Myne pov.

My eyes fluttered open. I was- damp? Rising to my feet, I began to look around. The forest. I must have passed out after I got here. My mind was still hazy from sleep but I still began to move. I should find Lutz and Tuly. They're probably looking for me about now. I stopped, something was wrong in that thought. Why would I be away from them in the first place? They never would let me out of their sight. So why was I alone?

Ah my head. A jackhammer pounded away in my skull; forcing me to grab my head. There was something missing, some important that slipped further away the more I tried to grasp it.

Leaning against a nearby tree I reorganized my thoughts. Whatever that was, it can wait until after I find Lutz. I decided, once again resuming my slow march.

I think I walked for half an hour, but I can't be certain with the canopy hiding the sun. A fear sprouted within me as I realised just how much trouble I was in.

I'm completely lost. Everything looked the same. The scenery blended together in a whirlpool of black and green. I barely managed to push down my rising panic. Okay stay calm, what did those survival books you read mention about getting lost in the woods. I went through the checklist of tips that I still remembered. My best option was to let Tuly and Lutz find me. They could cover a lot more ground than me so if I stay in one location they should find me eventually. Problem was, I needed to survive until they did, so my current spot wouldn't work. I was pretty lucky, all things considered. It was summer so food was easy to obtain, and in certain spots the trees were so close that they made a natural shelter. The problem was water. I knew there was a river that went through the forest, but with how lost I am it would take a miracle for me to find it.

As I went over my options a strange moist feeling blew over my back. Stomach sinking, I slowly turned to see what was behind me. I had made one critical oversight when looking over my situation. I wasn't just against the natural forces, in this forest there was a far bigger threat. One that was never present in my original world, one that would require horrible luck to ever encounter. One that was now right in front of me.

A gigantic boar that would have towered over a full grown man, much less my tiny stature. Its red eyes glared right at me, a short pink tongue lashing over sharp yellow teeth. Its tusks, each the size of my entire body, were serrated and scratched. It could swallow me whole with no effort, but it wouldn't. That would be two quick, one look into its mad eyes and I could tell, it wanted to enjoy eating me.

Even worse it was no ordinary animal, it was a type fe-beast called Aprum. Fe-beasts are animals that have absorbed so much natural mana that their very existence was tainted. Far stronger than their normal counterparts, they could easily defeat half a dozen grown men. I couldn't move, I couldn't breath, every cell in my body screamed at me to run away but my legs refused to even twitch.

It wasn't just fear that paralyzed me, but the Aprums' magic. According to Dad the reason Aprums are so dangerous is their paralyzing breath. If you catch even a single whiff of the stuff your body completely shuts down.

Helpless before the beast, I could only wait for it to kill me. Its head reared back and next thing I knew I was flying. Until I slammed into what I could assume was a tree, judging by the texture and hardness. With a loud crack the bark around me caved in, stopping me from falling to the ground. Splinters dug into my skin all over, the pain was far greater than anything I experienced throughout both of my lives. In the back of my mind I wondered how I was still alive at all, but I didn't get the chance to think over the peculiarity.

Alert: Threat to subject's safety has been detected. Primary condition fulfilled.

My head felt like it was about to explode.

Analyzing…

Alert: Target has malicious intent towards the subject. Secondary condition fulfilled.

There were words, but in my current state that was all I could recognize.

Analyzing…

Alert: Target's desires are incompatible with the Subject's. Final condition fulfilled.

Blood began to seep out of my wound's, oozing down the shards of wood.

Analyzing…

Establishing a connection to the throne. Success.

Locating optimal servants. Success.

Creating a vessel. Failure.

The crimson liquid grew ever closer to the forest floor.

Alert: chances of success without a proper catalyst are less than 1%.

Scanning for potential catalysts. Success.

Resuming the creation of the vessel. Success.

Finalizing the summoning. Success.

Summoning complete.

The Aprum began to charge once again, having had its fill of my suffering. But both of us had missed the all important fluid that steadily seeped downwards from gravity. And when it finally reached the ground, a bright light erupted, blinding me completely.

I immediately squeezed my eyes shut, desperately trying to protect myself from the unexpected glare. I was going to die, that was the only thought in my head. I was afraid, but at the same time I knew that I could do nothing. Even if I was healthy, I was far too young to escape from such a dangerous creature, much less kill it. There was the matter of the light but considering how bad my luck had been today, I highly doubted that it was friendly. Breath escaped my lungs as I relaxed, waiting for the pain that would signal my end. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.

But the end I waited for never came. I hesitantly allowed my eyes to inch open, and what I saw left me utterly speechless.

What. The. Absolute. Fuck.

Okay a bit extreme, but I hardly think anyone would blame me considering the sight in front of me. A being that I could only call a giant was standing before me. Their muscular body only covered by a blood red loincloth, several iron rings around hulking scared biceps, three on the right and two on the left, and to top it all iron armor covered the majority of their torso below the abdomen, taking the shape of a corset of all things. The Aprum, which had to be at least a head taller than even my father and twice as muscular, was absolutely dwarfed by the figure's three meters of honed, lightly tanned, muscle. I had written off the beast's charge as unstoppable and yet this being didn't even need to use both hands to completely halt all momentum.

"Bad. Piggy. No. Hurt. Master." A booming voice, obviously in its masculinity, echoed throughout the forest. It took me a solid 10 seconds to realise that it came from the figure, and another 10 to parse what he meant.

Master? But the only one here is… No way. It's impossible. It can't be true. But my disbelief didn't change the facts. Muscles over there said that 'piggy' was trying to hurt his master. Unless I was mistaken, there was no one else here, meaning…

"Wh-who are you?" I barely managed to wheeze out, absentmindedly noting the lack of splinters in me.

Wait what? No, focus. That can wait.

The giant dropped the Aprum, not caring about the loud wet slap it made on contact with the nearby roots of what I thought to be an oak. Needless to say, the fe-beast was not getting back up after that. He made way to where I was trapped inside the tree, no doubt looking absolutely ridiculous, and then he did something that left me utterly speechless. The mass of scars and muscles, which killed a monster I couldn't even escape from with all the effort of swatting a fly. A man that could no doubt crush my entire body in his bare hands, was kneeling below me, bowing his head in reverence.

At that moment I noticed something that should have been obvious. It was astounding that I missed it for this long. Seriously, how in the everloving hell did I miss that? It was something so blaringly extraordinary that I had to restrain myself from openly cursing my stupidity. Well less something and more a pair of something. More specifically a pair of pitch black horns. Curved inwards and ending in wicked upward facing points that I could almost feel poking me with how close they were, his posture positioning them less than half a meter away from my legs. Because these two horns were attached to his head.

No, attached wasn't the right word. They were growing out the side of his head. The sight could only mean one thing.

Minotaur

But there were a few problems with that line of thinking. First among them being that the horns were his only bull like feature. No fur, no large nostrils. His skin was the same as any human, sure it was scared and probably caused to high heaven, but it was a far cry from the thick layer of flesh that I read cows possessed. And beside his appearance there was another reason to doubt my first assumption.

The interpretation might be a little different depending on the specific circumstances, but I can't remember any books that had a friendly minotaur in them. Granted, his intentions were far from certain, but with him literally kneeling in show of loyalty it was hard for me to imagine him hurting me.

"Master. Is. Something. Wrong?"

His words made me realise how long I was lost in my thoughts. Normally I'd be waving my hands in embarrassment but I didn't want to take any risks considering my recent collision, so I could only sit there, facing burning in embarrassment at my blunder. "N-no!" I coughed to regain my composure. "No, thank you. Although I am a bit confused at the current situation if I can be honest." I had no clue why my voice came out so fromaly. Best guess, I was panicking and was unconsciously clinging to anything that gave me even a little more control.

"I. See. Is. Anything. I. Do. Help?"

He truly has trouble speaking. Not in the sense of not knowing the language, but not knowing what to say, something I was plenty familiar with. Swallowing my fear, along with all the liquid present in my mouth, I asked the biggest question.

"What is your name?"

His head tilted to the side although the reason is lost on me.

"Name. Is. Asterios."

What?! Asterios? Like the guardian of the labyrinth? Son of Pasiphaë after she was cursed to fall in love with a bull, that Asterios?

It was too much, waking up in a random clearing, being attacked by an Aprum, and saved by a legend from Greek mythology which was calling me his master. I couldn't take it anymore, I burst out laughing. Causing Asterios to gain a look of even greater confusion, his mouth tilting downwards in a slight pout.

Cute. It was all I could think of at his display. In complete contrast to his appearance the hulking man seemed incredibly gentle. "S-sorry, it's just that I've had a very long day. I didn't mean to insult you." I managed to finally calm my laughter, trying to soothe any potential annoyance that might have arised.

The smile that appeared on Asterios's face nearly made me squeal at how adorable he was.

"I. understand. Master. I. Help?" he began reaching out to me, and despite the size of his hand I wasn't afraid. Something inside me said that I could trust him, saying that the idea of him hurting me was absolutely ridiculous. So I made no effort to resist him picking me up, settling me into his cahest as he began to move.

Warm. His grip was incredibly comfortable, reminding me of my bed in my previous life.

Thunder rang from the sky as I finally realised that it was raining. In my panic I lost all awareness of the outside world. This was bad, if I couldn't get out the rain my health would be in serious danger.

Tapping on Asterios' chest I voiced my concerns, "Asterios, I- we can't stay in the open."

His gate paused, obviously considering what I said. I felt his gaze run over me before he nodded, coming to his own conclusion, what that was I could only guess.

"I. See. Might. Have. Solution. Permission?"

Taking a second to parse his splintered words, I nodded in confirmation. Whatever he was planning, I was certain that he wouldn't do anything to harm me. His stance widened; the grip on me never slackening, as if he was afraid that I would disappear should he let me go.

"Wander. Lost. Die. Chaos Labyrinth!" his foot came down in a stomp, causing sticks and mud to flare up. The words radiated some kind of power, like the world itself recognised they were important. The sentence was somehow familiar; like I had heard it before but where? Wait, it couldn't be. Could it? The name, his strange dress, the horns, this strange- incantation I guess- and most of all the personality which went against most interpretations of a minotaur; it was too many matches to be a coincidence. He wasn't just Asterios, bull of Cretes labyrinth, he was the Asterios desciped in the Type-moon series, Fate.

If that's true, then… my face paled at this realisation. I am so, absolutely, positively, fucked.

Stone walls rose out of the ground, reaching dozens of meters into the sky. They were cracked and stained with moisture, vines clearly stretching inside the majority of cracks. When the 4 walls were complete, a slap of stone jutted out from each meeting at the center of the newly created room. We were plunged into darkness, but that didn't last long. Aqua Flames burst into life on the walls, casting long shadows throughout the building. Still, it was more than enough for me to make out the majority of my new environment.

Grass, beautiful and green stretched over the entire ground. Without the wind there was no movement but they were gorgeous in their stillness. A stone path coiled up to a small hill in the chamber's center with an exotic chair at its crest. It resembles a stereotypical throne, a red cushion made of what I could only guess was satin. The wood was gilded with golden leaves, spreading across the back and armrests.

Even having a basic idea of what would happen, actually seeing it was another thing entirely.

"Wh-*cough*-where is this, Asterios?" I had to be careful, if my memory was correct, then Asterios was a berserker. A class well known for their massive power, and equally large madness. Luckily Asterios was relatively sane, at least according to the fragments I could recall. Furthermore I firmly remembered FGO having the line, "so long as one perceives him as Asterios and not Minotauros he will not betray them." so my path was clear, never, under any circumstances, call him the Minotaur. Still, I don't remember anything like this being in the labyrinth.

"My. Home." Was all Asterios said before he began to move towards the hill. The path was far smoother than any of the cities roads.

"So this is the labyrinth." I couldn't stop my words of wonder, it was nothing like I had expected. There was so much, for lack of a better term, life. His only response was to eye her curiously.

We slipped into a soft silence, both having questions but being content to wait till the other was comfortable enough. When we reached the throne Asterios lowered me down onto the cushion, which was even softer than I expected. Kneeling before me, the guardian of Cretes labyrinth looked me right in the eye.

"Do you mind if I ask you a few questions, Asterios?" I had to put in a lot of effort into keeping my voice calm.

He nodded in confirmation, never taking his eyes off me.

Okay, stay calm and go down the list. It'll be fine, he's nice enough just don't do anything stupid. "Could you tell me your class?" good, no way he could get angry over that.

"I. Berserker."

Yep just like I thought, now for the most important question. "I-is a grail war going to occur?" I prayed that it wasn't the case, because if it was then I was dead. A battle between heroes of legend for a near omnipotent wish granting cup that might end up having the physical representation of all the world's evil corrupting it. Even if Angra Mainyu hadn't corrupted this grail I would still be caught up in a war so dangerous the number of survivors could be counted on one hand.

"No. I. Don't. Sense. Grail."

I released a breath I didn't know I was holding, the lack of a grail raised several concerns but at the very least the worst case scenario was avoided. "So did," I paused trying to recall the entity that Fate said controlled the Servants, "the counterforce summon you?" That was the second worst thing that could happen, but at least I wouldn't be a target in that situation. Still pretty bad but better than a grail war.

"No. Summoned. By. Master."

What? No seriously, what? My memory wasn't the best, but I'm fairly certain that was impossible. Didn't Type-moon say that it was impossible for a human to summon a heroic spirit without assistance? "Hey, Asterios." I waved to get his attention. "Are your, uh, parameters decreased." That was a sign of an unqualified master, right?

Asterios shook his head, confusing me even more. Seriously, how is this possible? My eyes widened as I finally remembered my conversation with Vagi. Was that real? I dismissed it as a meaningless dream but if it was real then…

It didn't matter. Whatever the reason for it I found myself in possession of a spirit of legend and if my assumption was correct, there would be no other masters. Exhaling the tension I unknowingly built up as I stewed in my thoughts. I'm safe. There is no way anyone could touch me now. Heroic spirits are so far above humans that it wasn't even funny. If my memory was right then only one human was ever able to go head to head with one with their own power, and even then it was thanks to absurd circumstances.

The image of a certain red haired magus from my mind, I resumed scanning the room. "Asterios, why is there a hole in the wall?" Less of a hole and more of a gate in all honesty, stretching from floor to ceiling and giving a clear view of the forest outside.

"Labyrinth. Must. Have. Exit. Else. Won't. Work."

I guess that makes sense, after all if there was no way out then it would be a cage; not a maze.

Once more we slip into silence, simply relaxing in the other's presence. The sound of rain and the luxurious cushions lead me to quickly drift off into a peaceful slumber.

Asterios pov.

It was strange. This entire situation was strange. Being summoned at all was unusual, after all most relics related to me were destroyed. Adding to my confusion, I sensed neither the grail nor Alaya. Somehow my master had enough mana to manifest me entirely on her own.

Master laid before me, her peaceful slumber the picture of serenity. Truely, her appearance could rival even Erueal's. Her small body, looking far too young to be a magus, was incredibly fragile. It seemed a strong wind could snap her in two. My first goal was to get her out of the rain, which would almost certainly kill her if the exposure was too long. But the labyrinth I created was strange.

Normally It would be a land of white stone, inscriptions describing various Greek myths covering the walls. This scenery shouldn't have been possible. The difference in my home could only be caused by Masters influence. How much power does she have? Altering my noble phantasm without even trying to, it's like the world itself favors her. Then it hit me, she must be loved by Gaia.

Satisfied, I rose from my spot before her. While the appearance of my labyrinth changed; the rules that governed it remained, so far as I could tell. Any room I summoned must have at least one exit that can be conceivably reached by a normal human.

So my course of action was clear. Until Master wakes I will not leave the labyrinth entrance, so long as I draw breath non shal so much as scratch my master.

AN: Everyone's favorite fluffy boi is here. If you're wondering why I chose Asterios, the reason is simple. I love him. Also there are insultingly little Asterios crossovers, but mainly because I love the ball of muscles and floof. As for the explanation on fea-beasts, I made it up. There's probably a different explanation in Ascendance but I'm pretty sure this one works with how that world is framed. That is what I am always going to be aiming for. Like from fake dreams, I am aiming to take what exists in cannon and add a bit for originality, all without conflicting with cannon. So if you notice any contradiction feel free to point it out.

Go now, Review, hug our adorable fluffterios, and review again.( credit to from fake dreams for the outro style.)