"So… that's it, then? Neither of you two know anything about this thing?!"
Oh, why was the Archer situation only getting worse?!
"Well, what are you expecting from us" Sortiara sounded indignant as she slammed the book down on the table between us. "It's not like that's a class skill; how are we supposed to know every possible skill that could theoretically exist?!"
"But there's no… list or anything?! This is a game! It uses systems! How is something as basic as possible skills not compiled somewhere for use by the players?! Who designed this?!"
"A system that no one has ever successfully reached the end and made use of! Maybe there is a grand ol' book listing every skill ever! Hell, maybe the Clock Tower is in possession of it; not like they didn't take or record everything they could get their grubby hands on from all the past wars! But how the fuck are we supposed to have it, moron?! We didn't create this system you keep bitching about! Hell, we didn't even start this war: our parents did, and they're dead!"
I was about ready to lunge across the table and strangle the girl. Unfortunately for me, Sortiara was probably at that point as well, and, while I had the age and height department covered, I still didn't like my chances. I was weak as shit, not even going to try and deny that, and I was certainly no magus. If she wanted to, I reckoned she could kill me a million times over before I even got so much as halfway across!
"Both of you, please; this isn't helping us get anywhere" Johnathan sighed. "And keep in mind, this is also a derivative of another system as is…"
…A derivative? …This was a derivative of another system? …What?
"Exactly" Sortiara huffed before I could even really think on what Johnathan had just said. "Why is it even such a big deal anyways?! So you can't ID Archer: whoop-de-doo! Just move on to figuring out your own servant, or something!"
"Why is it a big deal" it was now my turn to sound indignant. "Oh, of course, my mistake! It's not like knowing your opponents is half the fucking battle to begin with! We're all just out here running round with AR-15s, taking pot shots at one another in a good old American shoot up! Hell, the first fight even happened at a school; fancy that! Not like the ghosts of famous heroes or some shit have been summoned from God knows where to fight a magical war over a fucking cup! Why could we ever need to know what it is we're actually seeing stand before us?!"
The bang from my fists hitting the table was louder than even I'd intended. …Hurt like a motherfucker too, but I kept going.
"Maybe you're just too stupid to understand, kid, but my mind is being fucked with! There are only three things I even remotely give a shit about from this 'vessel' we humans call bodies: my mind, my sight, and my hands. I've already practically lost one of those three, and if you're going to sit there and try to tell me this isn't a problem and I should just bend over, take it up the ass and lose a second thing from that list, I've got-"
Our gazes were perfectly locked now, neither one of us giving an inch. The fire in Sortiara's eyes continued to blaze as strong as ever, but she didn't move. She didn't need to; the glint of light off a silver point now hovering in front of my right eye had her covered.
"I'd be very careful with what you choose to do from this point onwards" Lancer's voice warned from where he'd materialized behind Sortiara. "My master has shown considerable restraint, considering who she is and all, but that could very swiftly change. You may be carrying a sword around now, but I'd be surprised if you'd lost your rationality to the point you seriously believed you could take me on."
"Woah, woah, woah" Johnathan scrambled to his feet. "No need to take it this far, either of you!"
"Either of us?! Typical; take his side…"
"It's not taking sides" Johnathan sighed as Saber materialized off to my side, using one of his swords to raise the point of Lancer's spear away from my face. "But it's not like he's a magus, Sortiara! Of course he's going to be freaking out when magic shit starts affecting him."
Johnathan turned his attention towards me now.
"At least, I'm assuming you're so worked up because you think this is permanent?"
"Mostly, yeah" I admitted, sitting back down but still primarily glaring at Sortiara.
"Well, the good news is that, since this is happening from a servant skill, it will end once the skill is rendered moot. Based on the little bit you did say you managed to get from the book's explanation, once Archer's identity is revealed the skill deactivates. Get that to happen, and everything will go back to normal."
"…Makes sense…" I admitted with a sigh. "Right, so basically once he uses his Noble Phantasm or something, this will all go away?"
"Yes."
"…I still don't like it, but at least it's only messing with my recollection of Archer."
"Here's what I don't get though" Sortiara spoke up, sounding as though she had also cooled down slightly. "Why does this prevent you from trying to identify Archer? From what you said, couldn't you just… reverse engineer his identity; use what you're seeing to rule out everyone Archer couldn't be?"
Saber and Lancer had also removed themselves from around the setup, instead leaning against the far wall. Choosing to remain fully materialized for the time being, it seems, but at least I didn't have a spear point in my face now. Thanks for that, Saber. Seriously.
"I had considered that, but it's very… unrealistic" I joined Johnathan in the standing up club and began pacing back and forth slightly. "Mainly because I don't know what I'm being misdirected to. The way you worded that question, you're thinking that the skill is manipulating my memories of Archer by replacing the audio and visual components from those of other Heroic Spirits, yes?"
"Something like that, yeah."
"Fair enough to think that. I've definitely seen weapons and… outfits, for lack of a better word… that I myself would associate with only being in the possession of other Heroic Spirits. Now, if that were the case, then I could maybe achieve what you're suggesting, but there are three problems."
"…Such as" Johnathan supplied.
"Problem number one is that they're being mixed and matched in various combinations. I swear I've seen the same green cloak used with multiple different faces, weapons and armor. Across both genders too. To even attempt to compile all the pieces individually that I'm seeing and hearing, yet alone try to organize them into their proper 'packages' that also fit with the description of a possible Heroic Spirit, and… well, the sheer number of combinations I'd have to work through is simply too vast! To say nothing of the fact that I don't know every Heroic Spirit, or even that it's only pulling from the Archer class; lord knows I've seen too many weapons that simply are not bows!"
"Problem number two is that I don't think I'm just seeing other Heroic Spirits. Sure, I'm seeing some… interesting characters… but for every one that I'd consider interesting, or a possible Heroic Spirit, I must be seeing ten or twenty who are exceedingly plain. So yeah, I'd bet the skill is pulling from the pool of other Heroic Spirits, but I'd also bet it's pulling from anyone Archer knew or even just met from their life. If Archer ever pretended to be anyone else, take on a different identity or something, that could also be thrown into the mix. I simply don't know, and the usually helpful skill descriptor isn't giving me shit this time; likely due to the nature of the skill itself, if I had to guess."
"The final problem is that the skill is called Identification Misdirection. Not Identification Nullification, Information Nullification, Information Erasure or some other shit like that. No, it's very clearly called Identification Misdirection."
"...Uh, where is this point going, exactly" Johnathan asked.
"Think of normal magic. Or, well, my kind of normal magic" I grinned slightly at the pair of actual fucking magi. "Misdirection is all part of the act; of the illusion. But it doesn't take information away; just hides it, so to speak. by distracting your focus elsewhere."
"…So parts, or even the entirety, of Archer's visual and audible identity are most likely mixed into the collection of what you're seeing" Sortiara reached the conclusion far faster than I'd thought either of the two would.
I admit, I was impressed. She was learning how to think! Now there's a good child! …Even if she was being an unhelpful bitch earlier…
"Exactly" I nodded. "And if I happen to accidentally rule out even a singular part of Archer's actual identity, then all that time and effort goes down the drain as I reach a false conclusion."
"No, it'd be even worse… You could very well trick yourself into thinking Archer is someone else entirely, feed us the wrong information, and we'd be entering a battle with Archer in a worse state than if we'd actually just known nothing."
"I-" I was actually at a loss for words for a moment.
Holy shit, she was learning quickly…
"Under normal circumstances, yes, you'd be entirely correct" I quickly recovered my voice and explained. "However, we know that once I successfully confirm the ID of a servant, like Rider and Berserker, their true names show up when you look up their information. Now, what I don't know, and I'm hoping one of you two do know here, is that if I were to give a name that is false, or one I wasn't entirely certain of, say for… Assassin: would the name I gave be recorded into the information we can see about the servants?"
"I… Hmm… You know, I've actually never gave that a though…" Sortiara sighed.
"No; the only information that ever gets displayed is true information" Johnathan answered right after. "If you gave a name that was false, it wouldn't show."
"Then we don't need to worry about entering battle with the wrong information" I sighed with relief.
"But if it works like that, couldn't you just shout out every name you can possibly think of and if you get lucky… you know" Sortiara asked Johnathan.
"That's a good point" I laughed as Johnathan went bug-eyed, clearly having never even thought of that as a possibility. "But I'd imagine that there must be more conditions that just getting the name coincidentally right. Sort of like how by using a Noble Phantasm you make yourself really obvious, as Noble Phantasms are super unique, I always assumed that it was only because I could rule out every other possibility by ways of evidence that I was able to make revelations on the true names akin to it being as if they had used their Noble Phantasm."
"Except not even, because we don't get all their information; just the true name" Sortiara sighed.
"…True" I mused. "Ok, so I'm not as good as the grail at giving out information. Sue me."
"So, long story short: we're getting nothing from you on Archer" Johnathan summed up.
"What I've been saying" I nodded. "Well, unless Archer's master slips up and gives out some information… Wouldn't count on it though; she's a bit of a hot head, especially when it comes to me, but… she isn't stupid. That, and Archer does a fairly good job at getting her back into a right state of mind and in control of herself."
"Actually, I want to know… how did that meeting of yours with Archer's master go" Sortiara raised an eyebrow.
"Badly" I pouted. "Archer boo up my backpack…"
Sortiara grimaced and gave me a weird look.
"One: don't do that voice ever again" she shuddered. "Two: what's your deal with that backpack anyways? Oh, wait… you had your camera and shit in there, didn't you?"
"One: no promises" I laughed. "Two: yeah, I had some stuff in there. Not why I'm upset about it though. I got replacement phones and cameras already; just need to go home and get them."
"And what, you don't have a replacement backpack?"
"No, no, I do. It's just… well, I've had that backpack since, what? Like… grade one, I think? Maybe it was grade two? Anyways, I've had the thing for nearly twenty years; we've been through some shit together."
"That… thing… was twenty years old" Johnathan spoke up again, and I couldn't tell what it was he was feeling about that.
"You know it" I smirked.
Author's Notes
Here we go; a bit of info detailing somewhat how I'm having this skill of Archer's work xD
As to why not just use the Information Erasure skill that already exist thanks to loli the stripper (Jack the Ripper, obviously), well... as I've come to learn looking into that particular skill, it even works on technology, like CCTV cameras. Now, obviously, I can't have that, so... cop out time xD But hey, I'm going to try and make the skill work differently, however slightly; promise!
I've also updated the story description slightly, just for clarification on it's part. Nothing you need to actually pay attention to if you've been around since the old version of the description, but it should be more helpful for new readers in avoiding confusion. ...Slightly...
Lastly, to address a recent review question: Yes, Nathan has a 'clear Origin'. Or, well, he's just a normal human; nothing metaphysical or anything. If that means he has a 'clear Origin', then yes, he has a clear origin. I don't quite want to go into why I have him like that (so hard to notice indirectly) here, and sorry to the review poster, but either I'm a dummy or the site won't let me directly reply to the review, so... Well, if anyone wants to know why Nathan is like... that... send me a PM or something, I guess? Don't mind explaining it there xD
As always, thanks to everyone reading this story. Hope I can keep y'all around here longer xD