Fate's Way
Chapter 5 - Allies or Enemies?
The night was peaceful, without any dreams.
Artoria started off the day with a yawn, rubbing the drowsiness of her eyes as she took her time thinking of the many things that happened last night.
It was first meant to be a fun day of exploring the city with Gwen, and it initially was exactly that.
However soon enough after they started to go back home, it devolved into a very much deadly hide and seek game, and then an actual death game between seven Magi's.
Artoria didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
On one side it made her and her friend's life miserable that entire night, and would become even more so the longer it goes. While on the other, the grand prize was a Cup that can grant you any wish, though she wonders how it would feel like to drink from the cup, considering the enormous magical properties it holds.
Artoria got off the bed and went to the shower.
It is odd though, usually, Gwen would have woken her up, was she just up early or did Gwen forgot to wake her, it wouldn't be surprising if it was the latter, she must be as mentally taxed as Artoria was.
On the back of her head, she felt an urge to just skip school today.
"Maybe that's not a bad idea," She thought out loud
"What's not a bad idea?" Her musing was broken at the familiar voice
Turning her back, she saw her purple-haired older brother standing in the hallway with a hardened expression.
"Art… Care to explain what happened yesterday?" Her brother questioned sharply, it seems like he's upset
"What about?" Artoria dumbly asked, her mind couldn't be bothered to think deep into it
"How both you and your friend fell asleep on the park bench."
"If it wasn't for that kind man named Saber for returning you, who knows what kind of people may have found both of you instead." Lancelot finishes
"Ah…" Artoria couldn't muster up a proper response
Lancelot unleashes a sigh, "Let me guess, you were distracted, eventually got tired and accidentally slept?"
Artoria pouted, but she couldn't respond without revealing about the existence of magic and whatever this catastrophe she was dragged into joining accidentally.
"Maybe I've been too lax." She heard him whisper to himself
With renewed vigour, Lancelot rained his judgement towards the Earth.
"Once your friend Gwen returns to her home, I expect you to be at home no more than 6 o'clock for the entire month." Lancelot words viciously attacked her freedom
Gwen was only staying until next Monday… And a battle of Magi would be a battle of wits, so it would take at least a few weeks for it to get done…
She wasn't confident that she could get out of this situation, as the mark she's hiding on her left hand represents her pact with Saber, maybe she should consult with her Servant first if she could even leave the war.
"..." Silence fills the hallway as Artoria is still in her train of thoughts
"I'll do my best." She finally answered
Lancelot once again slumps in defeat, as 'do my best' means she would still in some way disobey him.
Shaking his head, he tries to offer her "If you want, we could have a family game night."
The effect was instant as Artoria quickly shrinks in fear of his prowess.
"Ah… That's not necessary." Lancelot raises his eyebrows at her response
"I insist, it's better than letting you run off to who knows where." He only got a few awkward (terrified) laughs, before she quickly ran past him presumably to the shower.
"Geez, my cute sister has become a rebellious girl." Lancelot once more shakes his head before proceeding in his business
Artoria arrives in front of the shower, though it is still occupied, as such she sat on the nearby couch and turned on the TV.
Watching the latest news report, there seem to be more gas explosions and murders happening all over the city. Both might possibly be caused by this Holy Grail War, but she could only confirm with confidence that the murders are probably related to it.
Recalling what Lancer had said, there seems to be some kind of rule of secrecy similar to the Moonlit World, and it must have been taken seriously as whoever Lancer's master has deliberately ordered Lancer to wait and confirm, even after being unable to find them.
Servants… Masters… Heroic Spirits… Throne of Heroes…
If what Artoria knew was correct, then the easiest way to identify a Servant or Master would be to use Structural Grasp on the people she met, as Servants should be composed entirely of magical energy, meanwhile, a Master should at least possess magical circuits that are opened.
It would take a lot of work, but it may just be what she needed to do.
"Master, what may you be thinking about right now to put on such a blank expression."
Ah, it seems her habit got over her again. She needs to work on controlling it, it was a natural reflex that she had since childhood, as far as she could tell, she started doing it after getting one of… those… nightmares.
Her family had tried to help her get rid of it, but even so every now and then it would resurface.
"Ah, it's nothing Saber." She responded for a moment
Before her head suddenly turned towards the direction she heard the voice
Sitting on the couch beside hers out of nowhere apparently was Saber with a black shirt that clearly states "Saber" as if to remind her of his existence and the pants he wore yesterday. Artoria must admit, even if her Servant's fashion taste is bland in her opinion, he does look appealing, in fact frighteningly so especially combined with his toned muscles.
While Artoria was sending him a cold analytical look, he gave her a smug look and tried to tease her.
"What? Do you like what you see?"
What he got instead was a deadpan from his Master, teasing attempt failed, though he inwardly chuckled when he saw a subtle pink tint in his master's cheeks, though she gave him a hard glare.
Saber soon switched the subject.
"Before we proceed with the subject of the Holy Grail War, let us discuss our own combat abilities."
"You could check my parameters for an understanding of my base abilities, I assume you don't know how to access it?" Artoria responds with a nod
"Very well, if you were to focus on a Servant, their parameters should be revealed, and for your own servants, further information should be available."
A few attempts later Artoria got a hang of it.
She didn't know how good Saber's parameters are compared to other servants, though she expected that it wasn't that poor at worst, as he was able to repel Lancer without suffering any injuries.
Though what interested her was his Noble Phantasm, it is simply just question marks.
"Saber… Why is your Noble Phantasm hidden?" She asked the man
"That's a question for another time, but the only hint I will give you is that it has something to do with my projection abilities," Saber responded playfully as if it wasn't much of an ordeal that she doesn't know his ultimate ability
It annoyed Artoria, but it's not something she couldn't deal with, after all, there are many kinds of people out there, and she should expect anyone who became a Hero to be a very unique person.
"Then at least tell me about your projection ability."
"Hm, it is my personal magecraft I named as "Tracing", it is merely an advanced form of projection, it allows me to reproduce any armaments with near-perfect accuracy." Saber explained
"Mhm…" Artoria contemplated
"And is it possible to learn it?" Adding such a spell to her arsenal would be a boon to her versatility
"Possible, yes. But unless we're the same person, it is improbable to faithfully reproduce anything unless you brought them alongside you." Saber shuts down any ideas she might've had
Saber chuckles in amusement at her reaction.
"Besides, why would you need such a spell when you have its creator right here?"
That reminds her…
"Quick question, what happened to my Katana?" She worriedly asked
"Your weapon broke into pieces last night, it's still in the shed where you had summoned me."
Artoria's face fell in a moment before assuming the emotionless facade of hers.
The blade was a gift from her father, it has accompanied her since the very day she took up the sword, it has been with her through everything, and now it's gone in the span of a single fight.
"Oh…" Her head dropped down as she contemplated the mess that is her life.
She then thought back to the grail, cursing its existence for messing with her life. But then she came to the sudden realisation, even if she couldn't fix her sword, the grail could.
The idea festered in her thoughts before becoming a behemoth that motivates her to win the war even more. She will use the grail to give her back everything it has taken away for her.
The sudden switch from being upset to her eyes practically glowing as bright as the stars are obvious to Saber. He was relieved that his untimely arrival hadn't hurt Artoria on the first day he met her if it did…
Then he wouldn't be able to look her in the eyes if he ever finds her.
Dark thoughts linger in his mind of what he would do to repent if such a thing ever occurs.
"I suppose I could create you a new weapon for the time being."
Artoria curiously looks at him, before looking confusedly when he begins to stand up.
"What? Do you think I could create you a sword without knowing which works best for you?"
Artoria's face flushes embarrassed that her overeagerness took a hold of her.
"No… I guess not… But, shouldn't you be able to simply use Structural Grasp on my body to figure it out?"
Saber suddenly froze in place
"Uh… Saber?" She called out her servant
"... no, that would be rude of me to invade my master's privacy." Artoria was confused at Saber's reaction
Before coming up to her own conclusion
"Oh, I get it now…" Artoria with a smile on her face started
Saber was now sweating, intimidated by the smile that sends chills down his spine, the one that he had recognised that would bring his death. He was saying his goodbyes to the world at this moment.
"Your Structural Grasping must be unable to comprehensively analyse other people's body structure, can't it!" Artoria exclaimed, her words full of pride
"...Eh?" That totally went in a different direction than what Saber had expected
"What?" His Master innocently asked
"Ah! Nothing!" Saber inwardly sighs in relief that his less than innocent thoughts about a certain someone hadn't been discovered
"Well, Master. Let's get going shall we?" Artoria affirmatively nods
Both of them continued to walk to their destination.
On their way, they passed by Lancelot and Kay having a heated debate about water.
"So, by your definition of wet, this mug should be wet. Yet, when I touch it, it does not slip my hand! Therefore your definition is flawed." Lancelot crosses his arm
"It doesn't work like that you imbecile, of course it's not wet. Only the inside is touched by the water!" Kay retorted with a condescending tone
"..."
As if time paused, the entire house was eerily quiet after that decisive blow
"..."
"I admit that may not have been my finest moment, but the fact still stands that water is not wet!"
Lancelot breaks the silence, stubbornly defending his belief even knowing he's fighting a losing battle
"Oh piss off ye- Oh… Art and Saber, what may both of you be doing here?"
Both of the males realize the presence of two observers to their intensive arguments.
Saber scratches his head, "We were going to go to the dojo outside, Artoria here broke her blade recently, and I happen to be a blacksmith, so we're going to take measurements."
Saber improvises on the spot, not knowing what kind of hell would rain his master soon enough.
'You idiot!' Artoria telepathically exclaimed
Both of the brothers raise their eyebrows and looks at Artoria suspiciously
"Saber, I'm sorry to interrupt, but may we borrow her for a moment?" Both men drag a resigned Artoria to a nearby room, she stares at Saber with livid eyes for his accidental betrayal.
Scratching his head once more, not understanding why his master was upset at him.
Although he shouldn't be surprised at his utter lack of understanding of his master.
This world's Artoria did retain some of her old habits, such as the stoic and emotionless face she sometimes puts on whether consciously or not. She also acts more freely and from what he gathered is a rather rebellious teenager.
Sometimes though, her image overlaps the one that he knew of, not quite as mature as her Kingly counterpart. The only relief he got was that she was more open in her life as a modern child, if it was his Saber, she wouldn't have shared the burden of the Moonlit World with anyone else.
He knew she isn't his Saber, he knew she would never grow up to be her, he knew that. Yet, he would care for her and protect her regardless, even if he was summoned to one where she was a tyrant, he would serve and cherish her regardless.
Even if it contradicts his ideals of being a Hero of Justice, his dedication for her would go far and beyond it. Even if she lost her way, he would try to be the guide that brings her back. And if she had forgotten her dream… Then he would remind her of it.
Though such matters have no place in this world, his master Artoria never took up the dream, nor was she aware of it, as such he would instead try to become a mentor figure for her, while under her teenage tendencies lies a glint of maturity beyond her years if awakened.
The interrogation went well enough in Artoria's books. She didn't know how she did it, but she managed to somehow convince both of her brothers with a bold-faced lie.
When they asked how she managed to break her Katana she responded with something along the lines of "I accidentally dropped it from a tall building", she thought her brothers would easily call out her lie.
But no… It seems that both of them are blockheads, for all their science-related arguments, they seem to be unable to understand that physics doesn't work that way.
Though Lancelot had obviously grown in suspicion considering all of these events took place within the span of a single day, which she couldn't blame him for. After all, it hardly seems to be possible for someone to have this much bad luck.
The interrogation though turned into a full discussion, which killed any of the remaining time she had left with Saber, and she went back to the bathroom to clean herself to go to school.
She tidied herself, braiding her hair into the iconic crown shape she always wore and putting on her uniform. Going back to her bedroom, it seems that Gwen has already gone downstairs as usual.
Whilst packing her bag, in the corner of her eyes she notices a blade inside her sheathe. Could it be? Her heart raced as she approached it, gently pulling the blade out of the sheathe, her hopes dashed away when what she saw was a normal Katana.
There was a note beside it so she opened it to read it.
It read, "Took too long so I created a normal sword for now, but i had Reinforced it, it wouldn't stand much chance against Noble Phantasms, on the other hand, it works fine as a weapon."
Heh, I guess beggars can't be choosers. Although Artoria swore she would get a Noble Phantasm out of her Servant eventually, she wanted to know the feeling of holding one and the sheer strength of their abilities. She imagined herself blasting energy beams everywhe-
'No no no, Art calm down, you don't want to be imprisoned do you?' She thought to herself
Deep in thought, she failed to notice an approaching presence.
A sudden force pushed her shoulders, startling her as she yelped in surprise
"Artyyy! Did you forget about me?" But Artoria wasn't focusing on that at this time, instead, she realized she accidentally jumped in surprise, and…
Artoria lost balance and fell over, Gwen who was holding her shoulder at the time was pulled down alongside her misfortune friend.
She braced herself for the impact of the hard ceramic floor, but instead what greeted her was surprisingly the soft furniture known as her bed, she was about to sigh in relief before she felt it
"Oof-" The body of her friend crashed into her in the next moment
"Ah, ah! Are you fine Arty?" Her friend got up quickly and leaned closer to check
Artoria snarled at the question before calming her poor heart down, she hates surprises these days.
"Hmph!" She responded exaggerating
Gwen looked at her taking in all of the details to make sure she didn't miss anything, before nodding.
She didn't if she was imagining things or not, but she heard an eerily familiar clicking sound in the background, but her focus lies on the mesmerising light blue eyes her friend possesses, light reflecting off it making it similar to diamonds.
Her friend has quite a unique set of genetics, even though she has to admit her beauty seems to be otherworldly, though it isn't to the degree that it seems artificial.
Gwen straightened her back and stood up while Artoria sat up from her previously horizontal position. Though once Artoria glanced towards the door she could see the cheeky camera that has caused her trouble since her youth.
Although her brother upon the realization that he has been spotted, pulled away and audibly ran off.
Turning back to her friend, it is time to plan things beforehand.
"Gwen, what will you be doing during the duration of the war?" Artoria cuts to the chase
"I would follow you, of course." Her friend's response shocks her
"What! But you had experienced first hand how dangerous it was!"
'You even got killed!'
"It's still not a reason to just let you go carry the burden by yourself."
"Then how would you even help? You don't know anything about Magecraft to defend yourself!"
Gwen pouted
"It's simple Arty, my faith in you is boundless therefore you are assured to win. Besides you could teach me about it." The sheer utter simplicity behind her actions exasperates Artoria, she's reminded once more that this is Gwen she's dealing with
"What's with that look?" Gwen asked as if she didn't just proclaim something ridiculous
Artoria shook her head and got back on topic, "To become a Magus requires years of training, even if you somehow turned out into a prodigy, how much progress can you actually make within say the span of a week?"
"I won't know before I try." She cheerfully responded
"My God." Artoria could feel a migraine on her head
As if her recent streak of misfortune hadn't given her enough headaches as it is.
She had really forgotten how idiotic and stubborn her friend normally is. She couldn't even argue with her, because what's she to judge someone's potential when she barely qualifies as anything better than a second rate magus.
"Please…" Her friend pleads, she could see the glint of curiosity in her comically large eyes
"What kind of abomination would come out of this." Artoria murmurs
"Fine, I'll think about it later, let's finish the day first." She reluctantly agreed to the request
Artoria was about to finish packing her bags before she remembered something.
"Ah right!" She frantically searched her room before finding it neatly in her drawer
Carnwennan, now it has been proven it could elude even heroes of legends it would be a valuable asset. Though it would be impractical to keep it inside her bag, so she would have to strap it somewhere more accessible.
"Oh Arty, is that the dagger you used yesterday? What does it do?" Gwen curiously eyes the sheathed blade
"It conceals the presence of the user simply by pouring magical energy into it." She answers at the same time she found her belt.
It would look odd of her to wear a belt with a dagger holstered on it, but it's better safe than sorry. Besides, she would find some way to persuade her teachers, unlike her family and friends, she has no qualms in using minor hypnosis on strangers or acquaintances to ease her duties.
"Ohh, so that's why Lancer hadn't seen us in that room." Her friend nods in understanding
"Mhm." Artoria placed the belt and dagger in her bag, for now, to not draw any suspicion from her family members.
Grabbing their items, both of them went downstairs to find an unexpected sight. Artoria's father Gawain is slumping down the dinner table looking utterly defeated, with Saber giving him an apologetic look.
What lies in the dinner table was something that looked to be right off a gourmet restaurant, her brothers look like they were going to dig in the first opportunity they could get.
And honest Artoria couldn't blame them, after all, she had also eaten Saber's cooking last night and it was phenomenal, just thinking about it made her drool at the sight.
She looks hungrily towards her servant. It made Saber uneasy, as the expression on her face looks similar to Rin's when she thought he could be an infinite gem factory.
For Artoria though, she had found her personal chef. Her father noticed his daughter's reaction, groaned, "First a stranger came here carrying both of you home, now he stole the only relevant job in my little lily's world. How cruel the world is."
It is but another regular morning for the "Noble" Household of Pendragon, as odd it normally gets.
The bell rings, signifying the end of the day for school.
To give a recap, today's breakfast was as delicious as last night, but with the additional boon of extra-large portions, it is just enough to fill her bottomless stomach to the brim, it is as if Saber already knew how much she could eat.
Artoria does wonder where he obtained enough ingredients to cook that much as last time she checked her father didn't stock this many varieties of them, if he purchased them, then she wondered where he had obtained the money from. She had a few suspicions but ultimately didn't question her servant.
After breakfast, Lancelot had checked her forehead to see if she was still sick. But it ended up being the normal temperature, no surprise there, whatever artifact Saber created for them not only healed their bodies but also cured her disease.
She didn't know why she expected otherwise, but certainly, any healing artifact that could heal mortal injuries would surely be able to cure minor diseases.
As usual, she and Gwen were the last pair to leave the house, so they said their goodbyes to Lancelot and her father. The walk to school was calm (enough), there were a few murder cases here and there, but other than that it was like a normal walk.
Saber had followed them of course. He insisted on following them to school to protect them from possible attack from other servants. When I asked him to go in spirit form, he awkwardly laughed for a few moments, before admitting her accidental summoning left him in an incomplete state.
So low in behold, the dagger she intended to use as an emergency is instead used to hide the failure of a ghost, in her opinion the whole point of spirits is … Being spirits of course and going invisible should be second nature, but nooo… Somehow just because she may have botched the summoning Saber somehow lost his ability to do so.
But she isn't particularly informed about familiar summoning in the first place, so she in the end took the blame for her servant's ineptitude to go into spirit form. Though she still has a hard time believing it.
The class today is normal in her opinion, there isn't anything notable happening, other than the existence of a dome of literal death surrounding the entire area.
Now that she thinks about it, the school idol Tohsaka seems to be off, but she couldn't point a finger at what exactly is wrong with her schoolmate. Besides those things, everything seems to be going fine.
After the teacher exited the class, Artoria packs her bags and immediately leaves the classroom, with Gwen tailing her.
"So Arty, about the things you mentioned you were planning to do, can you explain it to me?"
"Wait, I haven't? It must've slipped my mind." Artoria scratches her chin to think
"In a nutshell, there's a magical force field surrounding the entire school, and this one, in particular, would absorb the lifeforce of everything within its vicinity." She summarised it
"Then are you going to try destroying it?" Her friend asked her a good question, but from the very day she discovered it she had already come to a single conclusion
"I would like to, but this one particular is too advanced for me to disenchant. I'll just be marking their locations so that I can bring Nilrem to break." She could in fact ask him to come now with a message spell, but it's better to not entirely rely on him, as much as an old wizard he seems to act like, he does have annoying tendencies to mess with her
"Hmm, this may be a dumb question, but wouldn't be getting Saber to detect it be more efficient? He is made of magical energy, so he should be more sensitive right?" Gwen suggests unsurely
"You may be onto something here." Artoria subtly praises her friend, she would've been more obvious if she wasn't slightly embarassed that she entirely forgot about her Servant
'Oh? How cruel my Master is to forget her knight in shining armour.' She heard his voice suddenly in her head
'How did you read my thoughts!' She demanded
'You keep altering between thinking to yourself and sharing your thoughts for the world to see.' He mercilessly pointed out
As humiliated as she was at this moment, she mustered a retort.
'T-That was just an accident. Besides, you're not even wearing shiny armour, and your fashion taste is bland.' She could imagine her servant chuckling at this moment
'Ouch, those words cut deep. But how did you even stutter in your thoughts?' His response tore her even more, Could- Could it be that she subconsciously dramatized her thoughts? Just the thought of it brings shame to her
'Anyway, you're asking for my help right?' She could suddenly feel an arm resting on her shoulder
What's with people surprising her on her shoulders today?
Turning her head, she could see the man dressed in black behind her, he seems to be transparent, but hopefully, that is just because she knew his presence there. Who knows what people's reaction be if a ghostly looking figure suddenly appeared out of thin air.
Gwen gives her an odd look, confused as to why she suddenly looked behind before putting the pieces together.
"Have you asked him yet?" She shakes her head
"How confident are you in detecting the locations of the magic sigils, Saber?" She sternly asked
"Well, what could I say? I have already found all of them." The man cringes at his own statement, his wording came off wrong, the sheer seemingly arrogant statement is what he would've thought his cynical counterpart would've said
"Then let's get moving in marking them."
It went relatively well at the start, Saber had located the magic sigils for her, and she marked the areas and left traces of her magical energy so she couldn't miss it when she comes back.
It was a bit boring, but certainly not as boring as it could've possibly been if there wasn't a living detector on their side named Saber. Artoria does remember something though, since "Saber" is simply his class name, then what could be his true name?
An Asian magus who could replicate weapons with a glance, wearing combat armour that seems to be out of an action movie. Yeah, that definitely doesn't ring any bells, even if he were a hero of the past, he must've been relatively unknown.
It was going smoothly until Saber alerted them.
"Master, I could feel an enemy servant nearby, shall I engage?" Saber alerted both of them, glancing towards Artoria
"Prepare for combat, but we'll try negotiating first. Gwen, stay close." She orders like a King to their subjects
Saber nods, "Trace, On!" he muttered
Golden flecks of light began gathering, forming into the shape of a blade, and finally settling on it. It began to form into a weapon… The first weapon he had ever projected, the one which had felled the greatest Greek hero, and one that would fell many others.
'Saber…' He thought, the golden blade which formed on his hand was the last object he possessed that he could connect with his old servant, The Golden Blade of The Victorious, Caliburn.
In his early years travelling around the globe saving whoever he could, this sword was his favourite blade, and it still is. A weapon for a King… A King he had fallen in love with… He had used this blade as often as he could, hardly straying from her teachings.
But such a thing must eventually end, for the situations he confronted showed him, his compatibility with the blade just isn't good enough, resulting in many situations where he almost lost his life.
In the end, when he found the original Kanshou and Bakuya, he had to throw away his bias with the golden sword, as the original pair of blades that had served him well in the war was proving far more compatible with him, and with him now able to perfectly trace it with the original in his hands, it is no surprise they became his preferred blades, he eventually developed his current fighting style, it is far more versatile than the one with the Caliburn.
Even so, he occasionally used the golden sword when the situation allowed it. It would serve as a reminder of his past, and his certain King of Knights.
Unaware of the thoughts coursing through her servant's head, Artoria gasped at the newly constructed blade. Although her mind was still somewhat exhausted, it didn't impede her from recognising the golden sword on Saber's hands.
It was the same sword that she recognised from her many dreams and nightmares, alongside another much simpler decorated yet equally beautiful golden sword, they always revolved around her possessing one of them.
It was a sword fit for a King.
She could feel a wave of fondness coursing through her once more, but she couldn't conceive any valid reason. She instinctively yearned to hold the blade, but she held herself back.
Cutting off her thoughts, she berated herself
'Focus! Focus, Artoria! We might be going into a dangerous situation right now!'
They halted at an intersection, obviously waited for the enemy to show themselves, she actually didn't know why they decided to pick such a poor area to stop, but she trusts her servant's skill after his previous day's success.
Unsheathing her blade, she chanted her personal aria "Sigetíber!"
Magical energy starts to condense around her body and blade as she cast Reinforcement on both.
While yesterday's bout and summoning didn't exhaust her prana supply, it is still significant enough that she prefers to conserve her prana. Besides, after yesterday's disaster, she isn't particularly keen on using Mana Burst again, it is the first time she had completely busted her body to the point that she couldn't move at all.
"Hey Tohsaka, we shouldn't attack her just because she's a master. Maybe we could ask her for help?" She could hear a familiar voice
"You idiot! Now she knows we're here!" For the next few moments, all she could hear was the girl berating the boy
She coughed, "If you don't mind, I appreciate it if you would reveal yourselves."
For a while, it wasn't met with a response, before finally a long red-haired man first appeared, with his eyes closed donning a silver set of armour that covers his shoulders, chest, waist, and legs, and with a dark blue cape.
On his hand is an absurd looking bow that reminds her of a harpe, and on his waist was holstered a sheathed blade. Looking at the man though, brings her uneasiness, a sort of deja vu feeling.
Behind him, two of her schoolmates and potential enemies reveal themselves. The first being the school idol, Tohsaka Rin, and the second being the "Fake Janitor" Emiya Shirou.
"Hey, hey. The man is using a bow, he should be Archer right." Gwen pointed out
She let out a thoughtful hum as a response
'Master, check his parameters.' Ah right, she should do that.
Focusing towards the enemy servant, and a sheet appears inside her mind
True Name: ?
Parameters:
Strength: B
Endurance: B
Agility: A
Mana: B
Luck: E
NP: ?
The parameters caused her to widen her eyes in surprise, this servant completely outclassed Saber in the physical category, with the same rank of Mana, only his luck was better than Archer, but that was by just a rank.
"Shouldn't that be Archer? Why are his parameters overall better than yours?" She questioned
"You don't need to remind me of that, for your question, it could simply be attributed that he came from a better-known legend." Her servant responds with a silent hum
'But don't be upset, after all my unique projection abilities grant me far more versatility and easier access to firepower.' Saber told her privately
She snorted, 'How could be I be so ungrateful that I could possibly forget that your unique skills are the reason we're still here.' Gwen looks at both of them, obviously wanting to listen to their conversation
Ah… But such a thing wouldn't be possible, at least not until she studies Magecraft, which Artoria was still contemplating in doing so.
The two teams of three were at an impasse, neither is going for the first move, obviously waiting for the other.
Before it was finally broken by the Tohsaka
Fixing her attire, she started "Greetings, I believe one of you is a Master of this war correct?"
Seeing no reason to lie, she admitted "That is correct Tohsaka, I am indeed the Master of Saber."
The response was immediate, her servant gave her a questioning look, meanwhile, the Tohsaka's mouth was agape for a split second before her composure was returned.
"Ehm. I see, then may I inquire about your intentions here?" She inquired
"What do you mean?" Her question was too vague in Artoria's opinion
"What I meant is why are you in school of all places?" She politely asked
"Eh?" Artoria still doesn't understand the inquiry
"This is a war between Magi, and yet you are still attending school?" Her exasperation in her voice is clear as if she's talking to a rock
"Just because this is happening doesn't mean I have the right to skip school." She sternly answered, standing by her beliefs
"Tohsaka, why don't we ask her to help locate the sigils?" The Emiya suggested
"Of course not! For all we know she might be the one who set it up in the first place." She responded condescendingly
"I have not nor will do such an act, for it is wrong to commit such atrocities." Artoria dismissed the claim
"See?" Artoria swore she heard the Tohsaka angrily murmuring 'The idiots are multiplying.'
"Fine, how about we set up a temporary truce to deal with the Master-Servant pair that set this bloodfort up." She gave in offering
"I accept, I was in the middle of doing so too." Affirmatively she nods
And so a truce was formed. It would soon come apparent that it was the right choice for all sides.
What will the trio of Magi accomplish together in their efforts of winning the Holy Grail War?
Find out, in the next episode of Dragon Bal- Wait, wait! Wrong show. Find out, in the next episode of Fate/Alternative Night : FATE's Way.
Author's Note:
Ahahaha- I'm late by a day, I couldn't muster up enough motivation yesterday, so here it is.
You know I just realized how positive I made Saber's thoughts of Archer EMIYA, and I couldn't do that, so I decided to double down on my attempts to separate Saber and Archer by making his main weapon besides Kanshou and Bakuya being Caliburn.
Obviously, he's not as skilled as Seiba, but with the help of his Mind's Eye, it shouldn't be too far off. Hmm, Seiba seems right, from now on, I shall refer to Shirou's Saber as Seiba in the Author's Notes.
Also, the chapter is like 6100 words I think, so this is the longest one yet if I don't have memory problems. To be honest, it was completely accidental. I extended the normal parts longer than I wanted, I think a few of you would be turned off by it, but I just feel like I should do so or else it would seem rushed.
It also seems I won't be having any free days today if I want to stay on schedule. I don't have enough motivation to write a chapter in 2 days anymore. Haaa- Motivation is unsurprisingly hard to maintain in writing these long multi-chapter fics.
Rin's Servant is still Archer, but if you haven't guessed already. Dun dun dun! A member of the Knights of the Round Table, it is Tristan! And truth be told, I haven't planned any character developmental interactions between him and Artoria yet, because I don't even have a good enough grasp of his personality, so that's another problem Future Author-kun has to deal with.
Haha- I'm implementing all of these new features without knowing what to put. Imagine the misery of my future self when he deals with-
OBLIGUE: You're a fool, do you honestly think your actions have no consequences
A sudden dialogue appeared out of nowhere, and the originator was standing in front of his room's door
Obligue: Wha- Who the hell are you! And… Why are you holding that knife?
He backs off in fear to his bed and hugs his pillows.
OBLIGUE: If you know how the UBW route goes, then you should understand this situation perfectly.
What could he possibly mean by UBW? How does a fictional anime route have to do with anythi- Oh… Oh no…. There could only be one person this man could possibly become
Oblique: Yo-You sold yourself to Alaya to become strong enough to finish this fanfiction?!
OBLIGUE: Exactly.
The revealed Counter Guardian OBLIGUE simply said
Obligue: NOOOOOOO!
Also, did you notice that Gawain called Artoria his "little lily"? That is in reference to Saber Lily. Just some unnecessary facts I want to talk about.