AN: And here's CH20. Mostly non-action so as to take a break from events of the last one. Please review :D
Chapter 20:
The Calm Before The Storm
"My apologies for this, Caster."
"Think nothing of it."
Inside the room that he and Jeanne shared, Arthur was having his wounds tended by Medea. As for the young saint herself, she was having a meeting with Waver and Fiore downstairs. Though he wanted to attend, she had insisted that he get himself healed first.
As the light from her hands died out, the Servant of Magic pursed her lips as she stepped back from the blonde-haired knight.
"I'm afraid that's all I can do for now." She began, crossing her arms. "Even with my abilities, your wounds aren't light enough that they would heal rapidly. It would take a day or so for you to completely recover."
"I thought as much."
Arthur sighed, though he did find that he was lucky that his arm wasn't blown off. Otherwise he might have been crippled for the foreseeable future.
'That man...'
Richard the Lionheart... it was a name that he would not forget anytime soon. And if he had to be honest with himself, his duel with his fellow British King was one of the most enjoyable ones he had experienced yet. He found it a shame that such a person was working for their enemy.
"Tell me something Saber..." Medea began.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"No, never mind. It's nothing." She shook her head and turned around. "I'll be taking my leave now."
With that, the blue-haired woman left the room. Arthur could only ponder to himself as to what exactly Caster was going to ask him about. Shaking his head, he could always ask her later. For now, he needed to deal with another matter first.
"Well then, are you going to enter the room?"
The young man called out, hearing a brief startled cry as a result.
No sooner than when he did, Mordred appeared from around the corner and stepped into the room with her arms crossed. As always, she had a frown on her face was glaring at him. By now though, Arthur had gotten used to it already.
As for Mordred herself, she could only remain quiet as she allowed her eyes to trail onto his right arm.
When she had first seen her father arrive earlier, the blonde couldn't help but be surprised by what she had seen. Her father, the great King of Knights, had been injured in combat. Though not completely lethal enough to strike him down, it was a grievous injury indeed.
"Heh, how pathetic." The Red Knight said while smirking slightly. "To think that the proud King of Knights would allow himself to suffer from such a wound. Such a mistake must embarrassing for you isn't it?"
"True, though I'm confident that I'm still able to hold my own against you."
Mordred asked, filled with anger and annoyance at how casually her father had brushed her off just now. Although she hated to admit it, a part of her knew for a fact that even in his current state her father really could defeat her if he wanted to. The Battle of Camlann told her as such, and the last battle that night reminded her of it as well.
"Did you come here for a reason?" The young man asked, noting the strange look the former had on her face.
"That person you fought..." Mordred began as she sat down on a chair. "Who was it?"
"A King by the name of Richard who hails from Britain as we do." Arthur replied much to the former's surprise. "Be careful around him. He's not someone to be taken lightly. His Noble Phantasm is, though different, an Excalibur not unlike mine."
"What...!?"
She mouthed in shock. For reasons unknown even to Mordred herself, the blonde began clenching her hands into fists. Was it because she was angered at how it was she who wanted to deal such a blow to him first, or was it how it was another King that managed to injure her father so? Certainly, it implied that this Richard person was a warrior of equal strength to her father if he was able to perform such an act.
In comparison. During the Battle of Camlann, not once did she ever land a serious injury on him. In fact, Mordred was only able to wound her father thanks to a curse that activated itself after she had been stabbed by his lance. It was a dirty tactic to say the least.
'Damn it all...! Just how far must I go in order to reach father's skill...!?'
...!
"Huh?"
Quickly reacting, Mordred raised her hand as she caught a wooden object being thrown at her. Looking closely at it, she found that it was in the shape of a sword. An eastern blade to be precise, of the country they were in if she was correct.
Looking up at the source, she saw her father wielding an identical one himself.
"What's this all about?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Nothing. I was wondering if you were up for a quick spar." Arthur said, pointing the window behind him and into the spacious yard outside.
"Huh?" She muttered in confusion at the suddenness of what her father was saying. "Aren't you supposed to be resting? Your wounds maybe closed, but they haven't completely healed yet aren't they?"
"True, but I am curious if you can prove me wrong with what I said earlier."
That was enough for Mordred to stop and consider her father's request. This was a good opportunity wasn't it? Even a light spar could do wonders for honing her skills. And who better an opponent for her than her father himself?
But, something about it all just rubbed her the wrong way...
"Why are you doing this?" She asked.
"Huh? Didn't I say-"
"Not that!"
Mordred suddenly exclaimed as another frown grew on her face, her hands once more clenched into fists. That, along with the look in her eyes, was enough to cause Arthur to go silent as he calmly gazed at her as she continued.
"Why are you asking me to do this? You could easily ask someone like Lancer. As much as I hate to admit it, he's stronger than I am. He'll be a much worthier opponent, and I'm sure he would be thrilled to spar against you of all people."
"Perhaps he is, but I'd rather spar with someone I know well."
...!
Just now... what did her father say? That he knew her well...?
"What nonsense...!" She muttered under her breath, her hands curling into fists once again as she felt her blood boil at her father's words.
"Hmm?" Arthur looked in confusion.
"As if you would know anything about me!" Mordred exclaimed as her face was contorted in rage. "After everything that happened back then, you would dare say such a thing to me...?! Just how arrogant are you?!"
"No, that wasn't my-"
"Shut up! Just shut up!"
With that, the blonde left the room in an angry huff, stomping down the hallway as though to prove a point.
Afterwards, Arthur could only sigh to himself as he sat on the bed and scratched the back of his head. Thinking back on her words, he was then able to determine where he went wrong just now.
'I really do need to watch what I say in the future...'
Indeed, there was truth to Mordred's words just now. He actually didn't know her all that well as a person. Even in the end, all he knew was the Knight that served and later betrayed him in the end claiming herself to be his successor. He didn't really know the person that made up the Knight herself.
Standing up, he decided to spend the rest of the time doing simple exercises with wooden sword in the room. It would be a waste not to after all. With that said, a new question poised itself in the young man's mind as he began practicing.
'Now how will I apologize for that...?'
"Damn it...!"
Mordred found herself cursing as she walked towards her room.
Why? WHY...?! Why was it that she felt so angry right now?! Why did her father's words upset her so much?! She had always known it to be true, but for some reason, something inside her just snapped.
"Hah!"
...!
The young blonde then punched the wall next to her, leaning against it as she looked down on the floor.
"Had a fight with the old man did you?"
Coming across his Servant, Kairi Shishigou appeared with both hands in his pockets. An unreadable expression on his face as he gazed at the blonde-haired girl.
"It's nothing. I'm just relieving stress is all...!" Mordred stated, quickly fixing herself up before realizing that something was off. "Wait, I thought you were going to attend the meeting with Ruler and Rider's Master?"
"Yeah well I noticed that you went over to your old man's room, and so I was worried."
"Worried?"
"About the fact that the two of you might end up bringing the house down." Kairi smirked as the former frowned in annoyance. "With your temper, I was afraid that you might start fight with him. Glad to see you didn't, it would've been a pain to cover the cost of this place."
"I'm not that stupid!"
Mordred huffed as she crossed her arms. Honestly, did her Master believe her to be so inconsiderate like that? The owner of the house was giving them free lodging, she wasn't about to destroy it just because she had problems with her father. That and it was far better than just sleeping inside some cavern that her Master was so fond of doing before they met up with the rest of the Red Faction.
"At any rate, did you just come here to mock me?"
"No, I came to get you." The mercenary replied as the blonde looked on in surprise. "Get yourself ready, you and I are going out on patrol for the night."
"Patrol? Wouldn't Caster's familiar's be enough for such a task?"
"Yeah well I still don't completely trust anyone from the Black Faction just yet. Call it paranoia, but it help keeps me awake when I want to. That, and there's a place I want to visit."
"Where are we going?"
"It's... personal." Kairi said with a pause, and Mordred could clearly see that something was troubling her Master. "Anyway, you'll know soon enough. Come on."
With that, the duo left the hallway.
"According to my informants, here's the list of locations where that girl Manaka could possibly be settled at."
Pulling out a parchment from his coat, the long-haired man unfolded it, revealing it to be a map of the Greater Tokyo Area. On it were several circular marks in red, each on specific spots on the map.
"Are you sure this is all accurate?" Fiore asked.
"Can't say for sure. This is info that was only dug up in the past two days after all." Waver replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "We've managed to pinpoint several locations she might be based at. Most of these are places where the local leylines are rather powerful, making it an excellent spot to settle down in order to power the grail."
'Sister...'
Ayaka though quietly to herself. Even now, she couldn't believe that Manaka was alive after all this time. And to think she was still intent on continuing what she did all those years ago. Just the thought of it was enough to send shivers down her spine.
"This spot here..." Jeanne spoke up, placing a finger on the map.
"Ah, that's right. That's near where you and Saber encountered that new Rogue Servant didn't you?" Waver began as he took out a marker and crossed it out. "With that, the only places left to check are about twelve more."
"Twelve... and they're all rather spread out as well." Fiore muttered before gazing at the former. "Not to mention that man Shirou Kotomine and his people are still out there. We can't just go out searching. Not with them still out there."
"Right, but the question would be where to look for those people." The long-haired man crossed his arms as he gazed at Jeanne. "Any thoughts about this Ruler?"
"I'm afraid I have nothing to add." The young saint replied as he began frowning to herself. "While I can still feel the presence of both Caster and Assassin of Red, I cannot determine where they both are exactly unless they're within a ten kilometer radius of me."
Waver sighed at this as he massaged his temple. The fact that they couldn't tell where Kotomine and his group were was the most troublesome aspect of the war. In the case of Sajyou Manaka, they could at least determine where she might be hiding out. On the other hand, Kotomine had a floating fortress instead. Knowing that, they were probably hiding out somewhere in the sky, and the only Servants they had that were capable of flight were Archer, Rider, Caster of Black, Rider of Black, and Berserker of Black.
At that, a thought came to mind...
'Hmm, we could always...'
So long as they could determine where the fortress was located at, they could always use the plane the used to arrive here. As it were, it was still at the private hangar at the airport. That said, it was something that was lent to him by that girl and her family out of a favor they owed him. If something were to happen to it...
'Argh, I'll suppose I'll worry about that later.'
If something did happen to the plane, Waver supposed he could make it up by offering the daughter a sponsorship at the Clock Tower. That would be something that should satisfy them at the very least. Otherwise, he may have to stark looking up some odd jobs for the next few years in order to recompense them.
While he was thinking that, the young new head of the Yggdmillennia family spoke up.
"Excuse me Ruler, but what can you tell us about that new Servant that you and Saber encountered?" Fiore began, a curious look in her eyes. "I heard from Caster that he was a Saber-Class Servant, and that he managed to injure Saber in his duel with him."
"Ah, I haven't really talked about that have I?" Jeanne said, taking a moment to herself before continuing. "To begin with, what Caster said is true. The new Servant that appeared is a Saber-Class Servant, and his identity is Richard the Lionheart."
"The King of England from the Third Crusade?"
Waver questioned in surprise, as there probably wasn't a person from England that didn't know about Richard the Lionheart, one of the more famous historical figures from the middle ages. To think that he would be summoned as a Saber-Class Servant... the thought just surprised him that much really.
"Hoho? So there's now a sixth King out there?"
Entering the room wearing his casual clothes was Iskander, the red-haired Servant having a large grin on his face as he overheard the conversation.
"Rider? I though you and Archer were having another one of your contests?" Waver asked.
"Goldie said he was busy with something else, so I decided to take a walk around the corner to get some fresh air." The former revealed as he sat down on a chair. "Now then, what's this I hear about there being another King, and this guy is the one who injured the King of Knights earlier?"
"He is." Jeanne confirmed as the red-haired man turned to look at her.
"Did he now? Now he seems like the kind of person I'd want to meet!" The King of Conquerors laughed. "Now then, just how did he injure Saber in the first place?"
"With his Noble Phantasm, Excalibur."
"Wait, Excalibur...!?" Both leaders of the two factions said in shock.
"What? But isn't that the name of the sword that Saber uses?" The red-haired man asked in confusion.
"Yes, but at the same time Richard had an Excalibur of his own." The young saint nodded in reply, truthfully still taken off by the fact herself as well. "To be more precise, his Noble Phantasm is to turn anything he touches into one. This apparently because in life he pretended to have owned Excalibur himself."
"Now that I think about it, you're right."
Waver nodded, remembering that there was a tale going around about how King Richard once gave the King of Spain "Excalibur" as a gift of some sort.
"Speaking of which, how fares the King of Knights?"
Iskander had seen the extent of the former's injuries earlier. Though it wasn't that couldn't be healed, it was an injury nonetheless. The person who Saber fought, this King Richard. He must've been someone of great skill in order to inflict a wound like that on the King of Knights, who himself was strong enough to match a demigod for a time as witnessed by the red-haired man the first night in Trifas.
"Given everything that's happened today, I think it's only right that Arthur rests so that he may recover his strength." Jeanne revealed with a sigh. "Even with Caster's healing prowess, it can only do so much."
"I see." The former nodded in understanding.
"With that said, we should probably adjourn this meeting." Waver spoke up as everyone turned to look at him. "For now, you we should all rest up. Tomorrow we're going to go spread out into groups to investigate some these sites we've marked, with one group staying behind here in the estate to keep watch."
"I can agree to that." The wheel-chair bound brunette stated. She had been wanting to try out the potion that Archer of Red had given her the other day. Tonight was as good a time as any. If it really was what the Golden King said it to be...
"I'm fine with it as well." The young saint replied as she nodded in agreement.
Tomorrow was going to be a long day. Knowing that, it was best to get some early rest tonight so that Laeticia's body doesn't give out on her.
"I was wondering when you would all finish."
As Jeanne came across the room she and Arthur shared, she found the latter leaning on the doorway with a smile on his face as he greeted her.
"Did anything happen at the meeting?"
"I'll tell you about it tomorrow." Jeanne decided as the two of them entered the room. "And didn't I tell you to get some rest earlier?"
"Huh? Aren't I doing that right now?"
With that said, the young saint went over to the bed owned by Arthur and pulled the sheets, revealing two wooden swords hidden underneath. At this, she then proceeded to frown further at the young man, who in turn could only smile somewhat in embarrassment.
"Well it's not like I'm not doing anything strenuous am I?" He pointed out. "As a Servant, my capabilities won't be hampered by simple exercises."
"I suppose..."
The young saint nodded reluctantly, knowing that he had a point though she still disapproved of his actions. Really now, men were the same whoever they were. Even Gilles and the soldiers who followed the two of them into battle often tried to do such things despite being hampered with injuries.
It was then that another thought came to mind...
"Wait, where did you even get this?"
"I had Ayaka lend it to me earlier." Arthur revealed as he picked up the wooden blade in his hand. "Apparently, she had once taken up learning kendo when she was still a young woman. She practices every now and then, just to stay in shape and practice."
"I see..."
Jeanne nodded in understanding as she sat on her bed. She also wondered to herself why there were two swords instead of just one. Was Arthur practicing dual wielding? Or was he practicing with someone else earlier? If so, then who was it?
Perhaps she could ask later. For now, she had other matters to discuss.
"How are your injuries?"
"Healed, but still somewhat sore." Arthur replied with a smile. "That man, Richard. I would like to fight him again someday if possible."
As an individual from the same lands, Richard was a different sort of rare opponent for Arthur to face. The fact that his Noble Phantasm was somewhat similar in nature to his own on top of being a skilled fighter doubled it. One day in their eventual rematch, he would also like to return the favor by showing him his own Excalibur as requested by the Crusader King. It was only fair after all.
"Well I suppose I can understand that." Jeanne said in response.
While she was more of a pacifist at heart, she could understand the desire that her friend was feeling. Still, the idea of facing him together with the other Rogue Servants didn't really fare well with the young saint. A truly troublesome lot they were with the people they've gathered.
"Tell me something, do the other Servants who work for that man feel the same?"
"I believe so, otherwise they wouldn't agree to work with my Master."
Richard's words that day... so they were all willingly working together with that man Shirou? From what she had seen of the former, he was a rather honorable man given that he preferred to fight with Arthur in a one-on-one duel. And he said himself that he intended to guide his Master on the right course should he ever try and stray from it. If that was the case, if someone like that followed Shirou willingly, then...
'No, I cannot let myself falter.'
No matter his intentions, the fact remained that he tried to have her assassinated. Knowing that, it alone should serve as enough motivation for the young saint to try and stop him. And personal stakes aside, the Holy Grail wasn't exactly the artifact everyone thought it to be. If anything, it was her duty as a servant of the Lord to try and stop the madness surrounding the grail once and for all.
Still...
"Arthur, what do you make of all this...?"
"Of all what?"
"Knowing the true nature of the grail wars... do you think we can stop all of the madness connected to it?" She asked, a serious look in her eyes. "And I don't just mean this grail war, I'm talking about all the others will probably still take place even after this one is settled."
"Who knows?" Arthur honestly replied with a shrug. "Considering that we're just Servants, we're bound to disappear someday. Knowing that, we can only hope for the best and rely on other to do the job for us then."
"That's true, but I still feel like we should try to do something as well." The young saint said as she began frowning. "It wouldn't feel right to leave things as they are, knowing that each grail out there could possibly bring about a disaster..."
She quickly froze up when she felt a hand being placed upon her shoulder, looking to see Arthur having been the one to do so.
"How about for now we just worry about the one we're taking part in?" He suggested with a grin. "We can work it out with the others later. For now, let's keep out attention on the situation we're in."
"You do have a point." Jeanne smiled crookedly with a sigh.
"Saber-san, Ruler-san."
A knock on the door quickly caught the attention of the two, the voice of Aya being on the other side of the door.
"Dinner is ready, you two are going to eat aren't you?"
"We'll be right down." Arthur replied, sensing that the young blonde on the other side heard him and proceeded to head downstairs.
"Well then, shall we head on down?"
"I'll be in a minute."
Jeanne replied with a smile. And as soon as Arthur closed the door on his way out, the young saint sighed to herself as she allowed her back to fall upon the bed, her body relaxing at the softness of the mattress beneath her.
'Really now... what am I thinking?'
Freezing up like that earlier... all because Arthur had laid a hand on her shoulder. She could feel her cheeks heating up rather suddenly at the thought. Realizing this, she could only frown in embarrassment as she slapped both of her cheeks lightly.
Just what was wrong with her? Getting so worked up over something so simple. It was Laeticia's influence no doubt. Having taken up arms herself during the Hundred Years war, she had spent most of her time with men. There were even times in which she had gotten herself into some rather embarrassing situations, which was mostly thanks to her being the only woman in the army at the time...
Wait, why was she even remembering that...? Jeanne quickly shook her head. At any rate, she shouldn't allow things like this to get to her so easily. Yet despite knowing that, it seems that thanks to her host having developed an attraction to Arthur, some of her reactions were beginning to change as well.
"Alright,"
The young saint then quickly stood up, her hands curled into fists as a determined expression grew on her face.
"Next time, I won't allow myself to fall to Laeticia's reactions so easily. I'm stronger than this!"
With a strengthened resolve, Jeanne walked out of the room and headed downstairs.
"Tell me miss Angelica. Why is it that Berserker is chained up like this?"
Standing together inside a room were Richard and Angelica. Kneeling in the middle of it with his entire body wrapped around in chains was Berserker, the Black Knight being in a rather docile state that was quite contrary to his class. The former couldn't tell if it was because he was sleeping or just remaining quiet on his own volition.
"Why do you feel the need to ask?"
"Call me curious."
Richard replied as he took a step closer. He had heard from Assassin that Berserker was in this room. Having not known him long, he had planned on having a meeting with him or his Master. When he arrived, the Crusader King hadn't expected to see him bound up like this.
"Did Berserker-" He began.
"RAAAAAAAAGH!"
"...!"
The sudden roaring of the Black Knight was enough to cause the Crusader King to back off as he readied his weapon. Seeing that the chains were restraining him well enough, the blonde-haired knight relaxed himself as he sighed in relief.
Though he was off put by the fact that Berserker was now, as far as he could tell with the latter's helmet on, glaring at him. Going over to the right, the Black Knight allowed his head to run. Going over to the left, the same process repeated itself.
"Stop that, you only serve to anger him more."
Angelica called out as she extended a hand. A pulsing light flashed briefly from it, and soon enough, Berserker calmed down and went back to being docile. Seeing this, the blonde-haired knight walked over to the blonde haired woman.
"Might I ask what I did to offend?" He asked.
"It's most likely a result of your resemblance to Ruler's Servant." She replied.
"Really?" Richard spoke up in wonder, his eyes having a certain glint in them as he smiled. "Now that's a rather high form of flattery for one such as myself. Pray tell, what business does our mad friend here have with the King of Knights?"
"Does the name Lancelot answer your question?"
"Ah, well now it all becomes clear."
That was enough to silence Richard as he gazed at the Servant of Madness with a new found wonder. Knowing his identity, perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised by the Black Knight's reaction to him just now. Given how Angelica had said it herself, he resembled the esteemed High King of Britain. For he who sincerely admired the legendary king, there was no greater honor.
Wait, off topic...
Shaking his head, the Crusader King wondered what Berserker's desire was. Was his wish to take vengeance upon the King of Knights? Given his nature as a Berserker, perhaps it was likely. Then again, it could've been something else entirely as well.
'Such wonders this world of ours offers.' He thought simply to himself.
"Saber, I would like for you to avoid coming to this room from now on." Angelica began.
Ever since that one night where Caster had goaded Berserker into attacking Ruler's Servant, once the Black Knight had returned to the gardens, Kotomine immediately had him restrained in order to prevent future incidents. Luckily, they were prepared for such a thing thanks to the research that the Ainsworth put into the class cards. The chains were a special fail safe made for the Berserker-Class in particular in order to restrain them.
That said, seeing Saber just now was enough for Berserker to act up. If not for her presence, there was a chance of him breaking out from just the sight of seeing the former standing in front of him. Lancelot's rage against his former king was quite astounding to say the least.
"I understand, I'm no fool." The blonde-haired knight nodded in agreement. "Although, might you be so kind as to allow me to ask a fair maiden such as yourself to dinner~?"
"I refuse."
"Tis a shame~" Richard shrugged before smiling. "Ah well, I might as well go find Caster. I think he would make for enjoyable company. Oh, I should go find Robin as well. We three men of the same lands should share drinks tonight!"
"Did someone say drinks?"
A voice called out as Robin Hood quickly appeared right beside his fellow Englishman with a smirk.
"Considering that my next assignment is gonna leave me busy tomorrow, count me in." The orange-haired rogue said. "Might as well hang loose for now anyway, and I've been wondering to myself what kind of wine the Lady Queen keeps in this fortress of hers."
"Haha! Now that's the spirit my friend! Let us find Caster then." Richard replied as he tossed an arm around his comrade's neck.
"Let's do it quietly shall we? I don't want my Master to hear me."
With that, the two left. Leaving Angelica by herself as she stared incredulously at the two, mostly at Saber.
That person was once a King? He was rather frivolous to say the least.
"Well, I suppose he's competent at least."
She spoke to herself. The blonde-haired knight did maintain a regal air about him whenever he spoke seriously to her or the others. And having proved his mettle against the King of Knights, she found him to be reliable enough as a Servant. All they needed to worry about now was their enemies.
While she began thinking about said topic, Angelica also went back to keeping an eye on her Servant.
"Hmm~"
Humming a tune to herself, Manaka gazed at the item in her hand with great interest. Said item being the miniaturized greater grail she had taken the other day. A glowing light was being emitted from the palm of her hand as she examined the grail.
"Have you found what you were looking for?"
Materializing, Tamamo sat beside her young Master.
"Not yet, there's something about this grail that's strange." Manaka replied as continued her examination. "For some reason, I can't sense anything from it at all. It's like, there's something that's preventing me from doing it. It's really weird..."
Due to her abilities, Manaka had never really experienced any sort of hardship in life. Anything she decided to put her mind to, she could do it with ease. So when she began examining the grail, she was stunned to say the least. Whatever it was that was doing this, it had to be old magic done by someone of great power. Otherwise, she couldn't find it in herself to believe it was either Darnic or one of his Servants who had done so.
"Then should I take a look myself Master?" Tamamo offered, and for a moment, Manaka considered it as the former was a Caster-Class Servant of the highest degree after all. If anything, she should be able to give her a few answers.
Placing it upon the pinkette's palm, the latter closed her eyes and began speaking. A glowing light then soon followed, being emitted from Tamamo's hand as she herself began examining the grail.
"Hmm... now this is quite strange." The fox-eared woman stated as her eyes opened in surprise. "Aside from some of its basic functions, someone has managed to place a seal upon the grail that prevents direct interference on its core."
"In other words, it can't be returned to its original settings..." Manaka finished as the pinkette nodded.
"Yes, and whoever did it, they must've done it without the knowledge of that man Darnic. I don't even think that Caster of Black noticed it. It's hidden so well that one wouldn't notice it unless they looked deeply. It must've been done by someone of great skill, far greater than what the humans of this time period could managed."
"I knew it."
Just who was it that was responsible for it? How did they know about the true nature of the grail? As far as she knew, the true existence of the grail was kept a heavy secret by the founding families in order for them to proceed with the ritual unhindered by the Magus Association.
If so, then who was it? And how did they managed to place such a powerful seal that even she couldn't break through it?
"Say Caster, can you find out who this person was?"
"Perhaps, but enough of that for now." Tamamo said much to Manaka's surprise as the pink-haired woman suddenly began smiling at her. "Remember our talk earlier? I'd say that it's about time we go out into the city and buy you your new clothes."
"Eh? Can't we do it some other time?" The young blonde asked, wanting to talk more about the previous topic.
"We could, but not if you don't want to impress Saber." The fox-eared woman stated with a sly smile. "While could continue on and try to find out who's responsible for the seal, which could take a long time, Saber might get stolen by another girl in the meantime. You don't want that do you~?"
At this, Manaka pouted in annoyance. Caster really did know how to push her buttons! Really, just what kind of person did she take Saber for? He wasn't a philanderer! He would always belong to her, end of story!
Still, the idea of getting new clothes was something she had been pondering about for a while now. As much as she liked her current one and could fix it with her abilities, it was over half-a-century old. And no proper lady would wear something so old an ancient.
"Okay then, let's go." She relented.
"Yes! Leave it to me Master, I shall make it so that Saber becomes a lolicon at seeing you in your new clothes~!"
Hearing that, Manaka didn't really know if she should have been offended from being referred to as a "loli" of all things. That, and she wondered what exactly Caster had in mind for her to say something like that. Perhaps she was imagining it, but she felt a drop of sweat run down her cheeks as a result of her words.
Sometime later that night, Arthur was feeling rather restless. As such, he left the room he shared with his Master and decided to take a walk for the time being.
'I still can't believe it's been sixty years since then...'
Much like how he noted it with the living room earlier, nothing had really changed at the Sajyou Estate aside from a few additions that is. It was still quite surreal for him to accept it however thanks to his memories of the past war. For him, the last time he had been here was only a week or so ago.
Coming across a drawer in the hallway, Arthur blinked in surprise as he saw numerous pictures placed upon it. He quickly noted that most of them were of Ayaka when she was a young up until the present. Some of the pictures included was her as a child smiling together with a young woman with headband. For some reason, there was something about her that felt familiar to him, but he couldn't tell what it was.
Then again, perhaps he was merely imagining things. As a result the young man ignored such thoughts for now and continued looking at the rest.
Other pictures included were Ayaka holding a newborn infant he assumed was her own child, beside it was her and another person he assumed must've been her husband together with their two children. While thinking that, he wondered to himself who between the two boys would eventually become Aya's father. He had a feeling it was the one with glasses though.
Speaking of which, another set of pictures included a now elderly Ayaka being surrounded by three children, one of whom was Aya herself. He noted that the other two must've been her two cousins that she and her grandmother had been talking about. One looked to be energetic while the other somewhat passive.
'It looks as though Ayaka has lived a good life...'
Arthur thought to himself, taking note of the smiling face she had in each image. Doing so caused him to smile as well, and it only grew as he examined each new picture. To say that he was relieved for her sake would've been an understatement. Ever since that fateful night, he had feared what kind of life Ayaka would've lived as an orphan. As far as he knew at the time, she had no known relatives to reach out to either. As a result, he was quite glad that someone had the heart to take her in as one of their own.
Continuing to scan the pictures, he felt his eyes stop at one particular picture.
Said picture contained an image of a young Ayaka and Manaka together, smiling like the children that they were.
As he picked it up in his hand, Arthur couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight of the elder Sajyou sister. He began wondering to himself once more as to when did it all go wrong. Had Manaka always been like that? Or was he merely deluding himself in thinking that she was ever a good person to begin with?
Shaking his head, he placed the picture back onto the draw, knowing that he shouldn't think about such things now. With that, he continued on his way and then headed downstairs in order to get something to drink. With what he was thinking right now, water should help soothe his nerves.
As soon as he entered the dining room though, he was greeted by the sight of the Iskander sitting by himself at the table with a jug and a couple drinking glasses placed in front of him. A large grin grew on his face once he laid eyes upon the blonde.
"Evening King of Knights, I was hoping that you'd come down." He greeted before gesturing to the seat in front of him. "Come, sit and drink with me."
"Evening to you as well Rider." Arthur replied as he did so, before realizing something. "Wait, you weren't waiting for me to come down here this entire time did you?"
"Ahahaha! No, no, I was just taking some time to myself. You being here makes it interesting is all." The King of Conquerors replied as he grinned once more. "Speaking of which, just call me by my real name. Having two Riders around is going to get confusing at some point."
"Haha, indeed it is." The blonde chuckled slightly in agreement. "So then, did you need me for something?"
Before Arthur could get his answer, the red-haired King responded by pouring him a glass. Smirking slightly, the former nodded and took a sip.
He felt his eyes go wide in surprise at the taste.
"Wait, this is..."
"How is it? Feeling a kick in your breast?" Iskander grinned as he held up the jug. "I got this stuff from Archer. He was actually generous enough to give it to me."
"Should I ask why...?" Arthur asked, placing a hand upon his chest as he breathed slowly.
Whatever it was that was he just drank, it by far had the strongest taste when compared to any drink he had in the past. Enough that he actually found himself feeling a little dizzy from just a sip... just what was in it?
Not bothering to answer the question, Iskander remained quiet as he continued to observe his fellow king with a rather curious look in his eyes. After a few moments though, he began blinking in surprise as he crossed his arms.
"Well now, that's curious." He whistled in amazement.
"Was something supposed to happen?"
"Ahahaha! I was half-expecting you to pass out from just a sip." He revealed with an apologetic grin as Arthur gave him an incredulous look. "It happened to myself and Achilles one time, and to that other Lancer yesterday now that I think about it."
"Of all the..." Arthur didn't even know where to begin.
"Now, now, I was only playing a light jest." Iskander began as he offered the blonde another glass, only for the latter to raise a hand in refusal. "Don't worry, I can vouch that the second time isn't as strong as the first. And you've got stronger loins than most if you could withstand the first time."
"Perhaps..."
Arthur shrugged as he decided to accept, wondering what kind of drink Gilgamesh possessed that it could get Servants to pass out from just taking a sip. Though he had a feeling something else was in play for him to have stayed awake. Said something having to do with the fact that he wasn't exactly a normal to begin with. He supposed he had his father Uther and Merlin to thank for that.
"At any rate, I've been meaning to have a personal talk with you Saber." The King of Conquerors began but was stopped by a raised hand.
"Call me Arthur." Arthur said as he smiled at his fellow King. "You asked me to call you by your true name didn't you? It's only fair that you do the same then."
"Haha, indeed!"
Iskander grinned once more in response as took a sip from his own cup before settling it down. "So then, I believe we should continue off where last left off the other night. I'm find myself wondering if you're still thinking about fulfilling that desire of yours to save your people."
At this, Arthur noted that the usually jovial tone that the King of Conquerors had for the most part had disappeared and was replaced with a stern one.
"Does it bother you?"
"It does actually." The former replied as he leaned back on his chair. "Now tell me Arthur Pendragon, why do you desire such a foolish thing?"
"I wouldn't exactly call granting salvation to those I failed a foolish desire." Arthur replied with a frown.
"It's precisely because you think you failed them that I call it a foolish desire." Iskander began as he took another sip from his glass before continuing. "King of Knights, I'm going to tell it to you straight. Should you go through with that wish of yours, I guarantee that you will be spitting upon the sacrifice of all those who stood beside you as ruled your kingdom."
"I'm aware of that now, as I've come to realize as of late."
"Did you now?"
Arthur merely nodded in response as he replied. "It's true that by trying to achieve my wish, I'm trying to erase the results of my own past and those worked together with my to achieve it. Thinking about it now, I believe I've always known as such."
"Then clearly you should see the folly in your desires." The King of Conquerors stated.
"I do, but just like what I said before, I suppose I can't help but just desire it regardless." Arthur smiled crookedly as he continued. "To desire for a world where my people no longer have to suffer and to see all of them again without the burdens of the past to plague us. I couldn't want anything more."
At this, Iskander sighed as he scratched the back of his head, understanding the King of Knight's desire for such a thing. That said, the idea of rewriting the past just felt so wrong for him who had always lived by moving forward.
"So then, you'll continue to desire such a thing and have the grail grant it in the future?"
"No."
"No?" The red-haired king blinked in surprise at this as the blonde nodded in response. "What brought this about?"
-So please, live for the future instead of the past.-
"Let's just say someone dear to me opened my eyes with a slap."
Arthur chuckled slightly to himself, remembering his meeting with Guinevere from the day before.
"Oh? Was it Ruler?"
The King of Conquerors asked with an amused grin on his face.
"Hmm? No, it wasn't."
Arthur shook his head, though he could see Jeanne doing it to him as well if it came down to it. The mere thought of which brought another smile to his face.
"Allow me to be clear Iskander, I shall always desire for a world where my people can thrive forever, that much is clear to me now. I suppose it's just part of who I am." He stated, turning his full attention towards the red-haired king. "But, I shall no longer pursue it. Or at least, not in the way I was going about it before. I was mistaken, I can see that now. As you said, doing so would be an insult those who fought along my side."
"Oh? Tell me then, how would you pursue this dream then?"
"By striving towards the future." The young man simply replied, his smile widening. "Though the kingdom that I once knew no longer exists, the world that it once thrived in still does. If I couldn't bring a utopia to my people, then I will help to do so to those of this era however I can even with my limited time. That much, I shall swear on my honor as a knight and king."
"Hahaha! Very good, now that's more like it!"
Iskander grinned in satisfaction as he stood up and went over to his fellow king before giving him a slap on the back, causing Arthur to flinch at the excessive force that the former had put into it, nearly causing him to hit the table.
"Indeed, one should live for the future instead of the past. There's simply no going around it either." The King of Conquerors stated, nodding in approval as he continued. "King of Knights, you've stepped up from being a naive lad to a truly matured adult. Well done. I, Iskandar, approve!"
"Considering that you're my senior, I'll take that as a compliment." Arthur chuckled at the older man's words. "Shall we have a toast to celebrate my supposed true step into adulthood perhaps?"
"Indeed we shall, here here!"
The former replied, taking his glass and raising it towards the blonde.
"To you King Arthur, and to striving towards the future!"
"Indeed!"
With that, both clinked their glasses together and drank up.
Arthur also noted that what Iskander said about the drinks was true. The second time really was weaker than the first.
While the two kings drank, Mordred silently observed the duo as they did so, having just returned with her Master that night from their destination. She contemplated her father's words, trying to make sense of them for herself.
"Striving for the future..."
"Now then, does everyone agree to the plan?"
The next morning, the members of the Allied Faction all stood within the living room of the Sajyou Estate, Waver explaining to the rest their plans for the day. Which itself was one thing: determining the location of Sajyou Manaka's base of operations.
"Remember what Saber said about the Servants under Sajyou Manaka's control. If you run into any of them, be careful and don't underestimate them." Waver added as everyone nodded in reply. "If need be, then run away if you all feel overwhelmed."
The former, together with Iskander, Gray, Achilles, Aya and Cu Chulainn were to check out a few locations in the northern Tokyo area. Kairi, Mordred, Fiore, Siegfried, Caules and Elizabeth were to go and investigate the western area. As for Jeanne and the others, they were to remain at the estate in order to protect it from unsavory elements. He only hope things would go smoothly today, only some reconnaissance duty is all. What could go wrong?
"Heh, so we're staying here are we~?" Astolfo commented with a smile.
"Is something the matter Rider?" Sieg asked, coming up beside his the former.
"No, no, it's nothing Sieg. In fact, I got myself an idea. Come along now~!"
"Hmm...?"
The young paladin stated as he suddenly began pulling on the young homunculus' arm and dragged him outside as the others looked on. As to what the pink-haired youth was going to do with his Master, no one really had an idea.
"Should I keep an eye on them?" Arthur suggested.
"Please do. And should they decide to explore, make sure Rider or Sieg don't stray far from the estate."
Jeanne replied, causing the former to smile and nod in response. With that, he walked out the room and followed after both.
Personally, he was quite curious to learn more for himself about the homunculi that now served as Rider of Black's Master. After all, the more he knew of his comrades, the easier it would be work with them right? There was also something he wanted to ask of Rider of Black as well. And now he had his chance to do both.
That, and along with the fact that he was still feeling the aftereffects from his drinking with Iskander last night. Feeling slightly dizzy, he should try to getting some fresh air and a bit of water later too.
Soon after Arthur left, the young saint then turned her attention towards Waver and began questioning him about her own role for the day.
"Is it really alright for me to just stay here?" She asked, having wanted to go along with the others to inspect the areas.
"Well you are the mediator, so that makes you the highest priority target that Kotomine and Sajyou Manaka will go after." Waver explained. "It would be better if you decided to stay here for now, better to be at a location where you can make a proper stand after all."
"I understand, but still..." She frowned.
Waver could only smile slightly at this as he turned to Caster and continued.
"That and Caster has an idea she's been wanting to talk to you about."
"Really?" Jeanne said as she turned to the hooded woman.
"Yes." Medea nodded in reply. "It's about your ability to sense the presence of other Servants..."
While the two began talking, Waver then turned his attention towards the young blonde that was joining him and Gray that day.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked.
"I am." Aya nodded with a resolute smile. "I know my way around this city after all. So it would best if I came along right?"
"Now that's the spirit young lady! It's good that you're going to accompany us!"
Iskander said with a grin as he patted the young blonde on the back. Though more like slapped as the force of said pat was enough that nearly caused Aya to nearly stumble if not for the fact Lancer caught her in time.
"Glad to be working with you..." Gray stated quietly.
"You know, you and I really should have that spar later." Achilles said as he stood beside his fellow Lancer-Class Servant. "I've seen you fight, and I heard once that you were able to injure that white-haired bastard from the Rogue Faction. Now that makes me curious."
"Sure, why not?" The blue-haired spearsman smirked in agreement. "For now, let's just make sure our little mistresses over here don't get into any trouble."
As for the Kairi's group...
"Huh... I didn't you'd be joining us today kid." Kairi said as he looked at the glasses-wearing boy.
"Yeah well I don't trust you with my sister yet." Caules simply stated as he crossed his arms. "That and you might get in trouble with the police considering what you look like after all. I mean, a crippled girl being accompanied by an older thug... it would look a little suspicious wouldn't it?"
"It's the face isn't it?" A frown grew on the necromancer's face as he sighed in annoyance. He knew better than anyone else that his face wasn't exactly the friendliest visage a person could have. Maybe he should at least get some work done to hide the scars. Maybe that would make him look less threatening.
It was then that Kairi noticed that something was off. Someone was missing from the meeting, and that person was none other than Fiore herself.
"Speaking of which, where's your sister? She slept in or something?"
"I think she's still in-" Caules began but was cutoff by someone else.
"Sorry to keep you all waiting."
Saying that, Fiore Forvedge arrived with Siegfried standing behind the young brunette...
"Wait, what...!?"
...As she walked into the room smiling.
At this, everyone in the room, sans immediately stopped what they were doing as they all gazed at the young head of the Yggdmillennia. There jaws hanging open at the sight, most especially Caules. Though he had already known about the cure given to her by Archer, he didn't expect Fiore to use it so soon.
"Sis, you're standing..."
"Hehe, thank you for pointing out the obvious Caules." The brunette giggled at her younger brother.
"Heh, I see that you decided to take the medicine then girl."
Materializing, Gilgamesh stood before the young brunette. Fiore nodded in reply to his statement, thanking the Golden King before turning her gaze towards Waver.
"Lord El-Melloi, I'm ready to head out with Mr. Shishigou. Saber has already told me everything about the plan."
"Is that right? Are you sure you're not going to bring along your wheelchair just in case?"
"It's alright, I'm-Ah!"
The young teen suddenly found her legs weakening, causing her to collapse. But before she could hit the floor, she was caught by her Servant.
"Please be careful." Siegfried spoke.
"I will, thank you Saber." Fiore replied with a grateful smile. "It looks as though walking is still going to be a difficulty for me in the future."
"I see, so the medicine was only able to heal your legs, not give you the ability to properly use them yet." Gilgamesh commented.
"Well considering that she was a paraplegic since birth, it's not surprising." Caules commented as he stood by his sister. "She'll probably just need sometime to get used to walking with her own two legs from now on. Speaking of which, how are you even walking to begin with? I mean, even if you're legs were healed..."
"It's simple really, I'm using magecraft."
"It's that easy?"
"In a way, I suppose that it's similar to controlling my Mystic Code." Fiore replied. "While not as complicated, it's a simple process once I get down the basics."
"Alright, if you say so."
"I would be disappointed if you couldn't handle this much." The Golden King stated, crossing his arms as he looked Fiore directly in the eye. "Do not squander this gift girl, I expect that you will no longer be a liability should those mechanical legs of yours lose their function."
"Of course." Fiore replied with a firm look in her eyes. "I will not hold anyone back as I am right now Archer, that much I can promise."
"Well said."
The red-eyed blonde smirked in satisfaction. And with that, he turned away and sat on the couch. The others could only watch on in amazement at the fact that Archer of all people was the one who gave Fiore the ability to use her legs again. It was quite surprising to say the least.
A little while later, as the Masters of the two groups prepared to leave the estate...
"Why is it that I have to work with you two...?"
Mordred stood together with Saber and Berserker of Black inside the living room, wanting to voice her discontent being drafted together with them to the two. The reasons of which were because she still had a score to settle with the former, the duel they had with one another still fresh in her mind. It being a sour point for her pride.
And as for Berserker, the blonde didn't really mind working with her so long as she didn't refer to her by that title anymore.
"Nice working with you princess~!"
"You want me to hit you bitch!?"
Mordred exclaimed as anger quickly overtook her reasoning and allowed Clarent to materialize.
"Wah!"
...!
"...!?"
The Red Knight quickly widened her eyes as she saw Siegfried quickly going to the defense of his ally, blocking her swing with one of his gauntlets. A calm look was on his face as he stared down his fellow Saber-Class, as though he was unfazed by her sudden action.
"I won't let you." He simple stated.
"Stay out of this!" The former exclaimed before smirking. "Or perhaps we should continue where we left off the other night?"
"Now that's enough, please control yourself Mordred!"
A voice called out, turning the trio's attention towards the source, who was none other than Jeanne herself as she frowned at the trio while walking towards them.
"Do plan you plan on going berserk over the simplest things? It's obvious to me that Berserker had no ill intents in calling you by that title."
"Y-Yeah! I was only kidding around. Be a little more relaxed you stab-happy woman!" Elizabeth exclaimed. Honestly, if Saber hadn't blocked the attack just now, she would have been seriously hurt! For a girl, Saber of Red really was a violent person.
"Hmph! Whether or not she did, she should have known better!"
Mordred stated as she allowed Clarent to vanish, deciding for herself that it really wasn't worth it and felt that she really may have overreacted a tad bit just now.
"She does have a point," Jeanne said as she then turned her gaze towards the pinkette. "Berserker, I ask that you refrain from teasing Mordred in the future. You should know by now what will happen if you do."
"Duly noted."
Elizabeth nodded in response, all the while pulling an eyelid down and sticking her tongue out Mordred herself much to her growing annoyance. However, something else was on the blonde's mind that it made her ignore the former as she scowled and glared at the young saint instead.
"Hey Ruler, when were we so friendly with each other that you could so casually refer to me by name?"
"Ah!" Jeanne blinked in surprise, not expecting the question. "Well I suppose it's because-"
"I don't care about your reasoning. Either way, just because we're allies doesn't mean you can, so stop it."
"I understand, my apologies then."
Jeanne replied, causing the other blonde to huff and simply turn her head in the opposite direction.
Though in truth, Mordred didn't actually mind. Rather, something about Ruler just rubbed her the wrong way. It didn't help that she also referred to her father by name, and from what she had seen was rather friendly with him as well. Which served to further fuel her irritation towards the young saint to her own confusion. That, and there was one other reason...
"Serving someone like you... just what is he thinking?" She muttered to herself, but loud enough to be heard by Jeanne.
"Excuse me?"
"Why my father decided to serve you is beyond me." Mordred decided to clarify as she spoke up and stared at her fellow blonde. "From what I see, you're nothing more than a coward who prefers needless talking to taking up the sword, allowing others to fight your battles for you. If not for the fact that you had those Command Spells, I doubt you'd be able to get as far as you have in this war."
"When choosing between having talks or senseless violence, then I would pick the former instead." Jeanne replied without missing a beat. "And regardless of whether or not I have my privilege as a Ruler, I'm more than willing to step into the fray of battle if that's what it takes to help end this war. You should know that already yourself."
"Hmph! From what I've seen, you're not that much of a threat." Mordred stated in response as she crossed her arms. "How could you expect win a battle with your skills when faced with our enemies in this war?"
"Indeed, our enemies in this war aren't ones that we could afford to take lightly." The young saint nodded as she replied. "As such, I hope to rely on others when I fight, as this is a battle that we cannot win as individuals but as a united force."
"Only a coward relies on others. You call yourself a hero?"
"I could say the same about you, who allows herself to lose control over the simplest of things."
"What was that!?"
Knowing whom she was talking about, Mordred was about ready to cleave the other blonde in half if not for the fact that doing so would only reinforce her words. As such, she controlled herself as Ruler continued to speak.
"It's as I said." Jeanne simply stated. "And with everything that I've seen of you, I find myself doubting that you could become a greater king than Arthur."
"Shut up!" The red knight exclaimed in anger. "What would you know!?"
"I don't. However, you think too highly of yourself, you underestimate the strength of others, and you allow yourself to be angered at the simplest of things. All of these traits could easily become a person's undoing. Before you even think about surpassing your father, I would suggest that you surpass your own flaws first."
"You bitch...!"
Mordred clenched her fists tightly, her teeth gnashing at each other as she spoke with a growl. Ruler's words just now had were more or less what her father had told her during their flight. Having been reminded of that, along with her dislike of Ruler to begin with, she was ready to call out her sword...
"That's enough."
A familiar voice called out as a hand placed itself upon the blonde's shoulder, causing her to snap back as she shook it off and turned to face the its owner.
"Father...!"
Arthur stood with behind his daughter with a neutral look on his face, sighing to himself as he had overheard the conversation. The latter basically yelling aloud everything she had said just now helped to do so a great deal.
Seeing him, Mordred clicked her tongue in frustration. Turning around in the opposite direction, the Knight of Treachery stomped away as she left.
At this, Jeanne could only sigh in relief before she turned to face Arthur.
"I thought you were keeping an eye on Astolfo and Sieg?"
"They're inside the greenhouse at the moment, and Caster's with them as well."
"I see." The blonde nodded in understanding, before fidgeting slightly as she continued. "My apologies, I didn't mean for it to escalate like that."
"So I've noticed." Arthur said as he stared at the young saint. "I didn't expect you to say such things either."
"Indeed, I was doing my best to ensure that she remained calm, but I suppose couldn't contain myself." Jeanne replied with an embarrassed smile on her face while scratching her cheek. "With how she acted just now, I suppose I just wanted to tell her those things directly."
"Well I don't blame you. Dealing with Mordred has never been easy for me either." He replied.
"Hey Saber," Elizabeth called out as the former turned to look at her. "You're her father aren't you? Can't you do something about her like maybe give her a time out?"
"I don't think that would apply here Berserker..." Siegfried commented.
Later that morning...
Inside the hallways of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Shirou, Julian and Semiramis all walked together discussing current matters before one of the latter's dove familiars flew in from a window. At which, the raven-haired beauty simply smiled as it landed upon her hand.
"Hoh? Now that's interesting."
"Did something happen?" Shirou asked.
"It was as you expected. Members of the Alliance against us are now on the move throughout the city as we speak."
"So they really are going to investigate all possible evocation sites..." Julian commented.
"Indeed. Through searching these locations, they're trying to find Sajyou Manaka." The white-haired priest stated, crossing his arms as he paused for a moment in thought before turning his attention towards the Assyrian Queen. "Is there anything else of note?"
"They've split into groups." Semiramis replied. "The first is led by Waver Velvet. Accompanying him are his apprentice and that Tohsaka girl along with their Servants. They're heading to the east as we speak. The second group is led by that barbaric looking mercenary. The Forvedge siblings together with their own Servants are with him as well. Right now they're heading west."
"I'm guessing that Ruler is remaining at their base then..." Shirou pondered as he crossed his arms in thought before smiling to himself. "Interesting, this may perhaps give us an opportunity to act."
"What do you propose we do?" Julian asked, somewhat unconvinced. "It's the middle of the day, and Saber and Rider haven't completely recovered yet either."
"Leave that to me, I've already made arrangements with Lancer and our two Archer friends in the event that something like this were to happen."
"Arrangements?" The former pondered in curiosity before realization struck him. "I see, so you're going to use that spell?"
"But of course, it has to be put to the test after all." Shirou simply smiled in response.
"Heh~"
Sitting alone inside the cavern where she made base, Manaka observed the ongoing events with smile on her face. Currently, the young blonde was now wearing a more modern set of clothing that was akin to her old one.
"So they're looking for me? Maybe I should pay them a visit~" She said as she held the crystal ball close.
"Now you can't do that Master."
Materializing behind Manaka and wrapping two arms around her, Tamamo spoke to the young blonde with a smile on her face.
"I won't have you going up to our enemies so casually anymore." She stated with a stern but caring tone. "I allowed it the first two times because you went ahead without me knowing. But now I won't let you have that chance~"
"Eh? But I-"
Before the blonde could say anything Tamamo squeezed her slightly.
"No means no, Mama Tamamo says so!" The pinkette said as she tuck her tongue out at Manaka. "Besides, you still haven't modeled those other outfits that we brought last night since you went to sleep. Come, I'll even help you out with it. You know your inner maiden demands that you at least try them out~"
Manaka grimaced at this. Caster had brought a great deal of outfits actually, and most of them were actually rather questionable to her. Some of them being maid outfits, school swimsuits, cat ears, and a bunch of other stuff. There was no way she'd go through with that!
"No! I don't wanna!"
"Ah, wait a minute!"
As Manaka ran off with Tamamo chasing her throughout the cave, Brynhild materialized with a smile on her face as she observed the scene.
"Master is such a child~"
The Valkyrie noted that Manaka had also dropped the crystal ball onto the ground. Deciding that it wasn't safe to just leave it lying around, she picked it up and then noticed that it continued to show images of the ongoing events outside of the cavern.
One of the those images caught her attention as her eyes widened immensely.
"Sigurd...?"
END
Author's Note:
And I'm back! Sorry for the wait folks, but I decided to take a break after the last chapter thanks business and along with the fact that I needed it to recharge the brain after pumping out several chapters within the span of two months straight at least. I actually kept count and noticed that each chapter beginning from CH13 up to CH19 I did well within a week from each other at best, each having about 10-12k worth of content.
Anyway, onto the chapter itself.
Now I feel like I'm exaggerating Mordred's anger and issues with her father, but when writing her I imagine a child who is thoroughly confused about what whether or not she should love her father or if she should hate him. Being less than ten years old wouldn't really give her enough time to develop emotionally, especially given her past. Not to mention that canonically, we never get to see her interact with her father at all aside from flashbacks. And FGO not included as Mordred from that game has already developed as a person after the events of Apocrypha.
As for the Arthur and Iskander scene, I'm hoping that it worked out alright. Honestly, it was one of the harder aspects of this chapter for me to write since I wanted to ensure that both men remained patient with one another.
Speaking of which, I hope that Jeanne herself was okay during the Mordred scene near the end as I wanted to have someone call her out on her own flaws as well that wasn't just her father (Though honestly, it was more or less a repeat of what Arthur said in CH18) I imagined Jeanne in serious mode when writing it, a mode where she doesn't allow anyone to get to her and retorts like a pro (Or at least I try to get her like that XP)
And at this point in time, Arthur's development is near complete. Which allows me to focus on Jeanne and a few of the others more in case of her and them being overshadowed. Seriously, I try to avoid that. And since no one has said anything, I think I'm doing well? Regardless, I hope you all liked the chapter.
Lastly, a shout-out to ForteOfTheBallad98 for helping me with a few scenes by having him judge them. Thanks man! :D
As for those who had questions:
Cain: Yeah. If I'm ever able to do it, I'm thinking about writing a sequel/spin-off because why not? And that scene with the perv-duo served mostly as introduction to the chapter and as to what some of the others were doing. And I decided that if I were to include Issei, then I should place him in a scene that's going to be even more hilarious. As for Julian, read the story.
Orphee: Obviously Proto-Gilgamesh would have Enkidu, it would be wrong for him not to have it. And as for Ea, I'll leave that to your imaginations. Note that FSN-Gilgamesh actually pulls out Enki, the dual swords of Proto-Gilgamesh, during Fate/Extra CCC as one of his attack animations. Take that as you will ;P And obviously I keep track of everything Fate related, for the most part anyway since I can be forgetful, and Type-MOON in general. Otherwise, I wouldn't call myself a fan.
Kotaro mishima: Read the story
That's it for now. Please review :D
