Author's Note:
Hey everyone. It's my first time actually contributing something to FF, and I honestly did not believe my first fic would be followed by so many people. Thanks for the encouragements you left in the reviews for me, as it really pushes me to continue writing this fic.
I also appreciate the feedbacks and suggestions you left for me too. I've got trouble being able to fit every one of them into the plots and twists of this fic, so please forgive me if there was something you were dying to see happen in this fic which eventually did not happen. Plot-wise, I already have quite a lot of things in the works and I'll do my best to make this fic a very good one.
Also, I'd like to let you all know that I will be updating this fic a little less frequently as I'm going through a lot IRL right now. I'm currently running a startup with a couple of friends, and to top it off, my dad has been taken ill and is hospitalised. I'm finding less and less time to actually sit down and continue writing this fic, but I definitely want to see this to the end. So please bear with the frequency of updates from here on, and I hope you continue to enjoy Fate/Coda Tale. Now then, onward to Act II!
ACT II
Chapter 1
"Let's go over what we know."
By some coincidence, it was the sentence mentioned by both Lord El-Melloi II and Bram Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri at their respective places with their factions.
Lord El-Melloi II faction
"So far, we know of Lancer's identity, and Berserker's identity along with his Noble Phantasm," Saber said.
"Damn, of all the warriors I get to face off here at this war, it had to be my onii-sama?" Archer said, letting out a sigh. "He was a great warrior among us, and very tough opponent for our adversaries back during our days, and was nigh unbeatable by the Trojans."
"But we do know that Rho Aias can be destroyed by a powerful enough attack," Rin said.
"How's Shiro, by the way?" Saber asked. "He was very exhausted by the time his fight against Berserker was over."
"He's fine now," Rin said. "I already helped him replenish his prana. He's resting now," Rin said.
"Oh? I wonder if this 'replenishment' involves a certain activity, judging by how your pajama shirt buttons are all in the wrong buttonholes," Archer said, casting a knowing glance at Rin.
"Eh?"
"Oh? So that explains the weird sounds coming from upstairs earlier, huh? Fu fu fu.." Luvia continued, glancing at Rin with the same look as Archer.
Rin's face turned red immediately. "S-shut up, Archer, Luvia! You didn't have to point that out!"
Lord El-Melloi II let out a sigh. "Please, let us just return to the point now. We need to plan our next move."
Rin was already outside the room though, hurriedly trying to redo the buttons on her pajama shirt, but Saber continued the discussion nonetheless.
"If I use my Noble Phantasm, there will be no problem destroying Berserker's Rho Aias along with him. However, I would prefer if Berserker is immobilised so that he cannot dodge my attack."
"Ah. As I recall, your Noble Phantasm is an Anti-Fortress class, right?"
"Indeed it is, Lord El-Melloi II."
Archer's eyes widened in amazement. "To think that there is a weapon capable of destroying the famous shield along with its bearer," he said, leaning back trying to allow the thought to sink into his mind.
"What do we do about Lancer, though?" Rin asked as she returned to the room. "Cu Chulainn's father is not a mere human or even a demigod. He is regarded as a god, so he must be pretty strong as an opponent."
"I did not even get to reveal his Noble Phantasm, despite showing mine. This is regrettable," Archer said.
"It's fine, Archer. I wasn't there to provide you with backup unlike Lancer, who had Bree," Luvia replied.
"Nonetheless, he was careless enough to reveal his identity. His Noble Phantasm can be guessed based on the legends surrounding him," Rin said. "Shiro has always been fascinated with legendary weapons of all sorts, so he might know a thing or two."
"I'm sorry, but the earlier encounter was the first time I saw his spear," Shiro said, stumbling into the room.
"S-Shiro! You should be resting!" Rin exclaimed.
"I'm fine. Just a little drowsy, but it's getting better," Shiro replied. "Anyways, the weapon Lancer, or should I say Lancer's father, wait a minute. He is still a Lancer-"
"You're clearly not awake yet, kid." Archer said.
"Ugh, give me some time, Archer." Shiro said, rubbing his eyes. "That weapon is definitely not Gae Bolg, although it looks almost similar. I did manage to record this Lancer's weapon though. It would be interesting to know what this weapon's capabilities are."
"Shiro, you said before that if you trace the weapon, you also receive the battle experience and capabilities of the weapon, right?" Rin asked.
"Yeah, I do get them as well, although it will not be as powerful as when it is wielded by its original owner."
"Kid, you're really exceeding my expectations," Archer said. "I like you. Eh, but, I like ladies even more!" he continued.
"Er.. what's that supposed to mean?" Shiro asked dumbfoundedly.
"Who asked you for your opinion, Archer!" Luvia grunted at Archer.
"Back to the point," Lord El-Melloi interrupted. "We still have not seen or heard anything about Rider or Caster, so it is still anybody's guess as to who they are or how powerful they are. Assassin's identity has been ascertained by both myself and Saber, am I right?"
"Indeed. We have confirmed that it is the same Assassin we faced in the Fourth War."
Lord El-Melloi II clicked his tongue. "That is troubling. They have so many copies of themselves, and I myself do not know how many of them there are-"
"I remember around eighty," Saber replied, interrupting Lord El-Melloi II's train of thought. "It was the time when Iskandar trapped them all in his Reality Marble. I counted them all."
"E-eighty? That's too many to kill," Shiro said, bothered by the number of Assassins present.
"That is all that we know thus far?" Lord El-Melloi II asked. "If so, we'll adjourn while I think of what we should do next."
"Alright then," Archer said. "I'll keep watch as before." Turning to Shiro and Rin, he teased them. "If you two are going to replenish your prana again, keep it down or I'll be peeping at you both."
"Guh! Shut up, Archer!" Shiro exclaimed.
"I'd kill you if we were not on the same side!" Rin continued.
"Just kidding, just kidding! Relax!" Archer replied with a laugh, raising his palms.
"Sigh, Archer. Still hopeless as usual," Luvia muttered to herself.
Bram Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri faction
"Berserker was outfought by Emiya Shiro?" Bram asked. He has had trouble accepting the news despite hearing it from Viola's first hand account.
"He could have lost to Emiya-san. His Noble Phantasm was partially destroyed and his arm was mangled by the force of Emiya-san's attack. He's going to need time to recover and for his Noble Phantasm to be whole again," Viola said.
Bram felt unsettled by the news, which was evident in the manner he paced about the warehouse.
"So Lancer," Bram asked. "You managed to confirm that Archer is indeed Teucer, am I right?"
"Yeah. Just like you said many times. He was meant to be on our side, right?"
"As much as it pains me to admit, yes. He would have made an ideal partner to Berserker."
"I wonder if Berserker might react badly to seeing Archer," Viola wondered.
"Reacting badly is the least of your concerns. If Berserker sees Archer and refuses to fight due to their bond as brothers, it would be very problematic," Bram replied.
"Hmmm. That's true," Viola said.
"In that case, we will need to keep Berserker away from Archer if that happens. But for now, we have no idea what might happen."
"Understood, Sir Bram."
"And what about Saber? Do we know the identity of Saber yet?" Bram asked.
"We only saw her briefly," Lancer said. "But judging by the stats that my Master managed to read in that brief moment, she is quite a powerful opponent to go against."
"Surely there has to be a weakness we can exploit, but we have not fought her just yet," Bram said, as he continued to pace around the warehouse.
"Master of Rider. Thanks to you, I have my familiars positioned around the city now. Many thanks," Caster said, emerging from her workshop, with Mikhel in tow.
"Very well. Now, I am going to need Mikhel to carry on with the task required of him," Bram replied. "As such, I would prefer if you do not resort to that method of prana transfer.
"Oh?" Caster asked. "That's too bad. I thoroughly enjoyed it though. I'm sure my Master found it an experience to remember."
"Eh, what did Sir Bram mean?" Bree asked Viola.
"I-I have no idea, but when Sir Bram said prana transfer, there are few ways to do it, and there is one that I can think of if we're talking about Caster and Mikhel," Viola replied, a little stunned at the idea that was mentioned by Bram.
"Mikhel, I am tasking Caster and yourself to engage Emiya Shiro. He is quite dangerous, so someone like you would be a far more suitable opponent for him," Bram said.
"Understood, Sir Bram," Mikhel replied.
"And Mikhel," Bram added. "I really need you to focus on your task. Please make sure you keep Emiya Shiro out of this War."
"Yes Sir," Mikhel affirmed. He looked a little uncomfortable with the fact of Bram revealing that he and Caster resorted to a certain method of prana transfer to the others and making it seem like it was cardinal sin. "Sir Bram, about what you said earlier, Caster and I had no choice. Caster spent quite a lot of prana to create her workshop, which also includes the three kilometer wide bounded field to serve our purposes. That, along with her trying to establish her network of familiars only to be destroyed by Archer and Emiya Shiro, I had no way to provide Caster with more prana immediately."
"Mikhel, using that method has side effects that could complicate the contract you have with Caster," Bram replied.
"I don't see how that could be a problem," Caster replied. "I find that my bond with Master is now much deeper than ever. That could be an advantage for the both of us from here on."
"Even if we defeat all the Servants from Lord El-Melloi II's faction?" Bram asked. "You do realise that if that is the case, three Servants from our side will still have to give up their lives to manifest the Grail."
"Oh, worry not, Master of Rider. At least for now," Caster said. "After all the talk about this Emiya Shiro from you, he is quite dangerous, after all. If you wish for Master and myself to have a good chance against him, then a good bond between us is necessary. Master is, after all, a magus who fights on the front line, am I right? Then I shall furnish Master with all the support he needs in order to fight this Emiya Shiro."
Bram was unable to say anything in reply except for "fine, do whatever you think you want to do as long as we win," but he felt very uncertain on how Mikhel could be manipulated by Caster after establishing a bond that went beyond their contract. Nonetheless, taking Emiya Shiro out took precedence over this problem, so Bram had to let it go for now.
Apart from the problem posed by Emiya Shiro, he had a slightly more pressing issue to deal with for the time being. Exhaling, he dismissed the others and headed upstairs.
"Master, that's everything that we have discovered thus far."
Zouken, who was seated on a divan facing away from Assassin, huffed. He was clearly left speechless and yet interested in the development.
"So, this magus has the capability to fight off a Servant?" Zouken asked.
"Indeed, Master. If this magus was aware of our presence, he would have been able to fight us off. It is probably a good reason as to why one of us was killed trying to finish him off."
"And his physical description too, it sounds very, very familiar. I recall Sakura always talking about a certain boy a little over ten years ago, and Shinji-kun has mentioned about him several times before. Could it be this boy?"
"My apologies, Master." Assassin replied. "Concerning that, we do not know."
"Oh, pardon my words. I was merely speaking to myself," Zouken replied. "By the way, I have to apologise beforehand, but I have changed my mind."
"About what, Master?" Assassin asked.
"My previous order concerning this magus," Zouken said, turning around. His face twisted as he grinned at Assassin. "I want you to bring him to me. Alive."
"But Master," Assassin said with a tone of disbelief. "You don't want us to kill him?"
"I changed my mind, somewhat." Zouken replied. "I have a proposition to make with him. If this boy is who I think it is, then he won't refuse my offer."
"Master, about our vengeance-"
"I will hear no more about it," Zouken said, raising his hand to stop Assassin from protesting his decision. "This magus is, after all, a dangerous opponent. I could put him to good use if he turns to our side. I have a very, very large bargaining chip on my hand."
Assassin looked down. "What if he refuses?"
"Kill him, then."
"I shall not protest your decision anymore, Master." Assassin replied. "But, I am hoping that he refuses your offer."
"Hmph, the irony of one who takes the life of another to be harbouring hope," Zouken sneered. "We'll see about that. For now, find him, and bring him to me."
"So tell me, Rider. Why exactly were you not present in our discussion earlier?"
Bram was seated on a chair facing Rider. Rider was standing a small distance away, looking out a window.
"I have no interest in working with your group," Rider replied without turning around. "Do you not remember?"
Bram sighed. "Is trust a concept that is alien to you?"
"It is not. In fact, I understand it better than you do," Rider replied.
"How so? You don't exhibit trust, even to your Master," Bram said. "I have shown you just how meticulous my plans are, and you yourself said that you believed me to be a great magus. What you said is not far from the truth."
"Oh? So tell me, how much has it gone according to your meticulous planning?"
Bram cursed under his breath. "Not very far."
"The plans you made so meticulously have been undermined by those you trusted. Thus, it confirms that I have been right all along about understanding trust better than you do," Rider said, turning around and casting a glare on Bram.
"Really, now? Despite the fact that you had plenty to do with how little we have progressed thus far? You are one of those I trusted to achieve victory in this War, even to the point where I promised you that you will be the last Servant standing to reach the Holy Grail, and you have not done anything I asked. How has it worked out for us, then?" Bram demanded, standing up and staring back at Rider.
"You certainly need a lesson in leadership, boy."
"Who the hell are you calling b-"
Rider slammed the wall beside him, stunning Bram into silence.
"You do not ask someone to do something you would never do yourself!" Rider hissed at Bram. "I cannot trust one who calls himself a leader yet makes everyone do everything for him."
"You'd expect me to fight against an alliance of three, no, four magi with their Servants by myself?" Bram asked.
"You'd expect your little group of magi to do all the fighting for you while you sit back and watch?" Rider asked in reply. "In my time, I showed my people everything that should be done. I carried out the executions myself, I led the sieges myself, I stormed the walls of the Imperialists by standing on the forefront of my armies. My people did everything I wanted them to just because I have done it myself before them." Rider's glare did not waver as his face inched closer to Bram's. "You, on the other hand, have done nothing of note, instead you made your subordinates do all the work for you. Thus, you can carry on your little game and send these lesser Servants out to do your bidding, but you shall not send me out to do anything for you unless you grow a spine and do it yourself." Rider disappeared in a mist, leaving Bram alone in the room.
"Tch."
Bram had originally wanted to at least know what made Rider so insubordinate, but after this conversation, he was far more confused than before. He showed a very pompous and arrogant side after his summoning and up to just the day before, but after this conversation, he discovered that Rider would never have commanded his followers to do something he wouldn't have done himself.
Bram had plenty of trouble figuring his Servant out throughout the night as Rider has shown Bram two contrasting behaviours. As a result, Bram got no rest that night as he sat down on the chair, trying to work something out.