Is It Wrong to be a Grail in search of some Entertainment?

by SpokesOfTime

With the ejection of a Holy Grail to a Universe where it does not belong, Heroic Spirits long since passed, come to life, purely, so the object in question, can enjoy its Vacation. A Dungeon remains to be conquered, and without a war to fight, the Servants will step up to the task, but the question remains, is that all that is happening?

7. A Rabbit's Growth

Chapter 7: A Rabbit's Growth, and a Pair of Bows.

Ais watched the old man in front of her, the Hestia Familia Captain glow unnaturally as he spoke, "I do not exactly approve of Lancer's reasoning for exposing our… nature but I cannot deny a request from a child to become stronger to avenge her parents either."

Indeed, she had snuck out from her own Familia Home at 4 in the morning so as to train with the other-worldly spirits she had learnt of the day prior. Indeed, she had been gobsmacked to realise that this person in front of her was the strongest entity in Orario, strong enough to make Ottar seem like a child in comparison.

Ais herself however, had been further surprised to learn that she had levelled up to Level 6 when she had returned home yesterday, though she supposed fighting a Monster Rex on her own was indeed a great catalyst for a level-up.

The man spoke, "Well, tell me, Sword Princess, what you exactly seek to learn from me? I assume it is not merely a method of status-gain, effective as that might be for you, hunting monsters would achieve the same."

Ais agreed with his assessment as she spoke in response, "Combat skill… I suppose… I ran into an adventurer or a … thing similar to one that it could effectively fight me, when monsters could not..."

Saber rubbed his beard as he pondered her statement before speaking, "I see, perhaps a demonstration is necessary, come then, strike my sword with your own" he spoke, before a million particles coalesced around his clenched fist in the shape of a sword, which Ais was surprised to find, was enclosed by magical flames.

Ais rather thought that the design was reminiscent of the sword she used as a Level 1, Sword Ale, but she tilted her head at the flames, as she did not want to face Goibniu's scrutiny for having her sword damaged by a spirit's flames.

Saber seemed to grasp her meaning as he spoke, "Oh… do not worry about the flames… as they are right now, they are merely illusionary." to which Ais nodded, before pulling out her own sword, Desperate, and readying herself.

Saber seemed to observe her stance before beckoning her forward, to which Ais charged forward, her sword pointed forwards in a thrust aimed directly at the man's chest-plate.

As she flew through the air, her speed derived from her nature as a Level 6 adventurer, she momentarily panicked as it would seem the man would be skewered, though her worries were unfounded, as faster than her eye could track, the not-quite flaming sword parried her blow effortlessly, making her stumble as she struggled to re-adjust herself.

As she succeeded in standing up the man spoke, "I see, I do not claim to be a teacher of heroes… indeed the Archer… err… another Spirit I knew in a war I fought… is better referred to as that. But I myself… have a skill that allows me to utilize any weapon with near perfection, and so I can glean from it what exactly your style of fighting is."

Ais waited for the older man to continue, while he sighed as he spoke, "Indeed… purely in the art of killing monsters, perhaps you surpass me without the use of this skill, for indeed all the opponents I have truly faced were human or close enough to be considered so. "

The man looked at Ais as he continued, "A style that utilizes all your strength and speed to overwhelm beasts that do not have an ounce of tactics, but in doing so, your movements are imperfect, and the energy you use is wasted, when faced with an human opponent, this style coupled with your reluctance to kill… would certainly be fatal for yourself."

Ais was indeed, mildly surprised, for from such a simple exchange, the man… no the spirit had gleaned her style of fighting. She did not exactly know what this spirit's domain was, even if some part of her felt that it was over the Sun, but Saber seemed to be well versed in the arts of war.

Saber continued, "Come then, and this time I would ask you to use your magic, I shall correct your form as much as I can." To which Ais nodded, before rushing forward, her mother's wind at her heels, while she continued to parry, thrust, and riposte with her blade, under the guidance of the aged spirit in front of her.

Ais swung hundreds of times, and every single time, her blows were parried, or outright stopped in their path, with Saber barely needing to move to do so. She finally understood how it must have been for Ottar when fighting with Zeus Familia adventurers, who were near enough to Saber's level, and shuddered wondering how exactly the battle seven years ago would have been if Alfia was at her full strength.

As she gritted her teeth, deflecting an overhead strike, she spat out a glob of saliva, for indeed she had just been punched in the stomach, which winded her though restrained the blow must have been, for she was only forced to her knees, rather than sent flying through the air.

As she gazed up, Saber looked apologetic but he spoke, "You are training to fight powerful humans and the like little one, and they will not fight fair. The terrain, their limbs, the opponent's equipment, all are avenues an experienced human fighter can exploit, and so too is it something that you should always keep in mind."

Ais nodded, as she steeled her mind and continued to swing Desperate, her sword still having not touched the man's own body, even with him restraining himself to her level.

It was hours later that she stopped, absolutely exhausted by the strenuous training, even wondering traitorously if training with Ottar or the Knight of Knights would be less of a burden upon herself. But she could not deny the effectiveness of duelling with the man, her status no doubt would have climbed from I0 to the 30s at the very least, perhaps her agility would have skyrocketed to H even.

Saber however, looked to be unaffected by the hours-long training session, though he sat down on the Hearth of Bravery's walls merely out of courtesy if nothing else. He spoke, "If you so desire, you can continue training with me until your Familia heads out on its expedition, but if you would listen I have a more unorthodox method of training you can practice in your own time."

Ais nodded, for she would do whatever it took to reach the 59th floor, and then in the future, take on the beast of absolute calamity, the Black Dragon that her father had fought. These thoughts caused her face to twitch but she reined in what she was feeling when Saber spoke, "When you return from your Expedition, I suggest you change your equipment to something approximating full-plate armour."

Ais was very confused at this but Saber elaborated, his golden eyes twinkling as the sun shined on his face, "Your style is based on agility, and certainly plate-armour would hamper that, but until you can overcome your inability to go all-out on humans, this change in equipment should help in mitigating any damage you might take in fighting them, not to mention if you achieve the same speed you are at now while wearing the armour, imagine how much faster you would be after discarding it once again?"

Ais gasped softly, for indeed the idea made perfect sense, while Saber's training might have helped eliminate some of her wasted movements and mitigate the energy loss; there would always be her subconscious reluctance to kill those who were human, while indeed these people would have no compunction about the same.

She then began to think what material would actually be perfect for herself, though Adamantite and Orichalcum were the absolute strongest, and with a Durandal trait applied were unbreakable, a set of Mythril armour perhaps would be for the best, for indeed the metal in question was light, yet tougher than steel, and conducted magic well, a much-needed measure if she were to use Tempest properly.

She nodded, standing up, though her knees jerked momentarily as she did so, before she decided to ask a question that had been on her mind, "Would you… accompany our Familia into the Dungeon? Even Lancer would be welcome…I am sure we can compensate you for the same."

Saber shook his head as he spoke, "There would not be a reason for Loki Familia to hire us, for in the eyes of your Familia we are little more than Level 1s, and possess no real skills they would find worth hiring for. While you may know we are far beyond that, I am not inclined to let word of our nature spread."

His gaze hardened as he spoke, "Indeed, the Dungeon seems to consider my presence akin to a God's… so it would unnecessarily jeopardize your expedition. As for Lancer… perhaps he would explore the lower floors on his own some-time soon, may-haps you would run into him on the way there, but truly… the burden of exploring the Dungeon, and completing the last great quest is a duty for the denizens of this world."

He looked off into the skyline as he continued, "As Spirits of another world… our presence here is not permanent… we have been called here by Bell Cranel so to speak, perhaps we could indeed train yourself, him, and others for the purpose of the same, but actively interfering… would perhaps change the fate of the world far more than the natural course of events… and such an act is undesirable."

He then seemed to remember something as he looked down, into Ais' eyes as he spoke, "Oh… I remembered that you were one of the few to face Alfia… the sorceress." to which Ais stiffened, as she recalled the assault on Orario, and the death of the Astraea Familia companions who had accompanied her not even two years later.

Ais nodded as she spoke, "Indeed… strangely, she taught me how to use Desperate… in a proper fashion." to which Saber seemed surprised as he continued, "Call it a Spirit's curiosity… but did the sorceress possess a spell that took the form of an armour that negated magic?"

Ais nodded, "Indeed… I believe her chant was Ataraxia, but I may be mistaken." though she was surprised that the other-worldly spirit seemed to know of this, to which Saber seemed to be satisfied as he inclined his head in response before bidding her farewell.

It was not long after that she returned to the Twilight Manor, waving to Gareth who was training Raul and Anakitty as she walked in the direction of the bath.

The aged dwarf smiled when he caught sight of her, and waved in response before he called out, still casually deflecting Raul's blows, "Where have you been?" to which Ais offhandedly responded, "Training" being careful as to keep in mind the secrecy she had promised to the Spirits.

Gareth seemed to muse this by rubbing his hand through his beard before speaking, "Ho... with Ottar? Interesting…. I never thought the Boaz would actually agree to it."

Ais guiltily turned around and walked quickly to the bath, and when she arrived at her destination, she went ahead to take a shower, slowly scrubbing herself as she replayed all the lessons she had learnt before she finally walked out, towel wrapped around herself.

Her face scrunched up, for in-front of her was Loki, who dived in an attempt to fondle Ais, to which the adventurer neatly side-stepped in reaction, causing the flat-chested goddess to crash, quite resoundingly into the stall door.

She whined, "Aisuuu-taaan! Don't be so mean..." before pouting. Ais did not give Loki a response as she continued to walk past the fallen goddess, before she recalled Saber's words and turned around, speaking, "Oh… Loki… could you have a set of Mythril full-plate armour made for me?"

Loki seemed gobsmacked, as she began rolling around the floor like a child, whining as she did so, "Waaaah! Noooo Aissuu tan…. full-plate armour? That would hide your assets…. why would you do this to meee."

Ais ignored her as she left the room, in search of Finn, for if Loki got her way, the set of armour would conveniently find itself in Gareth's room rather than hers.

====================XeX====================

Sitting opposite a thinking Saber, was the golden goblet which we will now refer to as Grail-Kun, Grail-Kun was different from most of the his other grail counterparts, indeed, Grail-kun was neither a corrupted Root access like a certain Fuyuki Grail, nor was he a mana battery like the Grails Goetia had been throwing around through Chaldean timelines.

Grail-kun had most definitely been a magical goblet that had been filled with the blood of Jesus Christ at one point, and long before that, used by Gilgamesh and his father as their family heirloom/favourite drinking cup, but he was capable of fulfilling wishes even without magical empowerment of dead servants, though only at the scale of a single person, such as granting them immortality, or giving them an extra six hundred Magic Circuits.

With the addition of the Grail War Ritual's Mana, he was significantly more powerful in what he could affect, as in, he could re-shape a country's history with a wish, open a path-way to Akash or even create World Peace, something a certain 4TH Fuyuki Holy Grail War's Magus killing participant would have dearly wished was the case for his own Grail.

Grail-Kun's particular Grail Wars had been taking place in an uninhabited part of Russia since 846 CE, with Mages from the Clock Tower, Atlas, and the Wandering Sea all taking part, every eight decades, and for nine hundred and sixty years, through one incident or the other, no Servant-Master Pair had ever won.

Though in the sixth grail war, Ozymandias and his Master, an Aozaki had come close to doing so, before they had been taken out by of all things, a falling meteor that had been hijacked and somewhat empowered by the dying Animusphere master, which satisfied the condition that only objects of some magical nature or the other could harm servants.

Indeed, Grail-kun had somehow developed sentience by the eighth war, and had fully connected with the Root himself by the tenth.

It was safe to say that he was an exceptional abnormality among Grails, and indeed, even if Chaldean Interference had not occurred in the final, 12th war Grail Kun had been subject to, it would have somehow found its way out of its origin world regardless.

Now, currently, not forced to stockpile failed war after failed war's mana supply, Grail-kun was quite enjoying his stint in the world of the Dungeon, quite excited at the prospect of one Bell Cranel, his friends and Familia, along with his Servants eventually fighting the Big Bad, the One Eyed Black Dragon, who as of now, was on a romp through another continent, whilst munching on a bunch of lesser dragons.

It was not that its presence had gone completely unnoticed; indeed the so-called Creator God had taken note of him, but could do nothing to Grail-Kun, seeing as the moniker of Creator God was a misnomer, for the Creator God had only created the other lesser gods, and not the world, or this universe.

Indeed, when Grail Kun had found this to be the case, he had flipped the god's name and simply began to call him the God Creator, rather than the Creator God, something the deity in question did not particularly mind.

After ensuring that Grail-Kun did not have malicious intentions, the God Creator had sighed, and stamped his approval onto Grail-kun's metaphorical vacation in this world, even hand-waving the possibility of Grail-kun summoning Divine Spirits into this realm, provided they were of similar nature to the Chaldean Ishtar, i.e. Pseudo-Divine Spirits.

In-fact, Grail-kun was very much considering summoning the Chaldean Ishtar when the Rabbit next attempted the summoning circle, but in his own words, he believed that it would not be completely right.

You see, Grail-kun had a minor personality kink, he would only allow the summoning of the Cavalry and non-standard Servant classes if the roles of all the Knight Clashes had been filled, and as of now? Only Saber and Lancer had been filled.

And so Grail-kun wondered as to who should be the Archer who was summoned, as he perused the Throne of Heroes as a boy from the 1990s might the Sears catalogue, "Alcides? He's way too edgy. Moriarty? Too evil, don't want him changing the Rabbit to a carnivorous one. Goldy? Somehow I feel I've been in this place before, but nah, he's too much of a pain. Arjuna? Oh no, he'd take a look at the Ganesha man and die of a heart-attack."

Grail-kun grew increasingly annoyed, as a red tick-mark appeared on his internal golden-blob form, "Atalanta? Nah… too many cat-girls already… Goldy Alter? I didn't think such a thing was possible, isn't his whole shtick that he cannot be corrupted? My, whatever timeline he came from must be truly terrible; he's even wearing black armour this time…ah… no… no…no… oh….oooo Arash! Yes! He's a proper hero-type, always wanting to save people. Rabbit-boy would grow starry-eyed at him and transform into Super Rabbit. Uwah, I can see it! Some-sort of tearful farewell far in the future, yes definitely!"

Grail-kun seemed happier at this, before he decided to flip to the last few 'pages', more out of a whim than anything, before he raised a figurative eyebrow at what he saw, "A Male King Arthur? By the Throne, these so-called 'Prototype' Servants look sooo cool…. oh wait… can this be? A version of Goldy Archer that isn't completely unbearable? Poor thing's been forgotten for quite a while, more warrior than king….he'd want to grow stronger and beat up people in this world as well… but wait… oh yes, I can see him falling in love with that goddess, yes that would definitely make my vacation a lot more interesting, alright, Little Rabbit will get two for one next time he attempts doing so."

As the Grail-Kun in question grew content, it glowed mildly, drawing a surprised look from the Roman Emperor seated opposite him, who began wondering if a problem was going to pop up.

====================XeX====================

"Ottar. The boy has gotten stronger." spoke the silver haired goddess.

"Is that desirable, ma'am?" responded the stern-faced boaz standing next to her.

"Why, yes."

The room was dark. The weak light of dusk filtered in from outside the window. The corners of Freya's lips curled upward in the flickering light from a single magic-stone lamp sitting on a table.

This was the top floor of Babel Tower, built directly above the Dungeon itself. There were few furnishings in the room. While that might not have seemed suitable for the highest-class suite in the tower, each individual piece of furniture was beyond lavish. Likewise, every item was placed perfectly within the space to complement everything else.

The décor included a massive bookcase, a bed so big that a normal mind could never have thought of it, and a stylish, dark red carpet. Framing the interior were large murals of the sun and moon.

There, the silver-haired goddess Freya held a wineglass in her hand as she enjoyed a conversation with the strongest of her followers.

"I misjudged him. This isn't simply about status. Just by obtaining magic, the boy's soul now shines even brighter...To my eyes, it looks as if he has been polished. But imagine my surprise when I then saw a small tinge of the bright gold I saw so many years ago nestle its way into the midst of his brilliant soul."

She held her wineglass up under the cold moonbeams, gazing at the light as it reflected off the lazily sloshing liquid.

The young white wine was crystal clear with no depth. And no flavour either, of course.

But Freya smiled with her silver eyes as she brought the glass to her lips, almost as though she considered that pale colour itself to be prized above all else.

"His soul's growth...is it so remarkable?" spoke Ottar, leaving the question about the gold unspoken, though the goddess had picked up on it all the same.

Freya chose to answer the unspoken one first, "Why indeed… like a perfect jewel upon an already perfect metal body… it rests perfectly… though the jewel itself… it looks like one from the ore veins of the Monster of Talent."

The stern face of the Boaz broke momentarily, for indeed this was news that would have gobsmacked any other adventurer, provided they were old enough, and so he asked, "The boy… is Alfia's son?"

"Perhaps so. I wonder," she replied to the stone-faced Ottar as he stoodquietly in the corner of the room.

He stood at attention, his eyes on his goddess.

Her silver eyes meeting his rust-colored gaze, Freya slowly and deliberately lowered her eyelids in such a fashion that one might term them to be swimming in honey.

"No… I do not think so… if it was… then it would perhaps have appeared sooner? But… there is something… a solitary thing keeping him from shining through. It's holding him back…. like shackles on his soul."

She continued, swirling the glass, "Yes… he has enough spirit to shine. Be that as it may, his core… it is clouded… something is missing or blocking it."

She glanced at her companion, before asking, "Any ideas, Ottar?", seeking his opinion as though she knew the perspective of another male was what was necessary.

The male boaz, built like a boulder and far stronger than any, opened his lips to answer his mistress, "Perhaps it is the boy's attachments… his connection with the Minotaur or perhaps regret from his… mother's passing? He may not even be aware of it himself, but some part of his past has become a thorn, constantly tormenting him from within."

Ottar knew of Bell's encounter with a Minotaur in the dungeon. While Freya herself didn't exactly hear the story from Bell's mouth, she had gotten enough information to put the story together.

It wasn't much more than a guess, but she was fairly certain that Bell, with that weak body of his, had indeed lost to a Minotaur.

Freya ran a curled finger down the side of her cheek, down to her chin. "He has some trauma, and then...The children really are delicate. We may have a few attachments, but gods are not held back by the past. Very interesting...On the other hand, perhaps you see us as merely whimsical?"

"Don't be absurd." he tutted.

"If you'd humor me every once in a while, I wouldn't be so bored..." she pouted as she said these words.

Ottar's face remained unchanged. "Ah, well…" Freya muttered to herself as she cast her gaze back out the window and onto Bell. "His companions on the other hand… one's soul is much like Hogni and Hadin… a true King's soul, but the other's…." she trailed off.

Ottar spoke, "Mistress?"

Freya continued, "In descending from Heaven, some gods retain some ability or the other… such as Takemikazuchi… his skill as a swordsman is still Heavenly here… and I can grasp the value of souls, as well as charm whoever catches my eye."

Ottar nodded, for this was something he knew well, but his jaw ever so slightly fell open when he heard what Freya said next.

"I cannot see his soul… the one known as Saber… it is hidden from me like how the gods' souls are hidden. I cannot understand it…but that is a curiosity for another time. So tell me, what can we do to free Bell Cranel from these restraints?"

Freya narrowed her eyes as she glanced back at her servant and challenged him with the question.

"A person can only break free from the chains of their past by their own hands. There is no other way." The ever-stoic Ottar responded directly to his goddess's question.

"...Is that from personal experience?"

"I believe that men are doomed to repeat their own mistakes."

Freya laughed quietly to herself before breaking eye contact. A cause for concern had just come to light. Freya's good mood carried her deep into thought.

"If the shadow of this Minotaur monster is the cause, then the answer is simple: I don't have to do anything, save wait. That boy will grow stronger stilland climb over that wall..."

With enough time, Bell would become strong enough to defeat a Minotaur. All he had to do was escape from the past that still had him by the tail. There was no problem to solve.

"And the moment he slays the Minotaur, he will shine brighter than ever before..".

Once that happened, he would appear before her like a flower in full bloom; one radiant enough to make her fall for him all over again.

She couldn't wait, she admitted to herself. Bell was at the center of her universe now; he had become more appealing to Freya than anything else.

She wanted him, very much. She wanted him to always be close enough to reach out and touch.

She wanted him now.

Once her thoughts came to his point, Freya asked Ottar another question.

"Ottar."

"What is it, ma'am?"

"Do you not feel anything? I am becoming entranced with that boy, ignoring all of you already in my Familia." she asked, a faint of regret and mock pity in her voice.

Ottar's face remained unchanged as Freya continued.

"What would you do if that boy becomes stronger than you?"

"..." was the silence that continued to permeate the room.

"I might treasure him more than you. That place you are standing now might become his." she prodded, eager to see if this would elicit a reaction.

"As your heart desires, Mistress Freya." spoke the boaz, nonchalantly.

"You wouldn't be jealous?" spoke the goddess, her eyebrows raised in a delicate, dainty fashion.

Ottar responded with utmost sincerity and trust, without betraying any emotion as he spoke. "Your love is fair to all. While some may be special, no one is above the rest." he spoke, with not a hint of irony or sarcasm clouding the words.

"..."

"Even if you were to dismiss me from this post, I wholeheartedly believe that your love for me will not disappear."

Silver eyes locked with rusty ones. And in the uncomfortable silence that followed, Ottar bent his gargantuan body forward and silently lowered his head.

"I have said too much."

"I don't mind. In fact, it is quite the opposite. You have become dearer to me."

"Your words bring me great joy."

They casually traded words as though they were so many blows. And at this Freya let out a conniving laugh as she spun her beautiful voice into her response.

"But it's a shame. You're always so rigid. I would've loved to see you green with envy."

"If that is what you desire." spoke the boaz, as if envy was a simple plant he could consume to tinge his face green.

"...Ha. Hee-hee! Ha-ha-ha! Would you please, Ottar? Please don't make me laugh! If I saw your serious face burn with jealousy, I don't think I could contain myself."

Freya laughed, seemingly finding the notion truly amusing. She placed the palm of one hand over her mouth and hugged her waist with the other, as though she were a young girl trying to contain herself.

As for Ottar, seeing his goddess like this finally got a reaction out of him, a small twitch of an ear. One of the catlike ears on the top of his head suddenly pointed in a strange direction.

Once Freya had gotten her fill of laughter, she wiped her eyes and turned to face her very embarrassed subordinate to change the subject.

"So Ottar, what do you think?"

"...How do you mean?"

"About the boy. Am I worried over nothing?"

Ottar immediately repaired his posture, embarrassment dissipating like dew in the wind.

"He will soon become powerful enough to resist me. Powerful enough to break free from these 'attachments' you spoke of." he spoke, again with any irony of a Level 1 Adventurer surpassing his Level 7 self in a time-frame to be called soon, completely void from his voice.

"..."

"But, part of me is worried if that is well enough. I can't explain it in words... Eventually, it's just a matter of time, before I know it...All of those phrases keep going through my head, and I feel, somehow, timid. I know it's not true, but I feel like I'm in the wrong." Freya whispered under her breath, "Perhaps I'm overthinking it, but the presence of the… strange one fills me with confusion."

It was all she could do to muse, vaguely, that nothing was wrong, and that she had done nothing wrong. There were no particularly strong grounds for this. But Freya had watched many talented children grow in her Familia, and all of them had grown strong given enough time. Surely this boy would follow the same pattern?

At this moment, Ottar squinted his eyes for the first time, while Freya supposed, "Ottar, do you think time will solve this problem, too?"

"Yes, indisputably. Given enough time, it will happen. It's just..."

Ottar let his words hang for a moment before speaking with full confidence, "Those who do not go on adventures will never break out of their shell. That is a fact."

He fell silent, for his true feelings had been revealed, and indeed, there were many in Orario, Saber and Lancer included, who would agree with the assessment, for what were the criteria for one to level up? They needed to do something the gods would think were amazing, and the easiest way of doing so was to go on an adventure.

Somewhere else in Orario, there was a half-elf with the opposite opinion, but these were the words of a boaz who had survived many close calls- a mature adult who had been forged in the flames of battle. One, who had only one equal left in the world, the Knight of Knights, but yet was still called the Strongest in the World.

He clearly stated that those who don't go on adventures would never rise past a certain level. Ottar had pointed out the possibilities of an unknown that even Freya couldn't see.

Indeed, it wasn't Freya, but Ottar who saw what the boy could become. "...I leave his development in your hands, Ottar." The Goddess of Beauty set the glass of white wine down, closing both eyes, it was as if she had turned her back on him.

It was only then that Ottar couldn't hide a hint of suspicion on his face,"...And what caused this change in the wind?"

"It's it obvious? You now understand the boy better than I do."Freya's head was down, her voice sounding like that of a pouting child.

She then raised her head, laughing in a very glamorous fashion.

"Enough to make me jealous." and saying so, her eyes glinted as Ottar left her alone.

====================XeX====================

It had been three days since Ais has been coming to Saber for training, and in the time, Saber had had Bell teach and spar with her, for he was further ahead in lessons about movement and energy conservation than her, even if he did not use a sword like her.

Indeed, it was awkward for him, but gave him valuable insight in how to fight an adventurer not as ridiculously skilled as Saber, even if Ais was holding back as she tested the level of her skill with the blade with Bell's knife.

As for honing her reactions at speed faster than Bell could track, she would do so with Lancer, who was by and large, the fastest man in the world, unless Saber somehow managed to find a Germanic Servant to fight.

Indeed, Bell whole heartedly disagreed with Lancer's assessment he was only a Level Six or Seven, for with speed and his Spear and Army, he could perhaps successfully win against all such high level adventurers at the same time.

As for Saber himself, he would further refine Ais' technique. Indeed, Bell was thankful for the Sword Princess' presence for he could effectively test Silentium Eden as he resisted her winds. Indeed, while it may not have been at full power, the fact that he could negate magic, that were core parts of many adventurer's fighting styles, was a true trump card.

There remained the fact that the magic was exorbitant to use, very exorbitant, for in the three days, his magic had somehow climbed to SS, something unheard of. But in doing so, he wondered which of his relatives had been of high enough level to use this magic effectively.

He shook his head, for right now; Ais and her Familia would be preparing to embark on their expedition, while he himself was going to enter the Dungeon with Lily, who had made him wait by Babel as she purchased new equipment for herself.

He turned when he heard the soft voice call out from down the street, "Mister Bell!" and looked to find the little hooded pallum run forwards, a clearly new backpack, now four times her size hanging from her back.

He smiled at her before waving in response, "Hii Lily!" as the girl came to a stop in front of him.

He spoke, "Well? What did you buy?" to which the girl excitedly pointed at her backpack as she spoke, "Lily bought the Hermes Special Backpack, it was 49,800 valis, but it is very durable and even larger! I bought a new knife that had the Sharpness trait so I can carve into Monsters more effectively! Oh, also I bought a new version of the Little Ballista! It still has the same power, but instead of a single shot, it uses a cartridge of five, making it easier for Lily to provide support!"

As they walked into the Dungeon, suddenly Bell heard a voice in his head, "Bell, can you hear me?" to which the young boy yelped, "Huh!?" before the voice cleared, now taking Saber's comfortable baritone as he spoke, "It's a form of telepathy, Bell. Servants and Masters can talk to each other from long distances in such a manner. I'd like to remind you if you run into any trouble, use your Command Seals. It troubles me to say this, but I do not want a repetition of the Silverback incident, or Sol Forbid, the Minotaur we faced when we were brought to your world."

Bell nodded, slightly turning red before he thought, "Fine, Saber! If I run into a Minotaur or something, I'll call upon either you or Lancer!

He turned to the concerned expression of Lily before explaining to her that Saber had contacted him through telepathy. Lily spoke in a low voice, "Hmmph! Lily wonders if there's nothing spirits can't do! Telepathy now? I wouldn't be surprised if Saber can fly"

Indeed, the Saber-class Servant could indeed fly, a courtesy of his Mana Burst Skill, employed in a similar fashion as to how Karna would use the same skill, but that was not something Lily needed to know.

Bell shook his head, for today the two of them planned to exclusively prowl the tenth floor, as Bell wanted to test how effective S-Rank Statuses were against Orcs and the like, and the boy could hardly be faulted for doing so, for indeed, his Magic and Agility were at SS, having broken the fabled 1000 mark, that, to his knowledge, was something no other adventurer had ever done.

As they continued to walk downwards, slaughtering a party of goblins that seemed to be running from something more than planning to attack them, and since they were now on the ninth, it was only a matter of time they reached the 10th floor.

Bell looked around, for he felt that something was watching him, and even when he could not immediately spot anything, he couldn't shake the feeling that was there, and indeed the feeling grew more oppressive on his shoulders.

Bell muttered nervously, "Isn't this a little strange…?"

Lily nodded, "Indeed, Mister Bell… we haven't seen enough monsters or adventurers… apart from that Boaz Adventurer from earlier…"

But Lily could not finish her sentence, for indeed, she was interrupted by a loud roar, "MROOOOO", to which Bell turned like a rusted door on its hinge, praying to his goddess that it was not what he thought it was.

But it was indeed what he feared, a minotaur, and with it's coming, it brought with it a feeling of helplessness, a sense of despair that words could not describe, an uncontrollable shiver that he had felt only once before.

The bull roared, its overwhelming killing intent washing over Bell in waves. "L-let's get out of here, Mr. Bell! We don't stand a chance! Quickly, while there's still time...Mr. Bell?" spoke Lily, her voice cracking in fear.

Bell however, thought, "My eyes are locked in place. My legs aren't moving, either. Fear has frozen my spine; I can't budge. It might be my own body telling me to give up. "It reminds me of the scarecrow Gramps made when I was a kid. He put armour on it and everything...That's me, right now."

"Mr. Bell? Mr. Bell?!" the girl spoke, clearly terrified as well, and hoping for Bell to come to his senses, for he was an adventurer where she was a supporter.

The Minotaur's aura was getting heavier with each step of its hoofed feet. It's crushing the grass beneath it, getting closer and closer. Fear itself has materialized in front of Bell, and his body feels like it's about to explode.

"Mroooooooo!" roared the monster yet again as it sprung forward like a cannonball covering the distance between itself and the two in an instant.

"Huh?"

Bell's eyes were suddenly seeing the ceiling, and a soft cry was hitting his ears. His Supporter has pushed him out of the way of the beast, and as he looked down at her he could see her with blood running down the back of her forehead, though her teeth were grit, and her eyes still awake.

But this was what Bell had needed to change, for the thought of letting his friend die, of failing to protect her and return to his Familia Home with her broken corpse was enough to spur him into action.

He unsheathed the Hestia Blade in a moment, catching the sword of the Minotaur as he threw Lily as far to the side as he could. He was weaker than the Minotaur, there was no doubt, as his arm buckled and threatened to cave in when he had parried the blow.

But this exchange had told him all that he needed to know, that he was faster than the beast, and if he hoped to survive, this was what he should do. If he could outlast the monster for long enough, Lancer or Saber would feel the danger he was in, and race down the Dungeon to aid him.

He then remembered Saber's words from earlier, but before he could put them into practice, he saw the Minotaur turn towards Lily, and so he screamed, "FIREBOLT!" as the waves of flames washed over the creature, merely singing the edge of its fur, and more annoying it than it did any harm, but that was enough for it to turn its attention to him again.

Lily began to scream, as the Minotaur barrelled towards Bell "Mister Bell! Take my knife!", to which the boy leaped over the minotaur, deftly catching the knife via a movement that Saber had taught him. The bull itself crashed into the dungeon wall behind Bell, momentarily stunning it as it sought to adjust its bearings.

It was the new knife she had bought, longer than his own knife, but it was sharp even if it was not meant for fighting monsters, and so it would have to go to his offhand, for he needed all the advantages he could if he wanted to deal with the Minotaur.

As he blasted the Beast with five more gouts of fire, out of the corner of his eye he could see Lily turn to the exit, though she was still hunched over in pain, as she spoke, "Mister Bell… hold it off for as long as you can… I'll go get help…".

Bell could not help but admire her strength, for indeed there was no doubt that her Mind of Steel, that had seen her through the test Soma had made her endure, was also allowing her to push beyond the pain in her desire to help Bell.

But he shook his mind free of such thoughts as Lily placed her hand on the passage wall before forcefully making her body jog. It was a speed that her body should not normally allow at her state of injury, but by sheer force of determination, her status had… only for this purpose… risen high enough to allow her to endure… endure and provide victory for her friend.

Her endurance…. wondered Bell as he dodged the slow slash the beast put forward, before he stabbed Lily's knife into its eye, crippling half of its vision, which caused the beast to swell in anger, as its crimson hue darkened, while releasing a bellow loud enough to make Bell feel that he could be crushed by the sound.

But should he only wait till he was saved? And even so, at the state Lily was in, she could be overwhelmed by any monster that she ran into.

His thoughts were interrupted as the beast swung yet again, while Bell went for its legs, slashing thrice as he did so, making full use of his incredible agility. As he jumped away, Bell was struck in his stomach, sending the boy flying across the room, blood trailing from his mouth.

His armour had been shattered, this was not good, but he still had great grip, and protection on his limbs.

But this would not be enough, and Lily's safety was in question, and so the boy, who put others' safety above himself confirmed the line of action he was going to take as he jumped back , shouting "FIREBOLT! BY THE POWER OF THIS COMMAND SEAL, I ORDER YOU, SABER… COME TO LILY'S SIDE."

====================XeX====================

"One on his own… attacked in a room further back… but by now… that white hair kid." was enough to send Ais barrelling through the Dungeon. She was not going to allow the boy she had been training with to die to a minotaur, even If this beast's presence was not her fault.

She had far out-paced the still Level 5 Bete and Tiona as she cut through the fifth floor, the sixth floor, the eighth floor, as she touched down on the ninth floor, to the sound of fighting echoing through all the chambers.

The bellows of the Minotaur, and the fainter cries of the boy were audible, but distorted as they echoed, and so she could not accurately grasp where she must go.

She wheeled around when she heard a faint voice, much clearer, and rushed forward as she saw a bloody pallum girl clutching the sides of the corridor as she struggled past, clearly injured to a great degree of severity.

She recognized the pallum to be Bell's companion, Lily, but before she could get even a word out, the air next to the girl distorted, as if a hole in space and time was being ripped to which the Level 6 Adventurer pulled out her sword in response.

A tall shape appeared before her, and she lowered her sword when she realised it was Saber, though the man was not playing the part of the tutor now, as his sword was drawn, and a bright glow emitting from his body. It would seem he had been somehow alerted to his Familia member's peril and been brought to their side.

Saber glanced momentarily in her direction before he looked at the haggard, severely injured Lily, before cursing as golden rays of light jumped from his sword to the body of the Pallum, clearly re-invigorating her as it healed her. The pallum coughed as she spoke, "Bell… room E-12."

He spoke aloud, "That boy… he should have called me to his side…Sword Princess… I hope I can trust you to look after my Familia…." he trailed off as Ais had stared past him, to which Saber in-turn turned around as well, to face a large imposing figure walking out of the shadows.

It was a massive Boaz wearing but a single chest-plate, and holding aloft a massive cleaver. Saber seemed to take massive offence at this, as a brilliant heat filled the chamber for a single second before it dissipated.

The old man growled, as Ais quickly pulled the pallum behind her, "The World's Strongest? I see… the two of us were right after all about your goddess' involvement. "

The Boaz's ears momentarily twitched as he spoke, "You… you are the one that cannot be seen, I challenge you." to which Saber shook his head slowly, as he sheathed his sword, though his eyes began to glow a furious gold light, completely eliminating his iris from sight.

Ottarl seemed momentarily taken aback before he spoke, "You are in a Familia outside of mine… that is reason enough for me to kill you, is it not?" to which Saber gave a short, cruel bark as he responded, "Oh… I suppose it is. If I were Lancer, perhaps this would have been a contest, and if you were not keeping the city in balance, I would kill you, but this shall suffice."

Ottar seemed to want to respond, but Saber had already rocketed forward, in a speed that he had clearly not anticipated as his eyes widened as he raised his sword to intercept. It would be for naught, as Saber's fist punched clean through the sword, turning it into so many dozens of pieces of metal, and directly into the Level 7 Adventurer's face.

It sent him flying into the wall, face battered, and blood dripping from his mouth. The World's Strongest had been knocked into near-unconsciousness, and Ais had not even needed to help the Spirit. Saber growled, "I see… it is good he can survive B- rank Strength, I was worried I did not hold back enough."

It was doubly shocking for Ais, who knew that the Adventurer lying before her was not only the strongest, but that his greatest asset was not his strength, but his ridiculous durability. The fact that it had been bypassed by a Spirit who had explicitly stated he had been holding back truly put the old man's strength in perspective.

But Saber gave nary a glance at his fallen opponent as he dashed forward in a blur too fast for Ais to track, even if he had explicitly stated that he was slower than Lancer.

As she turned to check on Lily, she spotted the rest of her Familia executives come down the passage when the Boaz behind her began to cough, as he shakily stood up. Ais wheeled around, turning her sword onto the Boaz, but indeed, the man seemed to have taken quite a beating from a single punch.

It was Bete who whistled as she continued to face him off, "You got him without even being damaged? Are you sure you didn't somehow magically level up all the way to 8 Ais?"

Ais shook her head, slowly turning to see that Riveria was checking on the Pallum, who was in good condition after Saber's impromptu healing magic before she spoke softly, "I didn't…A Level 1 did." to which the werewolf spluttered, "Aaah?!"

Finn seemed intrigued by her statement before he gave a look at the haggard-looking Boaz, who seemed to not like his odds against the Level 6s in his state as he lowered his sword, before speaking, "Is there some reason Freya has decided to make you bully a Level 1 Supporter and her Adventurer, Ottar?"

The man grunted, seemingly still in pain, "No… I acted on my own…" before mumbling, "Tchh… to think he was stronger than me…" as he walked off, unimpeded by the Executives, for they knew that even in his state, if he activated his Skills, it would still only be a 50/50 fight against all of them.

Riveria was the one who spoke next, "This Level 1… was it Saber from Hestia Familia?" to which Ais slowly nodded, not wanting to elaborate and break her promise to keep the secret. Riveria continued, "Loki told me to avoid a fight with him if possible… but to think at Level 1 he has the strength to keep up with Ottar… no… damage him to such an extent."

It was Tiona who bounced forward, Urga in hand as she spoke, "Do you think he's like that Revis creature?" to which Ais shook her head in response, "No… he's been training me… he's not like her… if he was… Orario would be destroyed by now."

The party seemed taken aback, but Lily tugged at Finn's clothes, somehow pulling herself to her feet as she did so, before speaking, "Lily does…. not want to bother Loki Familia…. but Lily must see that Master Bell is okay…"

There was a strange expression on Finn's face… something like admiration on it as he stared at his fellow pallum, before nodding to make sure the party moved forward along the path.

They arrived to see the man in question, Saber stand still as he watched Bell Cranel fight the Minotaur on his own. He turned, to assess Lily's condition on his own as the little girl questioned him "Mister Saber… why aren't you helping Bell?" to which the old man's expression softened as he spoke, "He would have me not do so…. he says he is on an adventure…" as he looked at the Loki Executives, "And even if you all are capable of killing the beast with a flick of a finger, I request that you keep out of it, this is now a Hestia Familia matter."

Finn nodded, but Bete sputtered as he spoke, "Us? Bastard, you took out Ottar without even a scratch, you could breathe in the direction of the Minotaur and it would die." Saber pointedly ignored the werewolf as he watched Bell.

Bell had just used Firebolt, and as he did so, four bolts had spiralled through the air, crashing into the Minotaur's chest, causing it to roar. The beast swung blindly, its blade catching into the ground as it did so, to which Bell seized the chance as he hewed through the wrist of the beast, rendering it incapable of carrying the sword.

As he did so, he did an overhead kick, his feet driving the knife embedded in its eye, deeper in, before dashing around the beast, slashing its back in a series of arcs as he did so. The beast flailed wildly, in an attempt to turn around and catch him, to which the boy deftly dodged as he shouted again, "FIREBOLT!"

Riveria mumbled, "No chant?" while the rest of the party looked on in silence. The beast staggered away, creating a large distance between them, as it heaved up and down, before it re-aligned itself in the direction of Bell, roaring as it prepared to charge forward.

The boy roared as he too dashed forward, "Let the wind in the air guide my path and bolster my steps. May the gale itself push aside all obstacles. I am the one, who rides with the wind, AER INFUSA!"

A gale of wind danced at his feet, as it propelled him forward with speeds far beyond that of a Level 1 Adventurer, the Hestia Knife ahead of him.

Tione seemed gobsmacked as she spoke, "Concurrent Chanting? At his Level?" while the boy's knife went straight through the beast's mid-riff, the force of the blow creating a large opening in the body of the bull-monster.

It's soft organs were exposed, and so Bell shouted, "FIREBOLT!".

A shockwave resonated through the beast, it's entrails incinerated, as its chest expanded, releasing scarlet flames from the open wounds. But yet again Bell shouted, "Firebolt." causing the light in the Minotaur's eyes to go dim, but the young boy was still not done as he shouted the trigger twice more.

This was enough for the body of the Minotaur to inflate like a massive balloon before it exploded in a ball of fire and white ash. Indeed, the force of the boy's flames had been so potent, his own shirt had been burned away, exposing his Falna to the world, while his exhaustion had knocked him clear off his feet.

Saber nodded approvingly at this, as he walked forward with Lily before carrying the boy on his shoulders before speaking, "I did not intend to involve your Familia in this… but it seems that fate has other plans. But indeed, I must return with my charge…"

It was Finn who responded, "Very well… I understand the feeling… though one wonders at the World's Strongest being brought to such a state." As he looked at the older man.

Saber sighed at this, as he spoke, "I see… indeed… very well… there is no way out of this…if you shall keep it to yourself; I see no issue in Miss Ais revealing my nature to yourselves… but…" he trailed off as his eyes took on a dangerous glow again, "It would be a shame if in the future I shall have to… take care of loose ends." before he walked off, female pallum in tow.

The executives turned towards Ais, though the momentary killing intent they had felt evaporated, to which Bete growled, "Who does that bastard think he is?" as he kicked a rock.

Finn shook his head as he spoke, "He has not had any interactions with any of us apart from training Ais. Our gods interacting in a restaurant does not qualify as one. I guess he only knows the bare minimum about ourselves, and seeing how Loki is regarded as a trickster goddess, he may not believe he can fully trust us with keeping his secrets. It's sensible in a way… and besides, I do not doubt he could kill all of us if he so wished right now, and I would rather not leave Gareth as the only Loki executive alive over such a simple secret."

The group looked over at Ais who sighed as she spoke, "He's a spirit." to which the Amazonesses gasped, for indeed, most spirits were either dead, or corrupted in this era. Bete growled out yet again, "I see, that explains how the Level 1 shrimp beat the Minotaur if he's got a Spirit's Magical Protection as well."

Ais shook her head as she responded, "He's not that type of Spirit… he's from a different world. Think of him as somewhat similar to a Level 10 Adventurer or higher rather than a Spirit."

The group nodded, for this revelation was interesting if nothing else, for the question about the presence of other worlds was something most of the gods did not answer or did not know about and now an entity from another world had entered their own, a fact that was most definitely a curiosity.

Bete seemed taken aback, his ears twitching as he responded, "Hah!? What? Fine, I can believe the other-worldly spirit stuff, but how did the Level 1 Rabbit beat the Minotaur? Hey, hey Riveria! You saw his Status right? What were they?"

Riveria sighed as she responded, "S." to which the group stared in incredulity, before she continued, "All of his abilities were S."

But Riveria was further incredulous herself, for indeed it was not only S, but all of his abilities were SS, with Agility and Magic at an even more impossible SSS. Somethings in the world could not be understood, but she smiled softly as she supposed, that they could still be admired.

====================XeX====================

"Level 2 in one and a half months?... It's like something out of a children's story book…" muttered Liliruca Arde as she watched the Level 2 in question continue to draw the summoning circle in the Central Tower complex.

It had been a day since Bell had defeated the Minotaur, and indeed the news of his level up had caused the Guild to go into an uproar, for Bell had shattered the record for Levelling up, to an eighth of the previous record. Indeed, the boy had even chosen an unheard of Developmental Ability, Luck though Saber had urged him to choose Mage.

Surprisingly, it had been the more academically oriented Lancer who had pushed Bell into taking Luck, stating that the little boy in question got into trouble far faster and far more often than anyone else of his age, and being Lucky would help him get out of such scraps.

Whatever it maybe, the decision had certainly made Hestia happy, for she had indeed pushed the boy to choose Luck in the first place, though what her reasons were for doing so were anyone's guess.

Indeed, on top of this, the Status Sheet Lily had seen beggared belief before it rolled over into I0s. Not to mention he had even gained a New Skill.

Bell Cranel

Level 1

Strength: SS1091

Defense: SS1019

Dexterity: SS1098

Agility: SSS1337

Magic: SSS1346

Luck I

Skills:

_ -_- s_-_-_

Argonaut: Executes automatically with an active action.

But this was not relevant right now, for indeed, the summoning circle was completely drawn and so Hestia placed the Holy Grail, which was shining an awful lot in the center of the circle. Lily could swear she saw the cup smile as it continued to shine, almost as if it were fully sentient, when Bell began the summoning ritual,

Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Let each be turned over five times, simply breaking asunder the fulfilled time.

Let silver and steel be the essence.

Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.

Let red be the colour I pay tribute to

Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall.

Let the four cardinal gates close.

Come out from the crown.

Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.

– I shall declare here. Your body shall serve under me. My fate shall be with your power.

Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail. If you will submit to this will and this reason… then answer!

– An oath shall be sworn here! I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven.

I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell! – From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power, come forth from the ring of restraint, Protector of the Balance!

Indeed, towards the end of the ritual, the golden light shout out as it rubbed over Bell's hand, the one that Lily knew had the Command Seals on them, before a man appeared between the grail and Bell.

It was a black haired-man, wearing a green leather chest-plate over a red and black inner shirt. His hands were covered in black gloves. Beneath his chest-plate was a coat fastened to his body with three belts, while his pants were both black and white.

A matching set of red bracers and knee-guards protected his arms and knees, while a small red cape, along with a yellow scarf protruded from his armour. His visage itself was kindly in nature, and Lily thought she could call this man a friend, even if she had just met him.

Slung on this Heroic Spirit's back was a Bow, leaving little doubt as to what class he was, clearly this man was an Archer.

The man had a kind, handsome face, and it called out loudly, "Servant Archer, I have been summoned at your request." before he bent over at Bell, a cheery smile on his face as he spoke, "Ho? You're fascinated by heroes? I see! What a delightful master, we'll get along just fine!"

He turned around the room, finally taking in the sight of the other servants, before he raised his hand cheerfully, "Ho! Matthias! It's been a while! I see this World's still in the Age of the Gods?"

The goddess in the room turned around at Matthias, clearly confused that they recognized each other, while the Raven King waved back, a small smile on his face, "Arash! It's good to see you. I did not think we would meet in another amicable situation like Chaldea. Indeed, the gods seem to find enjoyment in dwelling amidst mortals in this world, a certainly strange behaviour. "

The man, named Arash now, walked forwards, laughing as he spoke, "Ha, curious gods indeed. I wonder if Armaiti is here, but I suppose that is true that we are not fighting. I wonder how Gudao is doing right now. Our Grand Order certainly went well."

He then turned towards his master and the small goddess accompanying her before his eyes widened, "Oh where are my manners! I'm Arash Kamangir, Archer-Class Servant! I suppose I'm a minor Heroic Spirit, but I'll serve you well Master!"

The white-haired boy in question stammered as he spoke, "Oh, oh! There's no need for that Mister Arash! You're a Servant in name only!" to which the Archer-Class Servant laughed as he ruffled the Rabbit-boy's hair, before continuing, "You really are good natured, this is very refreshing! Just call me Arash, I've a very good feeling we'll be great friends" before he flashed another smile in the direction of Hestia and Lily, causing them both to get flustered.

Matthias tutted disapprovingly, "Don't listen to Arash's nonsense, Bell. Minor Heroic Spirit… tchh… if you're a Minor Heroic Spirit then I'm the Pigeon King. Arash certainly qualifies for a Grand Archer role in my opinion; he can even fill the sky with arrows if he wanted to."

Bell's eyes sparkled even further, and Arash could practically hear the "Oh,Wow!" that was resonating inside the young boy's head, causing his smile to broaden further. It was then that his eyes fell on the demigod in the room, to which he waved cheerily yet again.

The old Servant was momentarily taken aback, before he too waved in response, "I am Servant Saber… Aurelian… it is good that a reliable spirit such as yourself has contracted with Bell" to which Arash nodded, eyeing Saber as he said "Ho! A demigod, that's certainly interesting, especially since I've never seen you before." before he turned to Hestia, inclining his head in response as he knew she was a deity.

The little goddess blushed momentarily before she spoke, "Err… It's nice to meet you Arash! I'm Hestia! I hope you'll join my Familia like Saber and Lancer!" to which Arash grinned yet again, "Certainly! The prospect excites me! I've never had a wish to make on the Holy Grail, so to help Bell become the Hero who will fight the Black Dragon and create a… Har…nevermind… become a great Legend… in this World, is something I think is a great thing for me to do!"

Bell sputtered, blushing a deep red at the "Har" Arash had spoken of, "How… how did you know that, Arash?" to which Matthias interjected, "It's his Clairvoyance… nothing is hidden from him, Arash can predict the future as well as read minds, though you'll find he keeps his mouth shut even if he's learned something he shouldn't have."

The Archer in question smiled sheepishly before finally looking at Lily, at which his eyes widened before he spoke, "Ho! A mind I cannot easily read! You have a great Xšaθra Vairya over your mind! Oops, I meant dominion over yourself, that is truly an admirable trait, you're certainly an interesting one too!" to which the little pallum blushed furiously at the praise heaped on her.

She spoke, "Lily thanks Mister Arash for his praise… Lily hopes to be good friends with Arash." for indeed even the reserved Pallum wanted to be friends with this man who was so much like a more mature Bell.

They were interrupted then, for the Grail came awake in another burst of Holy Light, to which all in the room shielded their eyes, while Lily and Hestia hid behind the forms of Arash and Saber respectively.

Standing before them all was a blond haired, bare-chested young man, dressed in gilded leg armour with a red tasset covering all sides but the front. Upon his body were golden pauldrons, over the top of a small golden weaved cape, whilst upon his back there were two golden blades.

Most people would be drawn to the youth's weaponry or outfit, but those present in the room were drawn to the youth's decidedly handsome face, with the strand of hair in between his red eyes, that radiated bloodlust that one could compare to that of the eyes of a war god.

The Servants were not cowed, but Matthias and Arash certainly recognized who this was, even if his garb was unfamiliar to the former. The Raven King spoke, "Gilgamesh!?" to which the twenty something youth seemed surprised as he spoke, "Ho!? A Servant that knows of me already, this is most curious… oh."

Gilgamesh' face seemed to frown before he waved his hands, seemingly in frustration, before speaking, "What is the point of summoning a Servant if there is no War to be had? The only incomparable joy in this world… apart from the presence of my friend is the battle of heroes splendidly fighting each other to the death! I even bemoaned that such a thing never happened in my own time, or me and Enkidu would have tag-teamed them all! But now… No war? All Servants under one master…chh… how very boring."

Bell, Lily, Saber, and Hestia did not know how to respond to the man's speech, though Matthias whispered to Arash, "This is most definitely not the Gilgamesh I know."

Arash smiled conspiratorially as he walked forward, "Hi! It's a surprise seeing you here, Archer of the Second Grail War! I thought you were lost forever!"

Gilgamesh frowned at this, peering into Arash' face, before his memories came back to him, and a figurative lightbulb went off above his head, "Ho! The blackened Archer from the previous war! I suppose you're un-blackened right now. Fighting you and blackened Ozymandias with that hound by my side was certainly fun!"

Then, the blonde man's face softened, as he had a strange expression on his face, "Ho!? Ho! A Black Dragon that threatens the world? Servant-level Mortals to fight?! I suppose this is not that bad, after all! Heck, I can even fight with you all, though in a spar I suppose."

He walked over to Hesta, peering down at her as he spoke, "Hah! A Greek God that isn't a robot? How very intriguing! I'll join your Familia then!" before he pointed at Saber, "You! I want to fight you later! I may or may not be the most powerful Servant over-all right now, but you outclass me physically, it'd be a spar that I'll enjoy!"

Arash then smiled, "Certainly, that would be intriguing, to see a Roman Demigod fight the Oldest Demigod, indeed, if I had not met the Holy Sword Wielder in Chaldea, I would have assumed that my memories of the Tokyo Grail Wars were falsehoods."

Gilgamesh seemed taken aback, but before he could respond, Bell caught his eye, and Gilgamesh' eye widened as he spoke, "Rabbit-boy, what is your name?" to which Bell stammered out, "Umm, Bell Cranel!"

Gilgamesh nodded as he spoke, "You, you're a worthy mortal! Certainly you have more potential in the littlest of your fingers than most of Uruk's soldiers ever did! Grow strong soon boy, Fighting you then would make me happy. Oh, I suppose you're my Master after all, very well, I am Gilgamesh of Uruk, Archer-Class Servant."

Bell nodded happily, before he stammered, "But…you're carrying two swords, Mister Gilgamesh." to which the blonde man began laughing, wiping a tear from his eye as he did so. "Swords he says, indeed, Enki takes the form of a Sword right now, but it can be whatever I want it to be." And demonstrating the same, he drew the sword, turning it into a tonfa knife, and then combining the two in the form of a bow.

Lancer spoke, "You're more of an Archer than your counterpart then. He merely rains down Phantasms from his Gate of Babylon like there is no end to the same."

Gilgamesh' eyes hardened at these words before muttering, "A counterpart? Gate of Babylon? What nonsense is this? Indeed, I can do something similar with my Bab-Ilu, but I prefer fighting up-close while I rain down swords, cause shooting a bow is incredibly boring."

Arash was the one who explained the existence of the other Archer Gilgamesh to this one, while Hestia and Lily continued to be bemused as Arash did so. "Ho, this other me does not fight up-close then? What a coward! Certainly one could keep raining swords forever with his skills, especially since his Gate does not seem to be as restrained as my Bab-Ilu, but where is the fun in that?"

Arash chuckled, while Lancer spoke, "If your insistence on combat indicates anything, I would assume the other Gilgamesh is not as well versed in the arts of Close-Combat as you are, and even if he chooses to do so, he brings out his Sword of Rupture. He is more King than Warrior."

Gilgamesh snorted, clearly unamused, "Not very heroic then is he? Either rain down weapons forever, or use an unsurpassed sword to blast away anyone he finds 'worthy'. He certainly sounds boring. Besides, calling everyone 'mongrel', I admit the word rolls off the tongue magnificently, but is there no creativity to be had in his insults? Hey Bell!" to which the boy turned in confusion.

"If you ever summon the other me, I'll beat him up. I wonder how he fought with his Enkidu. Don't tell me he rained down weapons as well… oh by Anu… he certainly would have. How very boring! I wrestled with my best-friend when he first came to Uruk, it lasted for three entire days before I finally won because he slipped on some mud when he was tired, the very thing he was made from!" to which the blonde man began tearing up in peals of laughter.

Hestia finally spoke up, meekly, "Umm… if you're a demigod, and Aurelian is as well, how do you differ from one another exactly?" to which Gilgamesh seemed incredulous as he responded, "He's the son of the Roman Sun God. My mother was Ninsun, the Sumerian Goddess of Wild Cattle. I precede him by a few millennia in my origin. But if you're asking in your capacity as a god, I suppose Aurelian is a half-god as well as an incarnate, while I am two-thirds god and one-third man."

Hestia seemed flummoxed as she began raising her fingers in attempting to calculate how exactly Gilgamesh would end up with a nature of 66% Divinity, to which Arash patted her head when her eyes seemed to give up from the mental exhaustion, before speaking, "Don't try to make sense of it Lady Hestia, his Divinity is part of his legend, and hence not explainable by genetics or mathematics."

Hestia shook her head, before she coughed, "Ahem… umm… Gilgamesh, would you like to join our Familia?" to which the Servant raised an eyebrow as he spoke, putting a hand to his chin, "Did I not say I would join your Familia? I suppose I'd have to join it either way since the boy Bell is part of your Familia… but I wonder, say Hestia… has my mother descended from your plane?"

Hestia seemed flummoxed before she racked her brain before answering, "I think so?! I'm not sure if I spotted Ninsun or not in Ganesha's banquet but she's certainly descended last I heard."

Gilgamesh pondered this as he rubbed the bracer of his bow-form Enki before he split it into two swords again, before responding, "I suppose it doesn't matter. Even if she is a Ninsun, she is hardly my mother, though I think a conversation with her may interest me. Oh besides, in the same vein, has Ishtar descended?"

Hestia turned red at the question, but Saber responded, "Indeed, she heads a powerful familia which has its hands in prostitution in the Entertainment District." to which Gilgamesh' expression soured as he spoke, "I suppose if I'm affording Ninsun the status of not being my mother, I should think that this Ishtar is not the one that killed my friend via her maliciousness. But even so, for the crime of being an Ishtar, I shall personally beat her strongest child to an inch within her life; indeed, that should be a satisfying first lesson to make that selfish witch go down a peg."

Gilgamesh began humming at the prospect, as he gave a momentarily glance towards Lily before he reclined in a chair at Saber's table. Everyone seemed to blink at this, before Gilgamesh turned towards them in confusion, "Well? I may be the First Hero, but Arash gave me a worthy fight in his blackened state, and hence I grant him the boon of joining your Familia first." and saying so, the Heroic Spirit reached into an orb of light that had appeared besides him, before pulling out a jug of wine and a glass.

Arash chuckled at this, before muttering, "Gilgamesh will always be Gilgamesh, no matter how much his origin differs." before kneeling down on the floor.

And so, the Servant stripped off his upper-wear, revealing an incredibly chiselled body that was at the pinnacle of humanity. Hestia blushed in a fashion that she had not for Lancer and Saber, as the Archer in front of her was indeed far more young-looking than the former two Servants, as she pricked her finger and dropped the ichor onto his back.

She traced the symbols on him, before she finally placed a paper on his back, before offering it to him as he stood up.

Arash gently grabbed the paper as he re-equipped his armour, before perusing it, as Gilgamesh stripped himself of his golden asset.

Arash Kamangir

Level 1

Strength: I0

Defense: I0

Dexterity: I0

Agility: I0

Magic: I0

Magic:

Bow and Arrow Creation: As long as he has the materials, one can instantly make a bow and arrow to any level.

Skills:

Magic Resistance: Cancel spells with a chant below two verses. Cannot defend against magecraft on the level of High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals

Robust Health: Increases Defense Gain, as well as ranks up END parameter. Makes him immune to all poisons and diseases.

Clairvoyance: Predicting the future, and even mind-reading is possible with his Clairvoyance.

Independent Action: Parameters increase while fighting alone in addition to granting the ability to stay in the world for one day without magical upkeep.

"Ho? Interesting, some of my skills interact with this world's rules to make me stronger? Furthermore, I'm receiving upkeep from Hestia herself, as well as Bell." spoke the black-haired Servant as he stared at his sheet. Hestia mumbled, "But to think you can read minds, even we gods can only tell when a person is lying."

Arash did not raise his eyes from his sheet before he spoke, "Lady Hestia, I do not know why you have an image of Bell eating potato croquettes… Jagamaru-kuns, in your head, but I shall tell you it is harder to read a god's mind, similar to Lily's."

Hestia coughed at this, blushing while Bell seemed taken aback, before Gilgamesh seated himself, cross-legged, on the floor.

Indeed, while Aurelian might have felt godly, and Arash the pinnacle of humanity, there was something about Gilgamesh's form that exuded a feeling that made Hestia think he was the ultimate life-form, the missing link between Divine and mortal, though perhaps some of her thoughts were influenced by the line like tattoos running over his back.

As she repeated the procedure and handed the sheet to Gilgamesh, whose crimson eyes perused the page at lightning speed, he sighed, "Level 1? What is this nonsense?" to which Hestia quickly responded, "That's just how the Falna works… whether you're an powerful man, an other-worldly, inordinately powerful Demigod, or a new-born infant, the Falna always starts at Level 1, with I0 in parameters."

Gilgamesh Ur

Level 1

Strength: I0

Defense: I0

Dexterity: I0

Agility: I0

Magic: I0

Magic:

Bab-Ilu: The Key of the King's Law to Enshrine, the tattoo on his back, acts as the key to his treasury, opening up upto ten portals around his being, that can act as an easy method of retrieval of objects from his Treasury, or as a means as to launch the infinite number of weapons in his treasury as Projectiles. It also makes him more charismatic.

Ur-Saĝ Gu "Absolutely Survive": Capable of Surviving any wound or injury unless the Star of Destruction is activated.

Skills:

Magic Resistance: Cancel spells with a chant below two verses. Cannot defend against magecraft on the level of High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals

Independent Action: Parameters increase while fighting alone in addition to granting the ability to stay in the world for one week. Requires a master for the usage of Noble Phantasms.

Charisma: Normally has the standard charisma of a king or ruler, however due to Bab-ilu, gains an increase that activated whenever anyone looks upon the mark.

Gilgamesh began laughing at this, "Ho, I see, you gods challenge me even now with this? Very well, tell me then Hestia, what is the record for Levelling Up as you call it?"

Lancer responded, pointing a finger at the suddenly flustered Bell, before he spoke, "One and a Half months for our Bell Cranel. He's the record holder as of now."

Gilgamesh grinned at the boy before he spoke, "Six Weeks? Very well, I, Gilgamesh shall strive to break this record, Master." to which the rabbit-like boy gulped, almost as if he had just been faced with an hungry wolf.

Well! That's Chapter Seven; a lot happened in this one, but Proto-Gil and Arash are here, and both are raring to go. As for Proto-Gil's characterization, well, he's described as still the most-self-centred person in the Proto Universe, but he can read the situation properly and wants to establish himself as the strongest of Heroic Spirits, so I'm treating him as is.

All constructive criticism is welcome, both in reviews as well as PM.

Candidates:

Rider: Iskander, Ushiwakamaru, Achilles.

Caster: Tamamo-No-Mae, Proto Merlin, EMIYA(S), Alfia.

Assassin: Regend: Saviour of France, Semiramis, Shouten Douji, EMIYA (K)

Berserker: Darius III, Mysterious Heroine X Alter.

Pseudo-Divine Spirit: Ishtar, Chiron.

Here's the Saint Graph of Proto-Gil, since you can find Arash's on TYPE-MOON.

True Name: Gilgamesh Ur

Alias: The First Hero, the Eternal King, King of Heroes, Wedge of Heaven

Gender: Male

Role: Servant

Type: King, Heroic Spirit, Demigod

Height: 5'10 Feet

Weight: 75 Kilograms

Source: Epic of Gilgamesh

Affinity: Heaven

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Origin: Ancient Mesopotamia

Region: Sumer

Likes: Fighting, Enkidu, Power, Brave Masters

Dislikes: Ishtar, Cowards, Arthur Pendragon, Snakes

Talents: Being Rich, Wrestling, Fighting, Spiting the Gods

.

Class: Archer

Alternate Classes: Saber, Caster, Rider.

Stat Sheet

Strength: C+

Endurance: C+

Agility: B

Mana: A

Luck: B+

NP: EX

Background: The great first hero, born from the union between the Priest-King Lugalbanda, and the goddess Gula-Ninsun, Gilgamesh Ur who was two-thirds divine and one-third mortal, ruled the Sumerian city-state of Uruk four and a half thousand years before the birth of Christ, before he deposed his distant relative Agga and became King of the entirety of Mesopotamia.

He belonged to the First Dynasty of Ur, preceded only by his own father Lugalbanda, and grandfather Enmerkar in its foundation, the latter of whom brought the mythical land of Aratta unto the fold of Sumerian authority.

He is the Eternal King, who possesses many things in the world, but is more accurate to his Epic than his counterpart, the King of Heroes, and hence is a far greater warrior than the latter. Gilgamesh will forever loathe Ishtar for depriving him of his true friend, Enkidu, but can still grow fond of other people if they catch his attention.

He reigned for a hundred years after he returned from his Travels as the Wise King.

Personality: As the first hero, that all myths and models are based on, Gilgamesh Ur can be considered the King of all Heroes, but he does not possess a Kingly Temperament, and instead finds incomparable joy in fighting other heroes. He is not an evil person, but can be described as callous in the methods of good he enacts, and despises anyone who is arbitrarily ranked stronger than him.

He however, respects those who are willing to sacrifice a part of them-selves to gain further strength, and will almost always help someone rebelling against the gods if their objective is not of an evil nature. Secretly, he still thinks that a despicably formidable opponent is more precious than gold, and treasures his fight with the Holy Sword Wielder, just below his original adventures with Enkidu.

In his form as an Archer, he is directly taken from the exact moment of euphoria that he felt when he finally found the Herb of Immortality, which while rekindled the joy he felt when he was younger besides his true friend, has only buried the darker side to his emotions which can arise if sufficiently provoked.

Appearance: He resembles his counterpart, though he is slightly younger in appearance, and his hairstyle is different while his preferred garb is gilded armour with a red tasset covering all sides but the front. Furthermore, upon his body there are golden pauldrons, over the top of a small golden weaved cape, whilst upon his back he carries his twin swords.

Though he appears to be twenty something, in actuality, at the time of finding the Herb, he was in his mid-fifties. A caster form of Proto-Gilgamesh would appear almost identical to his mainstream counterpart in both behaviour and appearance.

While he has a more youthful, and approachable bearing compared to his counterpart, he still possesses a harsh tongue. He does not mind wearing other types of rich clothing as well.

Class Skills:

Magic Resistance(C): Can cancel spells with a chant of below two verses. The skill cannot defend against High Thaumaturgy or Greater Rituals.

Independent Action (A): Gilgamesh can remain in the world for a week without a Master, though he requires one for the usage of his Noble Phantasm.

Personal Skills:

Charisma- A+ (B): Normally Gilgamesh has the standard Charisma rank of a king or ruler, however due to Bab-ilu, Archer gains a massive increase that activates whenever anyone looks upon the mark.

Battle Continuation – A++: A byproduct of his third Noble Phantasm, it means that he will almost never stop fighting.

Divinity B (A+): Though he has the highest divine spirit aptitude, being two-thirds god, his Divinity decreases in rank due to his disdain for gods apart from his own mother.

Golden Rule(A) : As a Warrior King from a near-forgotten era, Archer accumulated immense quantities of treasures, such that money and wealth will never be an issue no matter where he is.

Noble Phantasms:

Gilgamesh Ur has three noble phantasms:

Bab-Ilu, "Key of the King's Law to Enshrine":

Ranking: E- A++/ A

Classification: Anti-Army/Self

Range: 2-99 / Not Applicable

Maximum Number of Targets: 10 / Not Applicable

A tattoo that serves as Gilgamesh' proof of Kingship, it acts as the key to his treasury, opening up, at most, ten portals around his being, to act as either an easy method of object retrieval, or as a means to launch weapons as projectiles. It contains all that ever found itself in his treasury, which include various prototype weaponry, medicines to cure any and all ailments, vehicles he likes, his wealth, and many more pointless things. It also gives an increase to his Charisma skill.

Enki, "Sword of the End"

Ranking: EX

Classification: Anti-Unit/Anti-World

Range: 1-99

Maximum Number of Targets: 1-5/ Infinity

Gilgamesh's main weapons which are normally used as a pair of golden swords sheathed on his back, it is capable of shifting between that to two tonfa knifes, as well as a bow state. It is the last state that activates its true form after it has been deployed for seven days and seven nights.

It gathers an incredible amount of water, while the bow itself will prepare an arrow as a tracer round, that alerts the orbital, true form of Enki, the Star of Destruction on where to land. The Star of Destruction coalesces with six bolts, to become a spear that falls towards the targeted area, before it disappears, and deploys a giant magic circle in its activation.

When it is activated, it brings to bear the Surge of Utnapishtim, the origin of all the deluge myths in the world, cleaving space to bring it forward, capable of covering an entire city in only seconds, and even has the capacity to destroy a large amount of a world. It can be stopped if the water is vaporized before it can expand and the Star is bisected.

Its deployment eliminates the effects of Ur-Saĝ Gu.

Ur-Saĝ Gu, "Absolutely Survive"

Ranking: EX

Classification: Anti Unit (Self)

Range: Not Applicable

Maximum Number of Targets: Not Applicable

His quest for immortality personified, wherein he passes dozens of treacherous mountain passes, slays hundreds of creatures, encounters several phantasmal creatures, crosses across the infinite ocean with Urshanabi to Utnapishtim's homeland, and subsequently journeys through the underworld, Gilgamesh will simply not be damaged by any wound to a fatal extent, unless it has an greater than A rank conceptual property of doing so.

No matter what weapon an opponent uses against him, even if his organs are destroyed, he will simply continue to fight unimpeded while they regenerate. However, if his head is destroyed, the protection activates one final time to regenerate his head before it fades away.

It also fades away when the Surge of Utnapishtim is brought to bear by Enki, protecting him a single time from an attack after the Surge has been activated.

Absolutely Survive was a tricky thing to input, seeing as the notes only talk about Proto-Hercules' guaranteed Victory and Gilgamesh' guaranteed survival, clashing so as to cause Herc to Win and Die, while Gil Loses and Lives. Furthermore, the last-part is added since Gil survives EX-calibur after Enki is destroyed somehow, and helps Arthur and Cu fight the blackened servants.