for his beliefs. In life, you were surely a saintly and immaculate person, one of noble bearing, beyond reproach. But who can admire a martyr's thorny path? Who dreams of such a life?" I look at the Arturias' expressions, they look… uncertain, which makes sense, their whole worldview is being questioned and arguments are being made to the contrary of what they've believed their whole lives. Iskandar continues, "A king… must lust more, laugh louder, and rage longer than any other. Every aspect, both good and evil, should be beyond the extremes of any normal person. A king must be thus, in order to inspire admiration and envy from his followers. He must ignite a flame within their hearts so that they wish to be like their king as well! King of Chivalry… perhaps your justice and ideals once saved your kingdom, but what became of the subjects you saved?"
There is a pause, and both Arturias' eyes slowly widen, as if recalling some horrible memory. Iskandar keeps talking, "You saved your people, but you did not lead them. You never showed them how a king should act. They lost their way and you left them to it. You were content to walk alone and composed, preferring your own pretty little dreams."
I notice that Mordred has lowered her hands and has balled them into fists, shaking ever so slightly. Oh yeah, I forgot that she hates it if someone talks bad about King Arthur. There is a long pause, both of the Arturias are too stunned to reply. "Let me at him, Master." Mordred says to me, I can hear her armor clinking slightly from how much she's shaking, and I can hear the anger in her voice.
"No, not yet, there's too many enemies." I say quietly.
"I can take 'em."
"You are not a genuine king." Iskandar says, Mordred takes a single step forward and I reach up and grab her arm. "You are someone trapped by an ideal of a king who exists for others, not for himself. You are just a naïve little girl."
"HOW DARE YOU!" Mordred continues to walk forward, I attempt to hold her back by holding her arm and shouting her name repeatedly, but she keeps on, dragging me with her.
"Mordred, this does not concern you…" my Arturia says quietly, barely looking at her, lost in thought.
"The hell it doesn't! None of you," She looks around at the congregation of kings, "None of you have the right to insult my Father in such a way! It doesn't matter how shitty of a king she may have been, it doesn't matter how amazing you might have been, you will not insult her again!"
"Oh, so you are Sir Mordred." Archer says to her with a smirk on his face.
"Yeah, what's it to you?" Mordred retorts.
Archer's smile fades, replaced with a glare. "I don't remember giving you permission to address me in such a manner, you bastard cur."
"Right back atcha ya golden earring wearing bitch!" Mordred materializes her sword.
Archer's eyes flare, "How dare-"
Everyone jumps and stops as I let off three shots from my .45 into the air, creating a loud echoing bang. "How about we all just simmer the fuck down and keep having a nice conversation." I say as I re-holster my weapon.
Iskandar gives a hearty laugh, "Ahahaha! Sound advice, Master of Saber, what need do we have of swords when words can cut just as deep?" He looks over to Waver, who is now shaking slightly, "You see, boy? That is how you take charge of a situation!" He turns back to the group and muses, "Ah, but Sir Mordred's outburst gave me an idea, perhaps it would be good to gather more opinions on this heated topic, seeing as how we are all Servants." Astolfo gets up and pulls Waver over closer to the circle of Servants. "What say you, Archer, Lancer?" He gestures towards the red Archer and Diarmuid. Archer heaves a sigh and walks closer to the circle, a bored and irritated expression on his face.
Diarmuid remains seated where he is, he bows his head. "Forgive me, but as a knight I do not feel that it is my place to voice-"
Iskandar cuts him off with another wave of laughter, "Oh come now Lancer, there's no need to be so formal now, as I said, we are all Servants, tonight none of us should be any higher in stature than the others!"
Diarmuid thinks on this for a moment, then stands up and walks over to sit next to Lancer Arturia, and the Golden Archer, whom at this point I've all but confirmed that he is Gilgamesh and will refer to him as such from now on, looks sideways at Iskandar and says, "Be careful with your words, Rider, not everyone may agree with what comes out of your mouth."
Iskandar closes one eye and looks at Gilgamesh with a smile, "Ah, but isn't that the point of this, Shiny?"
"I had thought that the purpose of this was to see which of us is best suited for the Grail, or has that changed, mongrel?"
"Yes, and what better start than a level playing field? Or what? Do you think yourself above all the rest of us, Archer?"
"Of course he does, haven't you been paying attention?" I say.
Gilgamesh looks at me, then says, "As much as I abhor this dog's presence, he is correct. I am this world's first king, and as such all who come after me are my subjects, and all land, all possessions are thereby mine, even you all, who call yourselves kings, with your own special weapons, belong to me."
During his little speech, I hear a sigh behind me, and the other Archer says, "There he goes again." Causing those close enough to hear him to chuckle.
"I believe that is what Saber was talking about," Diarmuid speaks up, "Rider, Archer, a healthy amount of greed and ambition is good for a king, but too much can lead to ruin. My king was a good man who strived to help his people, but he gave in to… temptation, too often, and that was ultimately his demise."
Lancer Arturia, who had been silently listening until now, speaks up. "That's it. That is the basis of our disagreement. My companion and…" She looks at my Arturia for a second, "Myself argue that a king needs to be a good, selfless person in order to be a good king. Rider and Archer, you argue that a king needs to transcend his humanity to be able to govern well, and I agree with that."
"What!?" Mordred yells, "Father, you can't really think-"
Lancer Arturia holds up a hand, signaling Mordred to stop. "Sir Mordred, it is unbecoming of a knight to interrupt their king, no matter their relation. What I was going to say is: While I do agree that a king should be above their subjects and even above their own mortality, I cannot agree that they should only seek to satisfy their own goals and desires. A king's first priority should be the success of the nation that they rule, and by extension the people living within their nation. So, a king should be able to go above and beyond what is thought possible by his subjects, and that king should always strive to fulfill his dreams, but that king's dream should be the well-being and happiness of his people. If the people are happy, the kingdom will prosper, that is the basis for just rule."
"'Tis the way of a coward to do what is easy in taking the middle road between two extremes." Iskandar mumbles into his cup.
"Well what's wrong with doing what makes the most amount of people happy? I mean Charlemagne only gave me one order: go around and help anyone you can. How's that bad?" Astolfo says, sitting next to Waver with her… his legs tucked up to his chest, hugging them.
"It is bad because a king should not concern himself with every little peasant that happens to inhabit his lands. He should worry about expanding his kingdom and defeating his enemies." Gilgamesh says.
"True, a king without enemies cannot expand his kingdom, and a king who is loved by all has no enemies. Wouldn't you agree, Master?" Lancer Arturia says.
I've been looking down for a while, sitting between my Arturia and Mordred, and when Lancer Arturia says "Master" I look up, wondering where Kayneth is, only to be met with Lancer Arturia's piercing stare. "Uh… Me?" I ask.
"Yes. You are technically my Master, are you not?" She smiles slightly.
I look around, everyone else is now looking at me. I sigh and say, "Well yeah, you are right, Arturia. But…" I stand up and start pacing around the middle of the group, a little ecstatic that I'm in the presence of so many powerful people and I get a chance to speak my mind, "I think you all are forgetting something very important when it comes to who is a better king or who is a better person." I look at Gilgamesh, "What are you right now?" I ask him.
He looks away from me, "I will not lower myself to humoring your pointless questions, cur." He says with his arms folded.
"Understandable," I turn to Iskandar, "What are you?"
"I am a king!" He says heartily.
"Wrong." He looks at me angrily, I hold up my hands and say "Hear me out, not done yet." I turn to Diarmuid, "What are you?"
He thinks for a moment. "A Servant."
"Close, but not quite." I look at Astolfo, "What are you? What are all of you?"
He looks puzzled for a second then hesitantly says, "Heroic… Spirits?"
"And what are Heroic Spirits?" I look around and hold my hands up, inviting anyone to answer.
After a few seconds, Mordred says, "...Dead?"
"Yes! You are all… Dead!" I yell, "You have lived your lives which were filled with adventure and danger and power and you did something with that life you were given. But all that is over with, you can't change what happened or what you did in life. But what you did doesn't matter, what you had doesn't matter." I point at Iskandar, "You led an army to conquer Greece, Asia, and the Middle East. People followed you because they liked your military genius and they wanted a part of your spoils."
I point at Gilgamesh, "You were the king of the entire known world, and you were wealthy beyond measure. But that is why you will be forgotten. Neither of you believed in anything. That's how you get remembered: leave an impression based on your ideals." I gesture to my Arturia, "She left something behind. She left ideas of honor and bravery, courage and national pride, chivalry and grace. You two will be taught about in a college history lecture and forgotten a week later by 99% of people who hear about you. But this beautiful woman right here," Arturia's face goes red and she mumbles something, "has left a legacy that survives 1500 years after her reign. She has inspired millions, including myself, to live a good life and be a good person. So what if her kingdom fell? So did yours, so do all kingdoms. I'd still follow her into Hell before I follow you into paradise, because I know that she actually gives a shit about me! I believe in her because she believes in something bigger than herself, and I can guaran-fucking-tee you that if you asked any of the men that fought with her, they'd say the same thing!"
No one says anything for several seconds, I take a couple steps to sit down, and I hear laughter behind me. I turn to see Gilgamesh laughing almost hysterically, "In all my time I don't think I've ever heard such worthless prattle!"
"You wanna run that by me again, snowflake?" I growl at him. I'm pretty amped up from my little speech, I thought it was pretty good.
"Certainly, I knew that a dog like you would know nothing about how to be a king, but I wasn't expecting such a blatant insult to bring me such amusement! It is clear now that you would make an excellent jester, if only I had one in my court while I…" He stops, and the smile disappears from his face. He and the other Servants start looking around.
Something strange happens, the feeling in the air changes, and a presence can be felt all around us. A person appears standing near the group, a woman, with black skin and purple hair tied into a long ponytail, wearing some kind of skin tight leather with several knives held all around her body, as well as a white mask in the shape of a skull covering her face.
Several more black skinned, mask wearing figures appear from clouds of black smoke, all around the courtyard. I pull out my M9 and load it. Both my Servants now have their weapons out and ready, we shift our positions so that I'm now between the two Arturias, Mordred on the other side of the Saber Arturia.
Iskandar and Archer haven't even bothered to stand up. As I look, there's dozens of these people all around the courtyard and on the roofs overlooking it. "This your doing, Shiny?" Iskandar asks.
Archer says nothing. Waver yells, "This is insane! Why are there so many Assassins!?"
"We are the one who has become many. We are the many that are one Servant. We are that one Servant's shadow." A voice from within the crowd of Assassins monologues.
"...A heroic spirit with multiple personalities. Each embodied in its own Servant." Waver says, almost sandwiched between Iskandar and Astolfo.
"Now that's just cheating." I say.
Waver starts to speak, voicing his concern about the situation, but Iskandar interrupts him, "Easy, boy, a king's generosity towards his dinner guests is another measurement of his quality as a ruler."
"You would allow these dogs to feast at your table?" Archer asks.
"Of course, a king's speech is for all to hear. Friend or foe, if they have come to listen, I shall offer a seat." He once again dips his ladle into the barrel and holds it over his head, "Come now! If you wish to speak with us, come and drink from this cup! This wine is as your blood!"
A couple things happen in quick succession. First: A knife flies down from the roof and slices the ladle that Iskandar is holding, causing the wine inside to spill all over him. Second: Another series of knives fly down at some of the Servants, one is aimed at my Arturia on my left, and my suit's "trophy system" kicks in and I catch the knife with my free hand, about three inches from Arturia's face, and then another one goes towards the other Arturia on my right, and my suit moves to intercept that one, but since I'm holding my M9 in that hand, the knife ends up embedding itself in my wrist. Also, one problem with the whole automatic movement system is that it can often move the body in a way that it can't naturally move, so both my arms start cramping up for a couple seconds from the extreme movement. I grunt in pain from the cramping and knife in my arm, and I look at Lancer Arturia, who's looking at me in surprise. I wink at her, and turn my attention back to the Assassins, who are now laughing at Iskandar.
"Master, are you okay?" Arturia asks.
"Yep, I'm good," When my cramping stops I look at the knife in my left hand, "there doesn't seem to be any poison on the knives." I drop the knife and pull the other out of my arm, healing it quickly, but sadly it looks like my nerves or something got fucked up, I can barely feel my hand, and the muscles are stuck in the position they're in, holding the pistol, and I can't really move my hand too much. I pry my pistol out of my hand and awkwardly holster it, then draw my Glock with my left hand, luckily I'm ambidextrous when it comes to shooting pistols, and Iskandar keeps speaking.
"Very well, I said this wine is as your blood." He stands up, "If you insist that it be spilled, then so be it." A gale of wind emanates from him, kicking up dust and blinding everyone nearby as his battle outfit returns to his figure. "Saber! Lancer! Archer! Here is this banquet's final question. Must a king stand in solitude?"
"For a king, there is no other way!" Lancer Arturia says.
"Incorrect. You have understood nothing. I will have to show you now what a true king is." The gale around Iskandar continues, and then a huge burst of light covers everything in white, causing everyone to close their eyes. When we open them again, we're all standing in a desert, sand stretching as far as we can see. A couple hundred feet away is all the Assassins, all the rest of the Servants still in our little circle.
We all look around in amazement and confusion, "What the fuck?" Mordred and I say at the same time. "Schellick, you there?" I ask, and unsurprisingly, I get no response.
"A Reality Marble?" Waver says incredulously.
"A what?" I ask.
"He… He summoned a vision from his mind into the real world!" Waver responds.
"We stand upon the same sands that my armies once marched across. This landscape, where we shared joy and sorrow, is burned into the minds of all those countless heroes." Iskandar explains.
I hear the sounds of armored soldiers marching behind us, and we all turn to look, and see an innumerable amount of men, all clad in various types of armor and sporting some kind of weapon, walking over the crest of the sands to form up alongside their king. "This world lives again, because it exists always within our hearts! Behold my endless armies! Their bodies turned to dust, and their souls returned to the world as Heroic Spirits. They are legendary warriors, who still pledge loyalty to me! My bond with them is my greatest treasure, the path of my rule! The ultimate Noble Phantasm of Iskandar. Ionioi Hetairoi!" With this final proclamation, the thousands, possibly millions of soldiers all give out a bellowing war cry that gives me goosebumps.
"This is fucking ridiculous." I say.
"Each of those soldiers is a Servant!" Waver says.
A horse gallops through the soldiers to come to a stop beside Iskandar, "Good to see you again, partner." He says as he pats the horse. "A king must live such an illustrious life that it embodies his peoples' ideals!" He says to us and his soldiers, who follow up his words with a chant of "Hail! Hail! Hail!"
Iskandar mounts his horse, "It is commanding the envy of all those heroes, and leading them forward that makes me a king! Therefore, a king does not stand in solitude! His will equals that of each of his followers!" Another round of "Hail, Hail, Hail!" from his soldiers. "So then, are you prepared to face me, Assassin?" Iskandar says as he turns back around, his voice echoing over the landscape. The Assassins start backing away slowly. "As you can see, this land is a desert plain. Unfortunately for you, this battlefield gives our numbers a distinct advantage…" He draws his sword. "Crush them!"
He begins charging forward, followed closely by his men. Everyone else, including even Astolfo and Waver, simply sit there, bewildered, as hundreds of soldiers run past us to the battle. As the army advances towards the Assassins, many break and try to flee, some attempt to fight back, and one or two just drop their weapons and wait to be killed. Iskandar beheads one with his sword, and his army releases dozens of javelins and arrows towards the rest, cutting them down quickly. The battle is over in less than a minute, Iskandar letting out a war cry, followed by his army, to signify their victory. After a few more seconds there is another flash of white and we are returned to the courtyard.
We all sit down in the middle, and Iskandar dips a cup into the barrel, "That was a lot less interesting than I was hoping it would be." He says. "Now that we have each said our piece, I think that's enough for the night."
He stands, followed by my Arturia, "Wait, Rider, I still-"
"No, be silent. Tonight was a banquet of kings. But you, Saber, and Lancer. I no longer acknowledge you as one." He draws his sword and summons his chariot. I can hear Mordred and Diarmuid growling slightly at such a blatant insult to their fellow Servants. "Little girl, wake from your sad dream." Waver and Astolfo trot over to him and mount the chariot with him. "If you cannot, you'll lose the last sliver of pride you still claim as a Heroic Spirit. The king's dream you spoke of is a curse." He rides away, leaving just the gold Archer sitting on the stone, and the red one standing nearby.
Archer speaks, "Pay him no heed, Saber, Lancer. You are correct. Follow your chosen path. Watching someone carry that heavy burden of kingship, struggling with the pain and anguish… It is superb to behold." He grins slyly at my Arturia. "Stand your ground, little King of Knights. Depending on your actions, you may prove worthy of still more of my affection." He laughs as he disappears.
The Lancers start walking away, choosing to stay in their corporeal states. My Arturia simply stands still, looking at the ground, a look of dejection in her face. "I remember… There was once a knight who left Camelot. He said that King Arthur could never understand anyone else's feelings. Maybe those feelings were shared by all who once sat at the Round Table…"
Mordred's helmet breaks apart and she looks at Arturia. "That's not true, Father. I'll admit that I thought that at one point, but I'm sure that I was the only one, other than, well… him."
Arturia turns to Mordred, and takes a couple steps toward her, then grabs her and hugs her tightly. Mordred jolts and blushes as she holds her hands out, not sure how to respond. "Thank you, Mordred, for trying to defend me."
"Uh, well… yeah, yeah no- no problem. I mean, it's not a big deal, anyone else would've done the same thing. I couldn't just let those jackasses rip on you like that." Mordred slowly pushes Arturia off her. Then she and Arturia stop for a second. "Master, there's another two Servants nearby, not any of the ones we've met so far tonight, out in the forest." Mordred says.
"Hey uh, boss, there's a car driving up to the castle, it's stopping by the main entrance." I hear Schellick say on comms.
"As promised the other night, I, Gilles de Rais, have come for you." We hear the voice of Caster projected in a similar fashion to Kayneth's at the shipping yard, but this time it sounds more like the voice is coming from in our own heads, rather than all around us, which is very unsettling. "I desire an audience with Jeanne, my beautiful virgin angel."
"Schellick, is Caster at the front door?"
"Nah boss, it's just Kayneth, he started walking to the door but stopped when he heard that voice."
"You guys hear it too?"
"Yeah, fucking creepy."
"Please take all the time you require. I have come fully prepared for a lengthy wait." The snap of a finger is heard, then a collective startled gasp from what sounds like several children. "Now my little lambs, time for a game of tag! The rules are simple. You must run away from me. If I catch you…" I can hear the sound of a young boy in pain, struggling, then a meaty crunch, and the terrified screams of a dozen or more kids, as well as the same maniacal laughter I heard when we first encountered Gilles. My blood runs cold and I feel some kind of rage boiling inside me. "Now, run! You have until I count to 100! So, Jeanne, how long do you think it will take me to catch them all?"
My Servants look at me. "Kill him." I say simply. They nod and both of them run to one of the sides of the courtyard and leap on top of the roof, then over the other side. "Minaki, Schellick, meet up with them and help them out, I'll take care of Kayneth."
"Roger, boss, he just went inside, and… the Lancers are taking off into the OH MY GOD!" Schellick suddenly screams.
"What!?" I ask, confused and concerned.
"Dude, you didn't tell me that Lancer Arturia was thicc as fuck dude! God damn!"
I chuckle, "Schellick, just shut the fuck up and focus on the mission, Gilles has some kids in there, we need to save them."
"Roger boss!"
I start jogging back through the castle to get to the front entrance. "Arturia, Mordred, the Lancers are heading towards you, I don't know if they're gonna help you or try to double team you again, be ready."
"Understood, Master." They reply.
I make it to the main entrance hall, I'm on a balcony on the right side of the hall overlooking it, standing just inside the door is Kayneth, with his slicked back blonde hair, large navy blue overcoat, hands crossed behind his back pompously. Next to him is some amorphous blob of what looks like liquid metal, it's big enough around to fit a person inside it, I have absolutely no idea what it's for, probably protection. "Ninth head of the Archibald family, Kayneth El-Melloi, at your service." He says when he sees me.
"I don't care what you're selling, I don't want any." I say with a scowl.
He pauses for a second, "Master of Saber, let us battle with honor and dignity, as we wager our lives for the Holy Grail!"
"Oh so now you give a shit about honor since it's yours at stake and not someone else's. After what your pulled at the shipping yard and the hotel, yeah, no thanks, I'm just gonna put you down." I release the spoon of the frag grenade in my hand and throw it like a baseball about a second later, straight at Kayneth. A portion of the metallic blob stretches up extremely fast and engulfs the grenade while it's still in the air. A couple seconds later there's a muffled pop, and nothing else.
"Ah shit." I say, I draw my Glock and let off about three rounds at Kayneth. Once again the blob moves at a blinding speed and surrounds him, my bullets bouncing off of it, leaving him unharmed. Before the blob re-forms I take off back down the hall, I hear his voice echoing through the halls, "To accept one such as you into the ranks of mages, oh how we have fallen." and I bolt into a room a few dozen feet down the hall. I shut the door and listen at it, waiting for him. That thing can move very quickly, so I'm gonna have to try and surprise him, catch him off guard, I don't know if that blob is autonomous or if he has to directly control it. A few seconds go by and I step back and reach for the door, only to notice that there's a small trail of the metal dangling from the keyhole in the door. It ripples a couple times, then retracts itself.
I hear the sound of wood splintering behind me, and I turn to see a blade sticking up through the floor of the room. The blade cuts the floor in a circular pattern and collapses it along with the large dining table and chairs in the room. There's now a large gaping hole in the floor, and from that hole rises Kayneth, supported by his blob. "There you are, you rat." He says. I put a few more rounds in him, and they get blocked again by the metal. He says, "Sculp!" and several tendrils appear from the blob and stab at me, aiming to crush me. My suit takes over and my body contorts to dodge the tendrils, then, grimacing in pain from my muscles being stretched, I raise my Glock and mag dump Kayneth, and as expected the blob covers him up, but it seems that he can't attack and defend at the same time, so while the metal is shielding him I drop through the hole in the floor and put into another hallway before he can attack me again.
I run down a few halls and around a corner at a spot where two halls make a T intersection, and stop to catch my breath, my body is on fire from the contortions so I'm running on autopilot, my movements controlled by the suit. That metal blob doesn't have any eyes or other sensory devices on it, so it can only detect things, not see them, and relay what it detects to Kayneth. If it's a detection system, then it must work like the Servants' detection, whereas they can't tell exactly where an enemy Servant is, just that they are nearby or in a certain area. If it could see me, then he would've just shot a blade through the floor and pierced me where I stood. So then it must sense my life force, it can detect my heartbeat or something and base my general location off of that.
I post up behind a large vase and watch the intersection behind me, I pull out my Grizzly and hold still. After a minute I see the small trail of the metal inching along the floor, and I hold my breath, the metal recedes after a moment, and Kayneth walks into the hall from the intersection, and looks left, luckily for me, because I'm on his right. But after a second he then detects me, realizing that I'm not on that side, and whips around to his right. I let off a round of my .45 and he attempts to block it, but it gets through the metal wall and hits him in the shoulder. His defenses drop for a second as he recoils from the shot and the pain. I holster my Grizzly and pull out my Glock again, emptying the magazine as I back up. I round a corner and I can hear his voice as he slowly chases after me, "Imbecile, your dirty tricks are absolutely disgusting! Simple coincidence, that's all that was! Don't think you've bested me! I will flay the skin from your body and keep you alive while I dissect you!" I can hear the sounds of him destroying everything in his path as he tries to find me.
So higher caliber rounds can get through the defenses easier, but now he'll be putting everything he has into defense, which is good. I stop in the middle of a hallway and turn around. I reload my Glock and place it on the ground at my feet, then I take out my S&W 500 and check it. All 5 chambers are loaded, I close the cylinder and place it on the ground as well. I then take out my M9 and wait. After a moment Kayneth comes around the corner, blood pumping out of his shoulder, he looks a little pale from shock, but angry as hell. "There you are." he chuckles as he sees me. I start emptying my M9 into him, and he says, "Fervor Mei Sanguis!" and the blob turns into two separate walls made up of large spikes that fill the entire hall. I empty the M9 into the wall, then crouch, drop the M9, pick up my Glock, and repeat the process with that, still crouched. Once my Glock is empty I drop it and pick up my 500, then I stand, weapon pointed at him.
"Do you really think I'll fall for the same trick twice, you idiot?" He goads me.
"Nope." I say as I pull the trigger.
The first wall of spikes starts spiraling as I pull the trigger, and it effectively eats the bullet, stopping it in mid air and catching it. But that bullet was one of my Origin Bullets, and it's most effective if magic is used to stop it.
Nothing happens.
Absolutely nothing fucking happens. He should be puking up blood right now but nothing happens. I look down at my 500 in confusion, Kayneth says "Sculp!" once more and several tendrils shoot out, pushing me back and through a wall into a small room.
"Incompetent fool, what did you think would happen, that your pathetic gun would get through my defense?" I get up slowly and painfully, grab my smoke grenade from my pocket and pull the pin, filling the room with smoke. He has about 50 feet to cross before he gets to this room so I have some time, I feel along the wall until I feel another door, and I open it, it leads into another corridor. I close the door behind me and move about fifteen feet beyond the door, pulling out my flashbang.
As I had hoped, my actions up until now have annoyed him to the point that he's become reckless. I hear him tearing up the room. His metal thing bursts the door open and he's standing just just behind it. "Bastard! How long do you plan on running from me!?"
I toss my flash bang at him, his blob strikes it, but it still goes off, the magnesium inside erupting in a deafening and blinding cacophony. He recoils, the blob losing form for a moment as he loses focus. I shoot out my zip line at him and it catches his coat on his abdomen, and I reel it in as I pounce forward, extending my combat blade on my left arm.
I aim for his throat, and his metal blob smacks me out of the way to my left, pinning me to the ceiling, but I still manage to catch his throat and cut his jugular vein and part of his larynx. Blood oozes out of his throat and mouth as he struggles to breathe, and he collapses, his blob turning to liquid and releasing me a few feet from him. He's still alive, he just can't move right now, he's bleeding out.
I get up and take a step towards him, but then I stop at a sudden prick of pain. Diarmuid appears in front me, the tip of his spear against my throat. "You do know how easily I could spear you right now, Master of Saber?" He says.
"Of course." I say, "But this is between me and him."
"I will not let my Master be killed. Nor will I kill Saber's Master. Neither she nor I wish our battle to end this way."
"Were you helping Caster fight her in the forest?" I ask. He removes his spear from my throat and stoops to pick up his Master, who has now passed out.
"No, we perceived Caster to be the most immediate danger, and I wish to end my duel with Saber honorably. Never forget, though, that the only reason you leave this place alive, is by the honor of the King of Knights."
"The same can be said for him." I say as Diarmuid jumps out a window with his Master on his shoulder, taking off into the night. I go to the window and look out, "Minaki, report."
"Boss, we're still fighting Caster, the Lancers were here helping us but they took off a minute ago, saying their Master was in danger, you got him?" She pants slightly and delays her words like she can't focus on talking, and I hear gunshots and inhuman screeches in the background.
"Maybe, I put an Origin Bullet in him but it didn't work, and Diarmuid stopped me from finishing him, I'm on the way, what's the situation right now?" I start trotting through the castle, picking up my discarded weapons.
"Yeah, boss, so uh, there's Gilles or whatever the fuck his- hey fuck you!" Schellick comes on comms and I hear a few blasts from his shotgun. "So anyways, Gilles is here with some other Servant, really weird looking dude, pale skin, wearing some jester outfit that looks like it's painted on, he's got long purple hair, wearing some weird hat, he's got a big ass pair of scissors in his hands, all he does is laugh and tell us we're all going to Hell. That dude keeps throwing exploding clocks at us, and Gilles keeps summoning these weird tentacle monster things. They've got a few kids near them as human shields so we really can't get close to them, we're just killing these creatures but they just keep coming, bullets ain't workin' either."
By this time I'm back outside, I can hear occasional gunshots from the woods, and I start jogging towards them. Once I'm about a hundred feet or so away I can see them through the trees, my Servants and team members are surrounded by these weird creatures, they resemble an octopus but they have large hairs on their tentacles, and they don't really have a head, just a gaping maw filled with razor sharp teeth. The creatures are fairly easy to kill, Mordred and Arturia are cutting them apart with relative ease, and a couple blasts from Schellick's shotgun or Minaki's rifle puts them down quick, but when they die, they dissipate into a cloud of blood, and more just file in behind them, then they just get summoned again behind the rest. I can also see the two Casters standing beyond my team, both of them laughing hysterically at my Servants' efforts.
I slow to a walk and take off my glasses. If these Casters can't be beat easily through martial means, then maybe I need to fight fire with fire. I hold my hand in front of me, palm up, and say, "Entzuenden." Which is German for "Ignite." A ball of fire appears in my hand, and flames trail up both my hands and arms to my shoulders, and my vision goes red. I remember being told in my classes at the Clock Tower that all mages have a genetic disposition towards a certain type of magic, that is: all mages will naturally excell at a certain school of magic. Pyromancy is probably my subject, since my eyes start glowing with a fiery white-orange glow when I'm using it, a trait that has very rarely been seen from anyone in the mage community, it scared the shit out of my instructors during my lessons.
I look at my team, there's nothing immediately threatening Minaki or Schellick, but they, as well as my Servants, have grouped up, they're all probably five feet or less from each other. Mordred still has her helmet off so she can see around her better, and as Arturia cuts apart a couple monsters in front of her, Mordred brings her sword up behind her to slice down on a monster, but one appears behind her and grabs her sword with a couple tendrils, holding her in place. She struggles to free herself as the monster she was about to kill starts wrapping it's tentacles around her legs. She lets out a growl of anger as she fights. I bring my hand up again and clench my fist, looking at the beast holding her sword, and I say, "Brennen."
The creature, along with several other nearby ones, spontaneously combusts, becoming completely immersed in flames and letting out a horrid screech of pain. Mordred frees herself and cuts both monsters down. Then she and Arturia, along with Schellick, turn to look at me as I walk up, a look of anger on my face, flames reaching up my arms, eyes glowing. "Oh hell yeah, Master!" Mordred says with a grin.
"Kreis der Flamme." Flames shoot up in a circle around us and the Casters, creating a wall of flame that scorches the dead trees, igniting them and starting a forest fire. "What's causing all this?" I ask about the scores of creatures.
"Gilles was blabbering earlier about Prelati or someone like that giving him that book in his hand that gives him power over 'the legions of Hell' or some nonsense. He also keeps prattling on about how Father is Joan of Arc." Mordred explains. There's a lull in activity, the demons or whatever they are aren't attacking us.
I notice that there aren't any kids around, "Where are the kids that were with them?"
"They let them go a minute ago, there's a dozen or so of them running through the forest." Minaki says.
I look at the other Caster. "Who the fuck are you?"
"Hehe...heeheehahahhahahaha! Oh, secrets, secrets! Everyone has their secrets, don't they? Hehehe, but, I guess it's only fair, I know your name… Jacob… So, you should know mine as well. Though I am supremely disappointed in you! Hahaha! I would've thought such a pious man as yourself would have burned my face into your memory so you know to stay away from me! You see… I am the right-hand man of the Devil himself! I am the one who condemns the damned! I! AM! MEPHISTOPHELES! Hahahahahaha! Oh, and I'm waiting for you!" He points a finger at me and laughs.
"Don't you point your finger at me, you demon!" I yell at him.
"Hahahahaha! Isn't that what you said to that pedophile in Syria? Hee hee hee."
My heart stops for a second, "... Go to Hell." I say, not thinking about the irony of my statement.
Mephistopheles continues his uproarious laughter, the demons once again start attacking us, I stay near my Servants, they hack and slash at the near endless amounts of creatures for a couple minutes, Minaki and Schellick are behind us, we're picking off enemies and trying to shoot whatever bombs Mephistopheles throws at us, Schellick has switched to his Dragon Breath rounds, adding to the flames that I'm creating.
"Master, I have an idea." Arturia says as we fight, "I'm sure that the tome that Gilles is holding is his Noble Phantasm, if we can damage it, it might disrupt his magic. I can use my Strike Air ability to propel Mordred forward, and if she can hit Caster, we should have a chance to win."
"Alright, let's do it." We begin slowly moving towards Caster as we fight, once we're about twenty feet away from them, Gilles says, "Have you said your final prayers? You will know terror, hopelessness! Superior skill can only do so much against overwhelming numbers! It must be mortifying to know that you will die, suffocated by a mass of demons and devils with-"
"Shaddap!" Mordred screams as she bursts forward. Arturia thrusts forward with her sword, creating a burst of air and wind to push away any monsters in the way and aid Mordred as she uses a mana burst to increase her speed as she lunges forward, aiming to skewer Gilles. He is only just able to dodge the blow, Mordred only succeeds in gouging his book, but Mephistopheles, who was standing a few feet behind him, is not so lucky. Mordred runs him through with her sword, and as all the tentacle monsters explode into a shower of blood, Gilles is frozen in disbelief, and Mephistopheles looks from Mordred's sword, which is now buried to the hilt in him, to me. "Heh, hehehaha- *cough cough hack*" He coughs up blood and says to me, "Guess I'll see you later, huh?" with a smile on his face.
Mordred brings her sword up and splits him in half, resulting in a spray of blood that coats her entire front. His body flops to the ground and disappears in specks of golden dust. "No… No no no NO NO NO NO NONONONONO!" Gilles starts screaming, "Damn you! Damn you damn you damn you damn you! DAMN YOU!" He screeches, once again he talks and it sounds more like he's hissing and growling. The ground erupts beneath us and huge bursts of red clouds blind us. Once the dust settles, Gilles is now gone. I look around, no other hostiles around, I hold up my hand and my sword dissipates, leaving only the flame.
"Zuruecktreten." I say, and all the flames around us, as well as the ones on my body recede, and my vision and eyes return to normal. "I think... We'll call it a night." I say, "Minaki, when we get back to the car, call the cops and say you saw a kid in the woods, make it an anonymous tip, that'll get them out here to start searching for them."
We head back to the car, pack up our gear, and head back home. On the way back, Schellick drives, and I'm in back with my Servants. I lean my head back, exhausted from the events of the night and having to use so much mana, I'm barely conscious. "Master," Arturia asks next to me, "If you don't mind me asking, what was Mephistopheles saying when he mentioned someone in Syria?"
I take a deep breath. "Ah, well… Several years ago, I was with an army unit that was deployed in Syria, and one day we got this mission to raid a small hotel that was acting as a front for a child sex trafficking ring. So we went in, we started clearing rooms in this building, detaining anyone we found inside. Now, this was during, uh, 'business hours', so we found a few kids in there, and we took them and helped them out, but one of the last rooms we went into, well, there was a guy in there, and he was, he was getting what he paid for, I guess… Heh… And I grabbed him from behind and threw him on the ground, his pants were down and everything, and while the guy behind me starts putting cuffs on him, I turn to the kid that he was fucking, and, laying on the bed that the guy was on… was… a baby. I about puked when I saw it. I went to check on it, but it… and this is probably the only positive part of this story… it had been dead for a little while, maybe like six hours or so by my guess. And I turned back to the motherfucker that was on the ground, and… I'll spare you the details of what we did to him, but I'll tell you that he did not leave that room alive, and he had a very, very painful trip to Hell. His screaming was like music to my ears at the time, but now… I should've just put a round in his head and been done with it."
No one says anything for a few seconds. "I… I am sorry, Master.' Arturia finally says.
"Eh, it's fine, I think… Well, it's not your fault." I respond.
I close my eyes, "Master?" Mordred asks, "Mmm." I grunt my response, "Do you think our wishes are stupid?" She continues.
"To save Britain?" I ask, opening one eye and looking at her, she nods. "Not really, it could use saving right now. Letting in all those immigrants and trying to become socialist. Anyways, I don't think your intentions are bad, it's the way you're going about it. Arturia, you want to go back in time and stop yourself from becoming king. Mordred, you want to go back in time and try to become king in the place of King Arthur. Technically you have the same dream, but making that dream a reality would be bad, it would nullify all the work that was done in your name. You two are legends in Britain, you're both held up as paragons of what you stood for, even today. To get rid of that would possibly destroy what Britain is now, since you kinda set the standard on what a king should be for a long time after you died."
"So then what should we do, Master? If not that then what should we wish for?" Arturia asks.
"That's up to you. I've found that in life, when one door gets slammed in your face, it's because God, or whatever you believe controls your life, wants you to go through another one."
We stay quiet for the rest of the trip home.
This is, obviously, a work in progress, and I am currently working on future chapters and will publish them as soon as possible, but because of my current job it can be difficult to take the time to sit down and write. I would like to thank everyone for their patience as you go on this journey with me.
