Chapter 13
Red mud squished beneath Saito's feet as he found himself in the midst of a rainy battle. Knights were being struck down both by bolts and arrows. Some of the knights dropped their shields and tried to flee, only to be slain by cavalrymen on their horses. No matter where Saito looked, he could only see swarms of men dying. This was no battle, but rather a blood bath. He couldn't help but grimace at the sight. One man's head was sliced clean off by a blade, blood spraying from the open wound. Another tried to swing his axe at a cavalryman, only to find three arrows impaled his back. His body collapsed on the ground and the horse lifted up on its hind legs before smashing right down onto the fallen knight.
Saito immediately turned away from the sight, trying to drown out the man's yells of anguish. Suddenly a new sound filled the air; the sound of a battle cry. The teen was confused where it was originating and immediately turned toward its source. His blue eyes widened, seeing a knight in green garb with blood all over them, wielding a claymore with a lion engraved in the base. The knight screamed in rage, charging toward him. Out of panic, Saito lunged to the side. His body collided with the ground, the mud letting out a loud squish as it plastered his chest with bits splattering onto his face. He looked up to see the knight plunging their sword into a poor helpless soul that had been standing behind him. Saito grimaced as a bit of blood splattered onto his legs and back. The knight withdrew their bloody sword from the corpse, not even taking a rest as they sliced off another's hand. The movements were not carefully calculated strikes, but rather blind attacks filled with rage.
The knight slayed another one of their opponents before turning toward Saito. Malice filled the air as the knight tightened their grip around their claymore and began to slowly approach. The boy's body was shaking in fear as he desperately tried to scramble backwards, but his hands and feet slipped and sloshed around in the mud. The knight raised their sword above their head. Saito squeezed his eyes shut, but the blow never came. Opening his eyes, he saw his nearly killed had halted as a man with long blonde hair and a beard had his hand placed on their shoulder.
"... the troops can't take much more of this. We need to pull back!"
The teen's brow furrowed. That was strange. He saw the man's mouth moving, clearly shouting out the knight's name. So why could he not hear it?
An agitated growl rumbled from the knight in green before they jerked their shoulder out of the blonde's grip.
"No! That bassa king is here. I won't leave here till I have his head!"
"Yer aff yer heid! We're outnumbered and our defenses are broken! All our men will die if we stay fighting!"
"We won't die! We have slain plenty of those scum! That king is no different! If we just hold our ground for just a bit longer, I know I can kill him!"
"... this is insane. You're gonna ge-"
A horse charged in full speed, its rider wielding a halberd. Acting fact, the blonde-haired man shoved the knight to the ground, away from the incoming attack. But he had no time to defend himself, as the tip of the halberd pierced his chest. Saito watched as the knight who had been saved, froze in horror as their companion's body was lifted up into the air, gravity causing the body to sink lower onto the halberd.
"Graham!"
The knight ripped a bow out of a dead soldier's grip and loaded a single arrow and fired. The projectile suck into the halberd wielder's neck, causing him to cry out as he fell off his horse. The knight rushed over to the fallen foe and pulled out a small dagger from their belt. Saito could only stare as the knight stabbed the dagger into their opponent's chest. Even after the warrior died, the knight let out hateful growls with each stab, their green garb nearly colored red. Finally their movements slowed before coming to a stop with one final stab. The knight breathed heavily, reached up for their helmet. When they pulled it off, Saito was met with the sight of familiar wavy auburn hair. The viscous knight was his own Servant.
Lancer tossed away the dagger and scampered over to the injured blonde-haired man. Her blue eyes were panicked and worried. The man had lost a lot of blood, and the halberd was still imbedded within his chest.
"Graham, please hang on! I'm gonna get you out of here alive!"
She placed one hand on his chest and pulled out the weapon with the other.
"You were right, this entire plan was foolish! I got too eager and now I'm suffering for it. But I promise you, I will make it up once we get out of here!"
She tried to help her companion up, but he ended up coughing up blood along with some spurting out of his wound. Her breath hitched, slamming both of her hands over the wound. Lancer cried out for her fellow knights, begging anyone to help her.
"... I-" Graham tried to speak, but coughed up more blood before continuing "I think it's my time."
"No, we've been through just as bad scrapes and we'll survive this one."
A bitter smile formed on the blonde's face. Without a word, the light in his eyes faded away and his body fell slack.
Lancer's face paled in fear. Slowly she lifted up her bloody hands and stared down at them. Her teeth clenched and eyes squeezed shut before she threw her face into her hands. Saito was in disbelief at seeing Lancer in such a state. During his time he knew the woman, she had been bold, brash, and quite smug and confident. He never seen her completely broken down. A sob managed to escape the spearswoman as she finally lifted her face from her hands. Her companion's blood now decorated her cheeks; her blue eyes filled with rage. Slowly, she got back on her feet, picking up the halberd as she did so. She faced toward the raging battle before finally, unleashing a wail of agony.
Saito awoke with a gasp; his body soaked in sweat and tears streaking down his face. He immediately sat up, trembling.
"That dream, that was another one of Lancer's memories."
He took in a sharp inhale, trying to will himself to stop shaking. But he couldn't help it, not after the agony and fear he had experienced. The last time he dreamed of Lancer's life, he felt more of a viewer witnessing a vision. Yet this time, rather than feel like he was seeing the memory of a raging battle, it felt like he was participating in it.
"Master, is everything alright?" the familiar voice of Lancer questioned from thin air.
Saito did not reply immediately, taking a moment to wipe away the tears and sweat from his face.
"Yeah." He took a moment to clear his throat, "I'm okay. What about you, do you have enough mana to be able to leave spirit form now?"
"Aye, but I rather not be a chancer. Best if I stay this way a wee bit longer. Especially after that witch and her Saber left you nearly drained."
Saito grunted choosing to glare down at his blankets. He was barely able to supply enough mana for his servant to be able to carry him home, recalling the image of the Servant's form flickering constantly in an unstable state.
"I honestly should have suspected something sooner. She mostly kept to herself, not really interacting outside of school, not even with Katou." he grumbled, "But I stupidly brushed her off, all because she frequently gets under my skin."
"Hmph. Maybe she wouldn't be able to do so if you didn't fuss about Caster's Master so much." The teenage boy's body stiffened at his servant's words, his shoulders bunched up and tense. "That is the other reason why we both were nearly killed in that battle. You were too focused on the lassie's presence. I told you before, we would be better off if we let her die from her own naivety."
Saito slammed his fist against the backboard of his bed, shouting "I told you, Lancer, I wasn't going to do that! Now stop suggesting it or so help me I will force you to keep quiet with my Command Spell!"
"See this is what I'm talking about. You're willing to stupidly use one of your Command Spells for her! May I remind you, Master," she stated with particular venom on his title, "only one can win the grail. So you can't be showing your enemy mercy in war!"
The teen squinted his eyes shut, visions of the dream rushing through his mind once more.
"You know I can't do that, Lancer." Slowly his hands unclenched. "I could never forgive myself if I stood by and let Katou get killed. She shouldn't even be in this war in the first place. She's not a magus, she has no idea the brutality a seasoned magecraft wielder is capable of. The battle with Tanaka was only just a taste of that. I just can't leave her be, not with the knowledge I hold and she doesn't. It simply wouldn't be-"
The spearswoman sighed before cutting off her Master with the response "Honorable?"
"Y-Yeah..."
A deep inhale could be heard from the servant, giving the Saito the mental image of his servant pinching the bridge of her nose. After seeing a glimpse into her past, Saito had a better grasp on why the woman seemed so strict about not helping the opposing side. She had witnessed much bloodshed, and even lost a close comrade in her life. There was no doubt in his mind Lancer had seen things, even more than what was presented to him within his dream. It only fueled his growing urge to learn his servant's True Name.
Finally, he was drawn back into the present by the sound of Lancer replying "Fine then. If you're worried about the lassie being unable to fight, then you should teach her."
The blue-haired boy was taken back, his head jerking up and turning to his side, staring at the empty space he imagined his servant would be.
"Lancer..."
"You made it clear you're going to be gallus over this girl so long as she can't fight. I think you're daft wanting to give your enemy the equivalent of a sword, but if it ensures you won't be fussing about her in the future then I'll allow it."
"And you won't attack her nor her Servant during the duration I will be teaching her magecraft?"
"Unless she backstabs you, only then will she be tasting the iron of my spear, both her and that eejit of a Caster. Otherwise, you have my honor as a knight that I shall not lift my spear against them."
Saito was stunned, doing a doubletake to ensure he heard right. Lancer swearing on her honor as a knight? Up till that point, the spearswoman had only scoffed at the idea of honor, boasting how she was proud her victories were earned by utilizing underhanded tactics. What could have made her change her mind? His eyes closed briefly, recalling her saying "Please keep this in mind, Saito. I only fight dishonorably for you alone." Is she taking up this code of honor because of him? He considered asking but discarded that idea almost as immediately as he thought it. Knowing Lancer, the question would only annoy her and she would angrily change the subject. Perhaps another time.
The boy smiled; the first genuine smile he had expressed to his Servant.
"Lancer, thank you."
It was only a few minutes past noon that Saito found himself standing at the entryway of Tamiko's home. With him he carried a bag of supplies for magecraft. His feet lingering at the gate, hesitant to take the first step.
"Come on Katsu, you're just here to teach her is all. No sense in getting cold feet."
Giving his shoulders a shake and clearing his throat, he finally approached the sliding doors. He gave it a few knocks and it slid open a few moments later. There to greet him was a man with spiky black hair and a goatee.
"Greetings Katou-san, I am Katsu Saito, a friend of Tamiko Katou-san. We attend the same class so I've come over to help her with her studies."
The man raised a brow in confusion.
"Katou-san? Oh! I see! No no no. See I am Tamiko's father but not her biological one. My name is Ken Murakami, but you can call me Ken."
"Oh... well my mistake. And while I appreciate the offer, I think I'll feel better with Murakami. Er, no offense to you sir of course."
"None taken. Come on in, Tamiko's in the living room."
Saito nodded in gratefulness before stepping inside. Though as he removed his shoes, he mulled over the revelation he had received. Tamiko was adopted, he had never known this. As far he could recall, the ginger never mentioned this fact. But then again, he hadn't really spoken to her much before the Holy Grail War. Yet he still found it off-putting. Finally, he shook his head with a grunt. He was overthinking things, that's it. After all, Tamiko was a citizen oblivious to the world of magic, accidentally wrapped up in the conflict. That's exactly why he must teach her to defend herself. Focusing on his goal, he followed Ken into the living room.
"Tamiko, your friend from school is here!" the older man stated.
Saito peeked out from behind him to see the teenage girl frozen, holding a pair of chopsticks that nearly placed shrimp into her mouth. Her hazel eyes widening more by the second.
"Saito-kun!" she squeaked out in a small voice as her chopsticks fell against the bowl with a clink.
Next to Tamiko sat a young boy with the same dark hair as Ken. He silently ate his food, looking over at Saito before looking back over at his sister.
He swallowed before commenting "So you have a second boyfriend now?"
"What?!" the teen girl shrieked, her face blood red. "I am not building a reverse harem!"
The young boy titled his head curiously, "What's that?"
Tamiko didn't not reply, only shooting a burning glare at her brother.
Not wanting things to get out of hand, Saito loudly coughed, causing the two to turn their attention to him.
"Katou-san, is it alright if we go to your room? We'll need peace and quiet so we can work."
Suddenly the girl's outburst faded away, replaced with what seemed to be worry dancing in her eyes.
"Oh... of course. Follow me." she muttered in a small voice.
Saito was confused, watching as the teen stood up and brushed off her skirt. Something was wrong, he was sure of it. But now wasn't the time to acknowledge; as he had an inkling that it might concern the Holy Grail War. Asking about it would only bring it to Makoto's and Ken's attentions, something that must not happen as the War is to remain a secret. So he tucked his observation to back of his mind, reminding himself to bring it up later. But first, there was the matter of teaching magecraft.
The wooden floor creaked underneath his feet as he followed Tamiko down the hallway. He immediately noticed some boards, nails, and a hammer laying outside in the yard. There was no question about it that they were meant to fix the damage both Assassin and Lancer caused during their battle a few days ago. Such a shame that had happened, the house was quite lovely with its peach trees. Especially compared to his own home. A dark and dreary two-story house; once filled with three people. Now only housing one boy and his Servant.
"Alright, we're here." Tamiko announced, drawing Saito out of his thoughts.
The teen stood aside, allowing him to enter the room before closing the sliding door behind her. Upon entering the room, he saw Caster sitting on the floor before immediately jumping up onto his feet. The servant tensed, only for a moment, before relaxing his posture.
"Your servant isn't here, did you come alone?"
The blue-haired boy rolled his eyes with an annoyed sigh.
"As if I were that foolish. I never go anywhere without Lancer, especially after the encounter with Tanaka and Saber." he replied, "Lancer is right outside of this house on guard. Though I should warn you, if she feels I'm in danger, she will fight you to protect me. And may I point out, Lancer doesn't care if others are caught up in the battle. So if you don't want to involve Murakami and his son, I would advise not getting on her bad side."
Tamiko shuffled over next to Caster, her hands gently placed on his shoulder.
"Then, why are you here?" she asked.
Saito noticed the worry still lingering in the girl's eyes.
"The battle at the school, you recall you were helpless and you nearly got your servant killed correct."
His words cut deep as a flash of hurt crossed Tamiko's face. She did not reply, but he could already tell she was acknowledging this as the truth.
"Well to help avoid this in the future. I'm going to teach you magecraft."
"What?" The ginger was shocked, steeping away from her Servant, "Teach me magecraft?"
"Only the basics." he replied, sitting down on the floor and opening up his bag. "It's impossible to teach you everything, it takes years to master most spells. But the simplest of spells should be enough to protect yourself." Out from the bag he pulled a set of tarot cards and a couple of incenses, gently laying them in an organized line. "But before any of that, I need to do an alignment test."
Tamiko gazed at the materials in intrigue, kneeling down on the floor as well. Taking a glance up, Saito noticed the worry seemed to be fading from her hazel eyes, regaining the curious light she always held within them.
"What's the alignment test for?"
"It's to determine what element you have. Like all humans, we all have an innate affinity that allows us to use magecraft. But we can only access that elemental magic based on if one has magic circuits; that's what separates humans from magi. I already know you must possess some that are at least in decent quality, otherwise you would have never been able to summon Caster."
Finishing his explanation, he lit the incense. A soft lavender scent filled the room. Saito breathed it in deeply, slowly clearing his mind. His sense slowly began to become hyper focused, closing off the rest of the world. In his mind, his surroundings were nothing but a dark void, containing only him and Tamiko. "Now, select which cards you feel calling out to you." The young woman nodded her head before looking down at the cards. Her hand carefully drifted over the cards. Taking in a deep breath, she closed her eyes and flipped up one of the cards.
Interestingly enough, the card was the Priestess. A symbol of hidden knowledge or untapped potential. Pursuing this clue, Saito began asking Tamiko a series of questions, much akin to a personality test. With each answer the girl gave, the more clearer her elemental affinity become. Much too timid to be connected to fire or wind, but too headstrong to be akin to the gentle nature of water. That left only two remaining elements; Ether and Earth. Of course there was the possibility of the Imaginary Elements, but those were chances were slim as Tamiko possessed no signs of having an affinity to them.
"Katou-san, give me your hand."
Tamiko opened her eyes and stared at the outstretched hand. Silently she gently grasped it. Her hands felt soft, the skin smooth and unmarred. Saito felt a bit self-conscious, as his hands had old scars and calloused skin from his years of training. "And if she does this, her hands will be as marked as mine." He shook his head, quickly banishing this thought. "Stop that Katsu, you're doing this so she won't die."
"Alright, now I need you to imagine a river." he began, "Picture it gently flowing outwards." Tamiko's breath hitch as she started slowing it down. "You can feel it within you. Now take that feeling and let it slowly drift down from your arm to your fingertips." Her breaths were a little shaky, her arm starting to tremble a bit. On her arm, green lines started to form. They glowed softly with a gentle thrum. The lines trailed down her arm to her hand, covering nearly every inch of it.
"Saito." she breathed out, staring in awe at the glowing lines.
"It's okay, stay with me, you're doing good. Now that you let that feeling reach your fingertips, I want you to release it, extend it outwards." he replied, giving her hand a comforting squeeze.
Another sharp inhale and in that instant, he could feel the mana flow. He focused as he reached out for the mana with his own. His family crest flared to life and the magic circuits beneath his sleeve lit up. The two flows were now intertwining with each other. A faint blush slightly dusted Saito's cheeks, finding the sensation a bit strange. He twisting the mana, bending it, diverting it, testing its density. The mana wasn't all that sturdy. In fact, he found it to be quite malleable despite not being his own. Had the mana had an affinity to Earth, it would have been far sturdier, which meant only one possibility remained.
"You can stop now. Picture the river coming to a drizzle, down to a single drop until it's gone."
Slowly, but surely, the lines on Tamiko's arm began to fade away. She was breathing heavily, trying to catch her breath.
"Is it always going to be this hard to activate my magic circuits?"
"No, it's simply difficult due to you opening them up for the first time after they lay dormant. The more you activate them, the easier it will become. But regardless, you did pretty good for your first time."
The ginger smiled slightly and Saito found himself returning that smile.
"Ahem." the familiar voice of Caster cut in, prompting the two to turn toward him. "I don't mean to be ru-rude, but you're finished with the test right?"
The blue-haired teen was confused until he noticed he was still holding onto the girl's hand. His face turned a bright shade of red and immediately pulled his hand away.
"Right, the results." he coughed, forcing down his embarrassment. His face hardened, taking on the typical stone face of a magus. "So from what I learned, you only have an affinity to one of the five elements, and that is Ether."
Showing a demonstration of this, Saito created a glowing orb of pure mana that over a few centimeters above his hand. "To explain it, Ether is one of the Five Great Elements. It's can be molded and shaped to our will, even give form to things that do not exist on our plane. Funny enough, it's actually the foundation for the Servant Summoning system as it is Ether that allows their existence to be tied to a solid form." With the last word of his sentence, he made the orb of mana vanish.
"Wait, so you have an affinity to Ether too?" Tamiko questioned.
"Well yes, but not quite the same. I actually have an affinity to all the Five Great Elements. My family line is a strong lineage of magi, allowing me to inherit the affinity from those before me. I even suspect your Caster has an affinity to all five as well."
Upon hearing this, the white-haired boy became flustered, turning his body toward the wall in an attempt to hide his face.
"N-no, not really. The magecraft I-I u-use precedes y-yours by centuries."
"Oh right..." Saito groaned while rubbing his face, muttering to himself "Stupid Katsu, you just implied you're on the same level as a freaking servant. Stupid stupid."
His hand drifted low enough for his eyes to peek over his fingers, seeing both Caster and Tamiko both staring at him with slight concern. While he was used to his classmate fussing over him, he wasn't exactly custom to the white-haired teen doing so. Servant like Master he supposes. Now he thought about it, Tamiko summoning a servant was quite miraculous in itself. She had no prior experience in magecraft, yet was able to perform the ritual.
"You know Katou-san, I have to ask. What even prompted you to summon Caster?"
The ginger frowned, her hazel eyes gaining a distant look.
"I'm not sure. I remember trying to hide from Lancer in Uncle Ken's room. I ran into the closet, but that's where things got hazy. Next thing I knew, Caster was standing before me."
Saito's brows furrowed, "Wait, what do you mean you don't remember? Surely you prepared? Drawing out the summoning circle, and using a catalyst along with an incantation to bring forth your Servant. You're not seriously claiming you didn't know of these things?"
His only reply was the young girl squeezing her eyes shut and shocking her head. In that instant, Saito's blood ran cold. It's impossible to summon a servant without a magic circle and if Tamiko didn't create it, that meant it had already been there. She had told him she had gone to hide in her father's room and hid in the closet before the gap in her memory. His teeth clenched tightly and his body stiffened. Without warning, he started packing up his supplies.
"Saito-kun, is everything alright, did I say anything wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, I'm just finished here." He closed up his bag and stood up. "If you wish to continue training, I think it's best if you come over to my house from now on."
"Oh, alright." Tamiko stood up and opened the door for her classmate.
The young magus briefly nodded his head before walking down the hallway. His steps were calm yet rushed at the same time. Entering the hallway, he walked past Ken and Makoto who were still seated at the table.
"Ah, Saito-san, leaving so soon? If you like, you can join us for lunch. I fixed fresh shrimp, plenty for everyone."
He stiffened, frozen in his tracks.
"I appreciate the offer but I cannot stay. I must be returning home."
"Such a shame. Well you're welcome here anytime."
Saito didn't wait a second longer as put back on his shoes and left the home. He sensed Lancer presence return to his side. The boy let out a sigh, slightly more relaxed now that his Servant was next to him once more, especially after his new discovery.
"Lancer, I have a new order for you. When you're doing your daily scouts of the city, I want you to keep a close eye on the Katou household."
The spirit snorted out a laugh.
"There you go again, worrying about the lassie. And yet you still claim you don't have a fancy for her. I've seen hounds less lovesick than you are right now." She laughed upon finishing her jab. Yet her laughter slowly died down, to a few chuckles, to then a dead silence. "Saito, I've seen that gaze in your eyes before. That same steely glare is the one you gave that witch."
His hands tightened around the handle of his bag; his knuckles turning a bright white.
"It's not Katou I'm worried about." His family crest glowed lightly in sync with his burning intensity. "There's a magus in that house, and it's not her."