Second Chimeric Lunar Sea- Second Floor
Arena Level 14
The glory of the night shrouded world
And the defiled faceless hero
What is justice? And at the cost of whose pride?
0101010101010101010101010101010101
"Heads up Master. I can feel those two somewhere nearby." Archer already hits Hakuno with a warning as soon as they've arrived inside the Arena. She can feel it too...the aura of prana that's been pulsing in the atmosphere...that's unmistakably the enemy servant's.
"Since they've been hit with a penalty, perhaps it is to our advantage to ambush them first? Then again, it's your call whether you decide to approach them or let them come to us." Well...it'll certainly be better to ambush them rather than have the opposing party attack them by surprise now, wouldn't it?
With that being said, they should get a move on, and focus on tracking the enemy duo down. She couldn't let Dan and his servant get away in case they decided to leave the Arena instead. And so the two begin their journey down the Arena, attacking and getting rid of enemy programs along their path.
A part of her wonders how Dan's servant will react upon meeting them. Would he choose to hide himself and snipe at them immediately...or use a more head-on, offensive method? Either way, she has her terminal ready to provide Archer with any necessary back-up if needed. She could only pray that if a fight did happen, it wouldn't be too catastrophic, especially with all the tension between the two Archer-class servants from yesterday's incident.
Her mind flashes back to the vision she saw back in the school building. That orange-haired man did indeed die a painful and lonely death. She can only imagine how much grief and sadness he felt before he passed on.
His expression right at the end, it looked like he was struggling to hold back tears of frustration. And all those negative emotions channelled into his personality when he got summoned as a servant too...
It didn't take long before she sees two familiar figures in the distance, standing in a somewhat spacious area. A slender man and the knight he serves- it's Dan and his servant. So her hunch was right...they were waiting for them after all. Clutching onto her terminal tightly, the two make their way down the hallway, stopping a good few feet away from their enemies.
As soon as they did so, Hakuno could already notice the air growing significantly tenser, with the two servants already staring each other down. She sweatdrops; they haven't even said a thing and the atmosphere already seems so strained. Oh dear...this wasn't going to end well as she initially hoped...
"What do we do now, boss? They did appear right in front of us." The orange-haired servant is the first to speak up amongst the two, wrinkling his nose at Archer in disgust. Yep, he definitely appears less than happy to be seeing them. On the other hand, Hakuno's secretly glad to note that it doesn't seem like the enemy servant would pounce on them right away, even after all that's happened the day before.
With a hand on their weapon, Archer squints their eyes upon hearing the opposing servant's words. "You sure say some hilarious things sometimes. What, you're not hiding this time around?"
...
...
...
Hakuno's eyes widened drastically at that, whipping her head to stare at Archer in shock. This guy...! Dude...that's the first thing that comes out of his mouth?! Why the heck is he taunting him?! The enemy already looks pissed off enough!
Hakuno doesn't even manage to get a word in however, as Archer continues without even so much as giving her a glance. "Seriously, it's all right with me. You can even use that Noble Phantasm that you're so proud of."
Ok, what did he just say?! Was he crazy?! That Noble Phantasm nearly killed her just 2 days ago! And wasn't he the one that was overreacting a lot more when it happened back then too?! What was Archer thinking?!
The enemy servant on the other hand, is doing a pretty good job at enduring the jeering, because he clicks his tongue at him in response. "Tch...your arrogant tone really gets on my nerves. I'm surprised that you were able to tolerate such a servant so far, ojou-chan." She wasn't gonna disagree with him on that. He took the words right out of her mouth!
"Am I wrong? Isn't hiding the only thing you're good at? I mean, you've been cowering in the shadows since you were a mortal." Not missing a beat, Archer continues firing insult after insult, edging the enemy on.
Meanwhile, Hakuno is left speechless, watching the exchange between the two with increasing worry. "Or did your lord's dazzling words rob you of the ability to conceal yourself from the world?" AAAAAAH...THE LANDMINE! ARCHER, DON'T STEP ON THE LANDMINEEE!
"...! You...!" That seemed to be the final straw, with Archer's insults taking the enemy Archer by surprise, as if the words shattered their very core. For a moment, Hakuno notices the servant faltering, his calm demeanor becoming incredibly flustered instead.
But Archer wasn't done, not yet. As if to crown the cherry on top, he carries on. "What's the matter? Should I go first and come over to you then?" THE GAS! STOP PRESSING ON THE GAS ARCHER!
The enemy servant is now gritting in teeth, eyes shining with evil intent. "Fine then. I will hide myself just as you asked. Now experience the slaughter of the Sherwood Forest...!"
His relaxed posture is gone, now replaced with a fighting stance as he reaches under his cape for his weapon. The brown-haired master gulps, instinctively tensing in fear that he may unleash his Noble Phantasm right there and then.
Just before he could do anything however, he is stopped by Dan who places a hand over his arm which held the crossbow. "Calm yourself down, Archer. Your behaviour is completely out of character." Dan's stern voice pierces through the Arena and fortunately has the intended effect, because his servant frowns at him before slowly lowering his arm, with Hakuno internally letting out a sigh of relief.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. ...Sir Bossman, your request is kind of a pain in the ass, you know?" Ruffling his hair in irritation, he places a hand to his hip, tilting his head to the side. "You do realize who I am, don't you, Asking me to fight toe-to-toe...are you drunk or something?"
The level of disrespect the orange-haired man has for his master is outstanding to say the least. Um...she wouldn't wanna be that harsh and say he was drunk but...yeah, she too was questioning it, though if anything, she was also insanely happy for Dan's last minute intervention.
"Hahaha, I really don't get it. If you take away the element of surprise, what else is there left for me? My looks, maybe? My sweet, handsome face? Alas, its powers only work on simple village lasses!" ...Why does he suddenly sound so poetic and dramatic? On another note, Hakuno could've sworn that she saw him flashing a suggestive look at her direction, raising her eyebrows.
A sudden realization hits her like a bus as she freezes. ...Now wait a second...so that time...he was intending to...! She glances over at Archer who appears to be sighing and shaking his head at her cluelessness, his expression literally saying: 'My master is hopeless. It took her this long to realize?'.
Well...excuse her for not finding out that she was being hit on sooner! Now hold on, she can't be at fault here! She didn't think that the enemy servant possessed some sort of ulterior motives apart from switching servants!
That...and she was still shocked while trying to process the servant's preposition that time! So was that why her servant decided to intervene?! Oh gosh...now that she's aware of it, she can't help but feel a tad bit awkward at the situation.
"You wish to complain? Is your prowess as a hunter so dependant upon the power of the Faceless King?" She perks up at that, returning her attention back to the enemy duo who were still having a calm but slightly heated debate. "Ah...no...well, I mean...even I get nervous around that, ok? I do have pride in my archery skills though," his servant responds, albeit bashfully.
Dan nods, placing his hands behind his back. "Good, then fight with that in mind. A sniper such as myself would know more than anyone else about your skills." He cocks an eyebrow at Archer, a stern but prideful look now on his features. "And what I know would send chills through most people. I have confidence in you, Archer."
"...Ahhh damn, screw it. It's not like I have much of a choice now, do I? I disapprove of all this, but I will obey. He is still my master, after all." The enemy Archer shrugs, smirk widening. "Fortunately for me, my opponent is a mere chick. I rarely attack directly, but it shouldn't matter in this case." Even when put at a blatant disadvantage, he's still confident that he can take her and Archer out.
Archer raises an eyebrow, scoffing. "So you're not going to try and talk your way out of this? It seems your tactics will always be your biggest weakness." Hakuno had to resist rolling her eyes; Archer speaks as though he's willing to let them go if the other party doesn't attack them.
Just how much longer was he going to continue insulting him like this? Not that she was going to admit it out loud, but she sure hoped he knew what he was doing, because technically...he was also putting her life at risk too. Honestly, she's tempted to tell him to at least tone it down a notch if it weren't for the fact that she was more preoccupied on the enemy duo.
"...Wow, you sure know how to hurt a guy. Since we're both in the same class, a direct confrontation might be tough." The enemy Archer cracks his knuckles, his biceps flexing at the action as he goes on. "But I can't just blow off the confidence my master has in me, so consider my excuses to be bad jokes. An honest head-to-head fight; it's not really my style, but what the hell, I'll play along, comrade."
Archer readies both of his swords, standing in front of his master as always and prepared to fight. "...Colour me surprised. I thought you were a flake, but you actually devote yourself to your convictions." He grips onto his dual blades tightly, eyes narrowing at his enemy. "Hunter of the forest. It seems that through your master's nobility, you see the folly that was your existence."
The enemy servant laughs at that, eyes glinting dangerously. "...So you do know about my True Name after all, you sly rat. Though...I wonder, as different as we are from one another, I get the feeling that we both have similar regrets."
He shrugs his shoulders once again, appearing indifferent despite the murderous aura that was radiating off him. "You're offensively narcissistic, and I'm a classic nihilist. Don't you think we're perfectly suited to be enemies?"
Archer maintains his cool, remaining perfectly calm and collected in contrast to his opponent. "Hmph, I won't argue with you on that. If you think about it, I wonder if those two aren't just like us in a way." Wow, the one time Archer actually agrees with his opponent on something.
"Hah! You're way off base! Let's get this over with! I'll stain that coat of yours red with your own blood!" The threat doesn't seem to faze Archer at all as the two glare at each other for another good minute. The tension in the air increases immensely, further amplified by the pin-drop silence as Hakuno gulps.
Then, it happens. Without warning, the enemy servant begins shooting several arrows towards Archer's way at point blank range, with Archer swiftly deflecting them just in the nick of time. "Poisoned arrows, should've known," he remarks, eyebrows creased together in concentration as a familiar blue field of data stretches over the Arena, engulfing and temporarily teleporting them to a wider, open space.
"What can I say? They are my specialty after all," the orange-haired man chuckles, before he begins firing a barrage of arrows at Archer at an astoundingly fast pace, with Archer narrowly dodging or cutting down each one of them. "Haha, try to keep up, you arrogant bastard! If any one of these pierces your vital points, it's game over for you!" the servant clad in green gleefully taunts.
Seeing an opportunity, the enemy servant dashes towards him, and from a distance, Hakuno could already see him whipping out something from his left arm. "...! Archer, watch out!" At Hakuno's warning, the white-haired servant's eyes widened, ducking his head just in time to avoid the knife from grazing him. A hidden blade?! So he had been concealing that underneath all those bandages?!
"Ahh damn, so you saw through it after all. Gotta give props to that master of yours, she's got a good eye." Charging at him, Archer quickly backs away, confronting the blade with his own, glaring at him. "...But no matter, I've still got plenty of tricks up my sleeve."
Archer attempts to stab his enemy in the torso, to which the orange-haired man responds by intercepting it with his own crossbow. Hakuno stares at the weapon in both awe and surprise, her jaw dropping open unconsciously. Ok...that crossbow was a lot sturdier and resistant than she initially expected if it could literally be used as a makeshift shield.
Archer wastes no time to go on the offensive, attacking the enemy Archer with a series of fast but hard hitting blows. The other Archer on the other hand, manages to duck, dodge or block all of the blows successfully at the very last second, whistling at her servant.
Analyzing his movements, Hakuno realizes that the enemy servant was incredibly nimble on his feet, sometimes even using them to deflect Archer's swords by kicking them up in the air. He may be accustomed to sniping enemies from a distance, but it's clear that this servant definitely possesses some close combat experience too...and a fair amount of it.
Looking over at Dan, she notes his relatively calm posture, arms crossed and watching the fight intently. Wait...so he wasn't even going to try anything like with Shinji? He didn't even look like he has any intention to buff or help out his servant. Or could it be...that he was testing out his servant's capabilities with this fight?
Another kick, another spin and twirl to narrowly avoid the red servant's sword from slashing his arm, and the enemy servant laughs. "What's wrong? You were confident in taking me on, and yet you haven't even been able to land a single blow on me? Pfft, maybe you're more pathetic than I thought."
Archer doesn't let the insults get to him, but from his tensed shoulders, Hakuno can see that he was definitely irritated to a certain degree at the unexpected switch of events. It wasn't as noticeable when the fight started, but looking at him now, Archer was trying to keep the enemy focused on him and away from her direction.
The enemy servant himself hasn't landed a blow on Archer either, but it seems more like he's toying around with him at this rate. Now she can see why Dan was so confident in his servant even when put at a disadvantage.
This was different from the fights with Rider, where Rider was relentless in attacking Archer from the very start. Rather, it was beginning to look more like a test of endurance to see how long the two could hold on before the SE.RA.PH intervenes, or which of the two would falter first for the other to deal the preemptive strike.
"C'mon now, I'm sure you can do better than that! Or is this really the best you can muster?! If so, I'm disappointed!" Resting on the heels of his boots, the enemy Archer sighs. "All this dodging sure is tiring me out, not gonna lie. I'll give you some credit for being able to keep up with me, and you've got some decent reflexes to make up for the lack in power, but that's about it."
He scoffs, staring at Archer's form. "In the first place, an Archer pretending to be a swordsman? Don't make me laugh; you're not fooling anyone with that. At the end of the day, you're still weak after all...just like your master."
Archer seems to be pretty fed up with all the taunting at this point, because he finally retorts, albeit much calmer than Hakuno had expected. "You've been blabbing a lot this whole time. Does that mouth of yours never get tired of all the garbage you spout?"
"Hah, you're just too uptight! Ever heard of having some fun with your enemy during a fight?" Archer dodges yet another blow from the orange-haired servant's blade that was aimed at his head, driving some distance between them before the two begin yet another stare down.
"I won't deny...it's quite inconvenient in itself, having some of my abilities locked behind my master's lack of experience." Hakuno flinches at her servant's insult, her eyebrows twitching. She really felt the burn with that one alright, but was it really the appropriate time to be roasting one another?!
"Although, if anything, I could say the same for you. You say that you're following your master's orders, but aren't you just trying to fulfill the dream you never managed to achieve when you were alive?" At that question, the enemy Archer's expression crumples into a scowl. "Oho~? Is that what you think? Making bold assumptions now, are we?"
He aims his crossbow at Archer's direction, expression morphing into a much more colder one, his voice low with barely containable anger. "I don't need anyone mocking me after all this time, especially from the likes of you. I intended to just play around with you for a bit since you act like such a bigshot, but maybe the correct decision is to take you and that woman out right here and now."
"...! Archer...stand down! That's...!" Finally after all this time, Dan decides to participate in the battle by stopping his servant...or technically, trying to stop him. Unfortunately, his words seem to fall on deaf ears, as his servant shows no intention to stop, his rage getting the better of him. No way...was he planning to unleash it right here after all?!
That look on his face didn't seem like he was kidding at all! There was no way Archer or her would be able to counter it if he decided to hit them with his Noble Phantasm right now! Without hesitation, Hakuno is already searching through her mystic codes and items stashed in her terminal.
Anything...there must be something she can use! The jewels...! But, would they work on his Noble Phantasm?! Scratch that, would she even be able to make it in time?!
"...Die here, would ya?" Readying his weapon, there is a huge burst of prana that begins channeling onto his crossbow, but just before he could do anything else, Hakuno immediately sends a code cast down their way, stunning the enemy servant. It was only momentarily, but the code cast seemed to do the trick, catching the orange-haired man off guard.
"Wh-?! Damn...that woman...!" Swooping in, Archer doesn't miss the chance offered to him as he lands a blow onto his abdomen. It didn't look like a hard blow, but it was enough to stagger the enemy Archer and prevent him from releasing his trump card. The enemy servant let's out a string of curses, backing away as blood dripped from his wound. "Guh...! You...! Dammit!"
Before the two could fight any longer, a loud, familiar voice booms throughout the area. "A message from the SE.RA.PH: Confrontation between masters is prohibited. Hostilities will be terminated."
As soon the warning came, the area around them began to disappear, returning them back to the Arena's usual second floor space. Hakuno looks over towards the opposing duo warily. They...wouldn't try to attack them now under these circumstances, would they?
"...I'm surprised. To think that your master would arrive to save the day, how convenient." Although his mood was undoubtedly still foul, the servant's rage managed to subside quite a fair bit, the man returning back to his master's side. In fact, now he just looks more sulky and irritated than infuriated. Hakuno let's out a sigh of relief at this, her shoulders slacking.
Clutching onto his still bleeding abdomen, the man clicks his tongue. "Tch, I'm tired of this. Really, this whole deal of playing fair is totally a waste of time and effort." Says the same person who literally attempted to obliterate them with his Noble Phantasm just minutes ago. But she isn't willing to say a word and possibly ignite his anger once again, not after all that. The fight earlier nearly gave her a heart attack.
Dan let's out a sigh of his own, shaking his head. "That was uncalled for. I will not allow vulgar and petulant language, Archer. As my servant, I wish for you to behave as a knight." Uh...was that really what he was concerned about? After all that's happened during the fight? She figured that Dan would be more mad about Archer nearly letting loose his ultimate move or something but...
The servant runs a hand through his hair, cutting off his master from the stern nagging. "Ugh, spare me from the lecturing, will ya? It ain't like I'm invincible. This wound ain't deep but it still hurts ya know. Gah, you sure are suffocating to be around, Mr. Boss Man. I know, I know, foul play and stuff is a big no-no," he mocks.
Seeing Dan's unpleased and upset expression causes his servant to relent...just a tiny bit, even though it doesn't look like he really means it and is ridiculing his master instead. "...Jeez, cut off my legs and arms already. Ever heard of these things people call personalities? Well, if I have to, I'd say the best archers can shoot with their teeth..." Wow, the sarcasm was practically dripping from his voice at this point. On that note...
..Where was this casual tone coming from all of a sudden? The intense atmosphere from earlier sure calmed down fast! Why were these two having such a relaxed conversation??
It almost seems like the fight hadn't even occurred at all...or the enemy servant had gone through a personality change or something. Was this the same man who tried to kill them earlier?? What, were they all gonna sit around and chat over a cup of tea now??
The enemy Archer straightens his posture, most likely trying to ignore the pain from his wound and divert his attention to something else. Was he actually visualizing the scene in his head or something? "Ha! Pretty hardcore! Alright, I'll be your knight in shining armour. I'm not so hot at being a knight, but I'm not too bad with a lance."
Somewhat appeased by his answer, Dan nods in approval. "Excellent spirit. We are already en route to the next battlefield. Do not let your focus sway." Archer waves a hand dismissively at Dan, his eyes slowly trailing towards the brown-haired master instead. "Yes, yes, you don't need to remind me. But...before I go..."
Hakuno's eyes widened as the enemy servant promptly appears before her. Wait...how...?! The servant leans in, his face awfully close as his green eyes bored into her chocolate brown irises. Her body involuntarily tenses as she clenches her hands into fists. Dang it, at this close proximity, she can't cast anything to defend herself in time-
However, the enemy servant manages to surprise her yet again, grabbing her by the wrist as he yanks her forward, his mouth lingering close to her ear. "You never fail to amuse me. Catch ya later, ojou-chan. The next time we meet...I hope that bodyguard of yours can put up a more interesting fight."
This causes the master's eyes to expand even more, looking back at him in disbelief. There it was, the amusement present in those irises of his that she also saw when they first met. Her lips part open in mute confusion, trying to decipher his words. He wasn't going to attack her? Then...what was he trying to...?
He quickly leaps away just in time before Archer could do anything, with the master unable to respond or question the orange-haired man. He shoots a brief smirk in her direction with Dan flashing him a shake of the head and a sigh just as the two disappeared from the Arena, leaving the two dumbfounded. ...That sure ended on an abrupt and sort of anti-climatic note.
"...Finally, they're gone. That bastard, playing tricks one after the other. He didn't say anything weird to you earlier, did he?" At this, Archer's eyes narrow suspiciously at her, with Hakuno shaking her head profusely. "Not...really. Apart from...wanting you to 'put up a more interesting fight'," she replies, making sure to heavily quote the enemy Archer's words to avoid any unwanted misunderstandings.
"Hmph, for someone who had gotten wounded, he's got a lot of nerve. The guy seems more of a jester than the hunter of the forest at this point." Hakuno stares at her servant, unamused. Says the same person who had been taunting him nonstop the entire time and nearly made him unleash his Noble Phantasm.
Yeah sure, whatever...go ahead and throw out that insult now that they had left. She's fairly confident in her assumption that the two Archers were pretty much fighting and insulting each other just to get a kick from the other's reaction. 'Just Like a cat and dog,' she mutters lowly under her breath amidst Archer's grumbling.
Now that she thought about it, why was Archer getting so pissed and bothered over the enemy servant to begin with? Technically...he was still quite level headed and calm most of time, but she notices how he seems more...on edge and irritated with the enemy Archer...probably even more than with Rider or even Shinji for that matter. To show this much disdain and irritation for the current enemy servant was well...a little odd...to say the least.
Archer regards her question with a frown before massaging the bridge of his nose. "...Why I wonder...," she hears him mutter under his breath, before the servant takes a few steps closer, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Master...I hate to break it you so bluntly like this, but you can be really oblivious and dense sometimes. Are you seriously telling me now that you're still unaware of that man's intentions?"
Hakuno grits her teeth, her eyebrows twitching. Oh for the love of-seriously?! He was going to insult her again?! And here she was, getting all worried and anxious for both of their sakes! C'mon, he can't expect her to be able to read minds or anything!
Before she can swat Archer's hand away however, she feels the grip on her shoulder tighten, causing her to halt. Looking back up at him, Hakuno stares at the servant looming over her, appearing to be pondering on something. "...Archer?"
The tanned servant continues to stare at her, an unreadable expression on his face. Then, without warning, a finger rests on her forehead, giving it a hard flick. Pain flares out on the spot he attacked as the master in response let's out a yelp, rubbing her forehead in both confusion and irritation. "Hey! Can you please stop doing that?! What was that for anyway?!"
"Nothing much. I was just feeling sorry for myself for having end up with such a clueless master. At any rate..." He brings his face closer, now inches away from hers as if inspecting her face as Hakuno goes still at the sudden closeness, eyes wide in surprise. "W-What?"
Archer opens his mouth like he had something of importance to say, but decided against it at the last minute as he pulls away, scratching the back of his head. "...Nevermind. Just be more careful and don't trust whatever that suspicious bastard has to say. He's probably just trying to trick you or lure you into one of his traps if you let your guard down." What was he going on about?
Hakuno's frown deepens at that. "Speak for yourself. That was...kinda reckless of you Archer, provoking him like that. Weren't you always the more cautious one out of the two of us?" she slowly voices out, raising an eyebrow at him.
The servant doesn't seem apologetic in the slightest, cocking his head to the side. "Don't worry, I knew what I was doing." Ok, now Hakuno had to roll her eyes at that. Suuuuure he did.
Archer shrugs, explaining his reason for doing so. "It's the best way to get information out of him. People tend to expose themselves faster unconsciously when angry after all." Then that meant...earlier...
Once they were absolutely sure that the two were no longer present in the Arena, a small, triumphant smile crosses Archer's lips. Now what was he being happy for? "Did you pick up on that earlier, Master? He spoke of his home- the Sherwood Forest."
Hakuno blinks at him in mute understanding, relaxing her rigid shoulders. So that's what his plan had been all about. A slightly unconventional way to go about it, but she supposed it had worked as intended.
Although...she would've appreciated it if he had at least given her some sort of fair warning or even a heads up in advance before he went in with such a dangerous idea. Compared to him, she was sweating bullets the entire time in anxiety!
"Needless to say, Rani's astrology was quite remarkable. She was pretty much spot on about everything. A potential future foe with high intellect and skills indeed." Well that was a compliment(?) Hakuno hadn't expected to hear.
Though, he was right. Rani's vision pretty much revealed to her what she needed to know...and meeting up with the enemy duo had also confirmed some of her suspicions. And earlier, Dan had also mentioned another important detail: the Faceless King. Keeping these two details in mind would narrow down the list of possible heroic spirits for that man.
"With this new info, I think it's safe to say that we're closing in and have more or less an idea on Archer's True Name just before the Elimination Battle. You should probably look into this more when we return to the school campus." To the library they'd go before returning to their private room then. She definitely had quite a bit of reading to do later.
But for now...the training resumes. Two days left, and then the Elimination Battle would be upon them. The enemy servant had revealed that he still had a few tricks up his sleeve, but to be honest...she's uncertain of what to expect aside from anything poison-related.
For one thing, she sure wasn't anticipating him to yank a hidden blade out of nowhere earlier. There was still some ground for them to cover in terms of preparing for the upcoming fight, so she had to make the most of the remaining time as usual.
She had to make it count...she needs to.
0101010101010101010101010101010101
The night is silent, save for the occassional flip of the page every few minutes as Hakuno once again buries her head under a book, a small pile of them sitting on her bedside table. Archer hadn't said a word ever since they returned from the Arena either, apparently lost in his own thoughts as he quietly sat on his throne of chairs, appearing to be thinking to himself.
Finally finished with skimming through yet another book, Hakuno pauses to look up at her servant with raised eyebrows. He seems...uncharacteristically quiet tonight.
Usually he'd be telling her off and advising her to turn in for the night or something, yet Hakuno sees nothing of that, not even a hint of nagging. Not that she wants him to nag at her but this was definitely...unlike him. Just what was going through his head for him to be this silent?
Finally, as if sensing her eyes on him, the white-haired man decides to break the silence and speak up. "You're going to burn a hole through my head if you continue staring at me like that, Master." Excuse her for being curious and slightly weirded out by the shift in his usual attitude.
"When my servant stays quiet instead of lecturing me like he always does, I suppose it's a cause for concern. Gee, I wonder if the world is ending tomorrow," she sarcastically responds in return, earning a frown from him. He sighs, adjusting his sitting position as he leans forward, clasping his hands together.
"...Something bothering you? Well...not that I'm sure I'll be able to help but...I could lend a listening ear," she proposes slowly. It feels strange that she was now asking him the same question that he had asked her this morning, but it didn't sit right for her to just carry on with reading and ignore him.
Again, usually it would be Archer listening to her problems or doubts and advising her on various masters, but if there was anything on his mind that's worrying him, then as a master, she should also at least hear him out and try to assist him in whatever way she can. Besides, she also feels bad for dragging him around the entire day on her whims, so she figured that she should at least be considerate for him now.
Archer tilts his head to the side, still deep in thought. "Nothing much. I was just thinking back on our opponents. That man...frustrating as it may be, he's got an interesting style of fighting, I'll give him that much." Ah, so that was what he was pondering about. ...So he apparently still seems pissed about the enemy servant. Though he wasn't wrong.
The way he had fought back in the Arena...his fluid movements were definitely unique, from his attack patterns to even his footwork for dodging Archer's blows. She trusts her servant's abilities, but this was still a tough foe they were facing against. Proceeding with caution and a plan in advance was probably the safest and best idea.
"...Oh right, before I forget to mention, it was smart of you to be able to use that code cast before he could use his Noble Phantasm. Keep up that momentum for the actual battle, and I can assure you that we'll have an easier time fighting those two when the time comes," her servant pipes up. She didn't know whether to consider that as a genuine compliment given the command that came after, but well...at least it looked like he was trying to show some form of gratitude in his own way...sort of.
Though...that was easier said than done. Now that Dan and the enemy Archer saw what her servant was capable of doing, no doubt they would both be on guard during the Elimination Battle, especially in Dan Blackmore's case. She wouldn't put it past him for a man of such caliber to act carelessly.
...On that note, since Archer had mentioned about their opponent, she couldn't help but think back on what she witnessed earlier regarding the man's past. All those killings she saw, the constant pain and trouble he went through, the eventual betrayal that would lead to his downfall, and his inevitable death. A tragic ending to the mysterious hunter whose sole objective was merely helping those in need.
Thinking more on it now, that village...was that his home perhaps? Was that why he had such a strong and persistent desire to continue helping those people, no matter the cost? Because he too was once like them as well? Poor...starving...helpless and crying out in anguish for someone to save them. And yet, to think that they would betray him so easily just like that...
"...Do you pity him?" As if reading her mind, she perks up at Archer's sudden question. By 'him', he could only be referring to the enemy servant, right? The tanned servant nods in reply, gaze unwavering. "After all that you've seen of his past and what he went through to become the legendary soul that he is now, has your perspective of him changed in any way? Do you sympathise for him?"
...Truthfully, she'd be lying if she said that a small part of her didn't feel an ounce of pity or sympathy for this man after witnessing those series of events. The man literally placed his life on the line, with his everyday life being full of danger...and to think that he was doing it all alone during the entire process too, even when he died.
She could only imagine how much it must've hurt, to dedicate your life towards helping the people you wanted to save, only for them to turn against you. A life lived in the shadows, compensated with nothing but treachery and misery.
However, the existing truth is that he is still their enemy. No matter the circumstances or what he went through in the past, or how much she may pity him, the fact still remains that they must fight him and Dan. What has happened in the past doesn't change what needs to be done in the present.
Yes, she knows that she needs to do, even if she may see that servant in a slightly different light now. Letting their guard down or being hesitant to fight the opposing side out of pity would only prove fatal, and she knows that.
Archer continues to stare at her as if he were trying to decipher some sort of puzzle in his head, analyzing her answer. After a moment, he nods his head in approval and satisfaction, crossing his arms over his chest.
"A fair answer, and it's good knowing that my master won't let any unnecessary emotions get in the way of the fight." Hakuno sweatdrops at that. The way he phrases it as 'unnecessary emotions'...yeesh, that sharp tongue of his was being harsh yet again.
...Kind to think of it, there was something that the enemy servant had said back then that lingered in her mind. In the middle of the battle, he uttered something along the lines of 'an Archer pretending to be a swordsman'. While she didn't think much of it back in the Arena, now that they were inside their private room, she couldn't help but be curious on the man's words.
Recalling it now, it did seem a bit odd that Archer mostly fought with his pair of twin swords, in the Arena and even during the Elimination Battle with El Draque. Not that he never used his bow and arrows at all, but it looked like he favoured using those swords of his over a bow. At first she assumed that he was mostly doing it to conceal his servant class as much as possible, but perhaps...that's not all there is to it.
Her eyebrows crease together in thought. Hmmm...but how should she go about asking this? This might be related to his True Name, so whether she likes it or not, she's quite certain that Archer would skid around the subject and avoiding disclosing too much information as he usually does. That, and she doesn't wanna appear insensitive or overly nosy or anything. She wants to know...she wants to know but...!
"...? What's with that uneasy look? Are you worrying about something weird again?" Hakuno's expression falls, offended. 'Weird'?? As usual, he's able to tell right away. Though...him being able to probably saves her the trouble of figuring out how to bring up the topic to begin with.
"Well that's...earlier when you both fought, the man...he said that you were 'pretending to be a swordsman'. I was just...kinda curious as to what he meant by that..." Archer regards her question with a short pause before shaking his head, and Hakuno can very much tell that he's holding back from sighing.
"Of course you'd be curious about that. What, did his words really bother you that much?" Not...exactly. Sure, that phrase kept persistently popping up in her head but...it was more so her own curiosity than out of...well...worry.
"If it's nothing worrying, then you should probably just forget about it then." Hakuno shoots him a deadpan look, clearly not amused at his sarcasm. Really? She couldn't even be given a few crumbs as to what his True Name was...? Was she still really that unreliable as a master?
"It's not that. ...I might as well tell you clearly now, but my past is...not something I'm fond of disclosing or openly sharing. In fact, you'll be better off not knowing about it." He says that in a blunt and firm tone, obviously serious. She eyes him in mute silence, regarding his answer. That look in his eyes...she was clearly stepping beyond her boundaries if she decided to pursue on the matter any further.
But why was he uncomfortable about telling her anyway? Was his past that much of a sensitive topic to him? The other masters probably knew about their own servants' identities...and yet here she was, paired up with a man who constantly protected, fought and even bleeds in her place, whom she still doesn't know a lot of.
"...Is it that wrong to want to know more about you?" she asks, her voice soft. Archer's eyes widened slightly as his master pouts. She'll admit that she wants to know more about Archer. How could she not, when it's nearly been two weeks since he became her servant?
And after finding out about the enemy servant's past...of course now she'd be even more curious about her servant's. Or perhaps...the only other option would be to approach Rani again and-
The master doesn't allow herself to finish that thought, internally shaking her head. No, she shouldn't be pushy or overly stubborn about it. No matter how curious she must be of his identity, resorting to that method was just...wrong.
"...Nevermind, forget I said anything." It wouldn't be fair to him, and she would feel immensely guilty for using it too. If she wanted to know about his True Name and past, she would want it to come from Archer telling her himself, and not through utilising other means instead.
Why was she considering it in the first place, after rejecting Rani during that second time? She needed to be more firm in her self-control and patience, that's for sure.
Besides, this wasn't the first time Archer was reluctant to talk about it, and if that were the case, then he really must not like recalling and talking about his past to begin with. She needs to be patient as always, and wait for him to open up to her in the future...hopefully. Yeah, she could do this; she just needed to be more resilient in waiting.
"...Well...what that man said may not be far off the mark." Archer mutters, causing Hakuno to blink in surprise. "Perhaps compared to other legendary souls, my circumstances are a little different. I didn't become a heroic spirit through conventional means, and I can't say my actions back then were particularly commendable or worth of any praise to begin with."
"Being proud of my actions and how it led to me becoming what I am now is..." She could see his eyes dim slightly at that, his shoulders looking tense. His posture, although appearing calm, still gave off an aura of internal conflict, like he was recalling something unpleasant.
Silence descends upon the private room as Hakuno bites on her bottom lip, unable to reply. What should she even say in this situation to begin with?
Back then...he was probably referring to the time when he was still alive, right? He was being a little ambiguous about the details but...for some reason, she was now hesitant on clarifying or asking him any more questions.
However, like a switch that had been flipped, Archer waves a hand dismissively a moment later, all tension fading from the room. "Anyhow, it's nothing worth discussing or fretting about now anyway. What's more important is that we still have to discuss and make plans for how to deal with our enemies during the battle itself." Ah, he's back to his normal self. So he ended up dodging the topic...and yet Hakuno feels that it's probably for the best this time.
"As much as I'd like to do it now however, it's getting pretty late. As such, I'd advise you to turn in for the night and get some rest, Master." Hakuno laughs sheepishly at that. There it is. He's back to lecturing her again, not that she minds it too much...at least when compared to the enemy servant and Dan's case.
"No...but I mean...I can still...we need to..." Hakuno doesn't even get to finish her sentence before she closes my mouth firmly, bitting back a yawn. Unfortunately, Archer notices right away, sighing.
"Don't try to force yourself to stay awake, Master. I can see that your eyes are drooping. Even if we talk strategy now, we wouldn't be able to get far in terms of progress, not with you in that state." Ugh...she hates that he has a point.
Fiddling with the sleeves of her blazer, Hakuno tries to reason with him, although her argument is anything but convincing with the tired tone laced in her voice. "Yes but...we've gotta..."
Oh dang, now she was even having a hard time thinking straight. Her body feels...strangely heavy all of a sudden. Did Rani's spell really manage to drain that much mana from her? Why was she feeling such massive fatigue only now though?
"See what I mean? I understand your worries, but it's clear that you need sleep. Rest, and then at least we'll have the energy to prepare and get in some more training tomorrow before the battle." Hakuno blinks wearily at him, about to protest when her servant gives her a look of warning. Immediately, her shoulders sag in defeat.
Who was she kidding? She was clearly not even able to talk back to him, much less spend time discussing about a strategy. Her tongue felt heavy as did her body, and with each passing second, she felt herself getting even more light headed and sleepy.
Besides, with all that's occurred today, Hakuno knew that she could certainly use the rest. The lack of energy and extreme tiredness she was feeling now confirmed that she was indeed still suffering from some of the after effects of the process this afternoon. Coupled in with the exhaustion from dealing with the enemy duo plus training afterwards, and the brown-haired master is pretty much ready to pass out any minute now.
Begrudingly, Hakuno finally gives in, setting the books aside and gently tucking herself into bed, spending a couple of minutes recalling today's events. Eventually, the sleepiness gets the better of her as she mutters a good night to her servant before closing her eyes, settling into a quiet slumber.
0101010101010101010101010101010101
The clock in their private room continues to tick, a constant reminder to the servant of the approaching Elimination Battle. So...the second week was nearly over huh. A lot had happened over the course of this preparation period as was the last one.
Propping his feet up on a chair, Archer watches over his sleeping master, his normal routine ever since the war had begun. Since she wasn't much of a magus with previous battle experience prior to the Holy Grail War, it was obvious that she would get exhausted more easily than other experienced masters.
Hakuno was surprisingly pretty cooperative and went to bed with little resistance, falling asleep a lot faster than usual. Guess that spell must've tired her out more than she realized.
He recalls the events of today. The servant had already suspected that something was off when his master had woken up. Puzzlement and confusion clouded her eyes, and she had barely registered his presence, instead staring off into space in thought. Did she have some sort of odd dream again?
Whether it be unfortunate or not (not that he would know), his master shrugged it off, insisting that she was alright before heading off to the bathroom to prepare for the day. The man resisted the urge to sigh. It wasn't the first time he's dealt with it, but his master tended to keep things to herself and put up a strong front.
While a commendable effort, it was also harder on his end to gauge her mental well-being. This wasn't the first time it's happened. Ever since the first round, there had been instances where she would wake up with that same troubled look on her features, as if something was bothering her.
And yet she never brings it up, and Archer is aware that forcing it out of her wouldn't make matters any better. So he stays patient, merely lingering behind her like a close shadow as the two departed for their daily routine.
Touko and Aoko...they seem to be strangely supportive towards Hakuno, even more so compared to some of the other masters. But why was that? Did his master manage to pique their interest in some way?
His mind hadn't been cleared of the doubts he had for them back during the first round, with good reason. He was convinced that the two played a bigger role somewhere behind the scenes, and weren't just some sideline spectators.
The fact that his master looked a lot more carefree, oblivious to the amount of prana these two were radiating...he couldn't help but sigh once again. Well...it didn't look like they were trying to do anything harmful for now, so monitoring the conversation from a distance should suffice.
It wasn't everyday you'd meet your opponent in the chapel, and yet there they were, having a rather sophisticated conversation with Dan. Granted, he merely wanted to find out the enemy master's motives behind his actions in the infirmary yesterday, but ended up receiving more information than what he came for initially. He's not complaining of course. If anything, he finds himself feeling intrigued.
The second round opponent that they were matched up with: Dan Blackmore. At first, he assumed that he was merely acting out under someone's orders due to his past role as a soldier and affiliation with the Harways, and that his chivalrous attitude may be just a fluke to deceive them. However, looking at it now, he sees the reasons behind the old man's deeds, and while they may be perceived as selfish on Dan's part, they were nonetheless also noble and sincere.
And to think that his desire to obtain the grail was further fueled by motivation from his wife. This was getting more complicated. To someone who was not in any way prepared to kill, defeating an individual who possessed strong goals like Dan Blackmore would prove difficult. He didn't really wanna judge, but it was hard not to given the nature of his own master.
There was something notable about the conversation the two masters had, namely the 'story' Dan had told. This man he spoke of...from what's he heard, he doesn't appear to be any typical medic. The traits that Dan mentioned this man possessed and the way this certain man behaved...they didn't seem to fit or describe an ordinary person.
Unfortunately, the story ends too soon with Dan not providing as much as he'd hoped. The servant himself would like to hear more, but that that would probably seem suspicious of him to be prying.
On the brighter side, the conversation had appeared to aid his master and ironically, even provide her some motivation. Given his master's constant worries and insecurities, he supposed she needed that extra boost.
Then there was the whole meeting with Rani. He didn't trust her yet, especially with Rin of all people going out of her way to warn Hakuno first, but both his master and Rani had already gone through with the deal, and she was not one to shy away from a chance to grab more information from their current foe, especially regarding the enemy servant's True Name.
So today was the day, huh? To the servant, this planned meetup was also a way for him to truly confirm his assumptions. Watching the bespectacled mage before him in action, and he could tell that she was the real deal, and not just someone claiming to possess astrology abilities. All the information she was revealing so far matched his predictions.
The tanned man initially thought that they were just going to receive some sort of divination and get input on the enemy servant's identity. What he wasn't expecting was for his master to get roped into a fairly risky stunt of all things just for the sake of it.
And of course, Hakuno just had to ignore him. The servant wasn't even able to pull her aside in time and warn her before Rani decided to intervene. Rani VIII...just what was she planning to do to her?!
As soon as the spell had taken full effect, his master turned unresponsive, standing still in place. This wasn't what he had in mind. What was this magus putting his master through?! It couldn't be that she was deceiving them and tricking his master this whole time now, was it?!
Now on high alert, he couldn't help but glare at Rani, about to demand her to release whatever was casted upon Hakuno when finally, the spell wore off by itself, with Rani returning her consciousness back to her body. From the looks of it, the whole procedure didn't appear to be a hoax...thankfully.
Really...his master was way too reckless and trusting of others. He understood why she went through with it, but was still frustrated by the fact that she just dove in without discussing anything with him.
He was highly tempted to give her a good scolding there and then, but decided against it upon noticing the calculative gaze on Rani's face. This astrologist...he couldn't put his finger on it but...something fishy was going on.
All of a sudden, within the blink of an eye, Rani's hand reaches out and grasps unto hers. His eyes widened as the servant steps in, about to yank his master away from her when Hakuno retracts her hand away first.
He didn't know what on earth Rani had showed her in that moment, but Hakuno looked bewildered, barely able to speak afterwards. Her eyes...why did she look so uncertain and shocked?
He was glad that his master finally decided to get away from Rani; a little while longer and he may be tempted to drag her away himself. Upon leaving, the servant casts one last look in the astrologist's direction, noticing the blank look in her eyes that were practically drilling into the brown-haired master. Not that he could pay much attention to her now, with his master scurrying away downstairs, her footsteps fast and hurried.
The servant quickly caught up to her in no time, deciding to question her on the matter. He needed to know the reason behind that conflicted look present in her irises, and yet again, his master gives him that hesitant look, unable to respond. What was she hiding from him, and why was it so hard for her to tell him in the first place??
Whatever she saw clearly made her uncomfortable judging from her mannerisms. Heck, she looked uneasy just maintaining eye contact with him, the smile she had plastered on her face faltering and doing little to conceal the tension in her shoulders.
He breathes in through his nose. Seriously, he was exhausting the limits of his patience with his master. Sure, he had opted to not be not pushy about it, but it was times like these that communicating with her almost felt like talking to or even scaling an unclimbable wall. He gets that his master doesn't want to trouble him or whatever, but why couldn't she understand that he was just looking out in her best interests?
However, it was that silent plea in her eyes, that look on her face that begged him not to ask any more about the topic that made him cave in. Instead, he exhales quietly, letting go of his momentary frustration before patting her on the head. Right...he had almost forgotten; the person who had summoned him was a rather unusual master with complicated circumstances.
Even if she may have gained some experience and improved, she was still considered a novice, and a master who was still hesitant to kill. What hasn't changed is that she was still a regular, normal person who had been thrown into all this chaos. He had assumed that Hakuno would be more vocal now that the first round had come and gone, but perhaps there was still some things that she wasn't open towards discussing.
...Then...did Rani show her something that might be linked to her memories? Was that why she was so eager to leave? But then again, it didn't exactly appear to be the case. The expression on her face didn't look like she had recalled or figured out anything. Rather, her eyes looked unfocused and lost, like she couldn't comprehend what she had been shown.
Now that he thought about it, wouldn't Rani's abilities be able to at least trigger and unlock some of his master's lost memories? Given that she was able to show the enemy Archer's, the possibility of that happening wasn't too far fetched.
But the risk involved...Rani did mention possible side effects if a person was continuously exposed to the spell. That, and especially after what happened earlier...he doesn't want to potentially put his master in harm's way again. Thus, any plan to reclaim her memories would probably be put on hold for now.
He could tell...Rani had another hidden motive or agenda in mind that she hasn't disclosed to Hakuno. There was no concrete evidence or proof yet, but it was probably safe to still exercise some caution around that astrologist.
Speaking of which...the more he thought about it, the more he found it to be extremely strange. A seemingly ordinary individual that had managed to qualify as a master in the Holy Grail War, entering the tournament without any memories beyond the preliminaries...and still hasn't recovered a single one since the war had begun.
That, and there was no action taken by the SE.RA.PH so far...an error in the system? But even so, it's almost been two weeks already. Maybe her amnesia was a bigger issue than he initially thought if even the SE.RA.PH was taking a while to deal with it. There was little he could do as her servant even if he wanted to investigate the matter himself too...
An amnesiac master...just who on earth was this contractor of his? She was a total mystery to him, and apart from what he's seen himself, he really doesn't have much knowledge on her. Her origins...her family background...nothing.
She may very well be a typical and harmless citizen, but even so, to be able to coincidentally establish a contract out of pure will alone...it doesn't really add up. So many questions surrounding her, and yet not enough information to formulate a conclusion.
The servant finally gives in and decides to drop the subject, instead choosing to pay more attention towards pursuing their opponents. Right, there wasn't much use pondering too much about it when he wasn't going to get answers to his questions or doubts anyway. They should get a move on and not waste anymore time.
Before they depart to the Arena though, he makes it a point to warn the brown-haired master about being extra careful. He's not quite sure why...but there was just something about the astrologist that felt off and rubbed him the wrong way. That, and he didn't want his master to throw herself into any more of these weird spell shenanigans if possible.
Hakuno stares back at him wide-eyed, and for a minute he thought that she was still disoriented from the incident earlier. Thankfully, that wasn't the case, and she seemed to have understood. Good, that means the spell hadn't really affected her senses then.
Hakuno was quick to recover and get back on her feet, also focusing on locating the enemy duo within the Arena. It didn't take long for them to find their enemies too, as they were standing in a rather open area, almost as if waiting and expecting their arrival. How considerate of them.
The tanned servant could already feel his irritation rising. Ah yes, he was going to pay back the enemy servant for all the trouble he's put them through, along with all those bold attempts at aiming for and trying to kill his master too.
It was the resentment that he had been harbouring these past few days which had accumulated that led to all the insults really. But that wasn't all of course; he needed the enemy Archer to reveal one last piece of information to fully end the investigation on his identity, the closing piece of evidence that would help them tie all the pieces together later.
It was during all the back and forth banter that his master had finally caught on the enemy servant's other possible...intentions. Wow, Hakuno was...surprisingly slow and dense in catching on to situations like these. He felt the urge to facepalm at her daftness, but this wasn't what they came here for.
He could see the panic in her eyes with each insult thrown at the servant, but that didn't deter him from continuing of course. Satisfyingly, Archer didn't need to force it out of him, as the enemy servant had decided to holler it out for everyone in the vicinity to hear after losing his temper.
Now came the harder bit: dealing with the aftermath of the enemy's anger. With a firm grip on his dual blades, the red Archer blocked a few more arrows coming his way, maneuvering his way successfully through the enemy's attacks so far.
"...! Archer, watch out!" His master's warning caused his senses to heighten, narrowly dodging the blade that was aimed at his head. He eyes the new weapon the enemy is wielding with a frown. A hidden blade huh...he hadn't seen one of those in a while. So the bandages around his arm were just a cover up to conceal that all along...a clever idea, but not nearly enough to take him down.
Observing his attack patterns, he frowns. A unique fighting style that aims to throw the opponent off it seems, and attack when they least expect it. His eyes trained carefully onto his opponent, closely monitoring his movements. So the enemy wasn't all just all bark and no bite after all. This means he needs to work a little harder to crack the opponent's defenses.
At last, after several more insults, Archer manages to shatter the green clad servant's calm and cocky demeanor, the man reaching towards his own crossbow and unleashing a large amount of prana. All this concentrated energy that's circulating in the air...so he intends to finally bring out and use his Noble Phantasm, huh? Since they were in the Arena, even Dan's command seals had no effect on him in this moment.
Archer takes a stance, about to run in and take action when Hakuno decides to stop him instead with one of her code casts. He's grateful...but technically, he was already prepared to swoop in and stop him from releasing his trump card if it came to it.
Sure, he didn't exactly possess the capability to block his Noble Phantasm head on now, but he could very well prevent it from occurring. Nonetheless, Hakuno's assist allowed him to easily dash in and nail a blow before anything else could happen seconds before the warning from the SE.RA.PH came through.
He had assumed that the bastard would finally back off and retreat along with his master afterwards, but he just had to approach Hakuno yet again right before he left. The enemy servant should consider himself lucky that his throat hadn't been slit open after all the stunts he's pulled during the preparation period...and to have the gall to approach her so nonchalantly after sustaining a wound...that man was certainly wandering between the lines of bravery and stupidity.
The servant could already feel his irritation rising seeing that servant disappear with that big, fat and slapable smirk on his face. Of course, his master had tried to reassure him that nothing much had been said to her, though he doubts that's all there is to it. 'Put up a more interesting fight'? Oh, he'll put up an interesting fight during the Elimination Battle alright.
The man grips onto her shoulder firmly, grabbing her attention. She seemed so open and defenseless, it was no wonder the opponent was so persistent in targeting her. Coupled in with her apparent obliviousness, and he's certain that his master was at times a walking disaster, completely unaware of the enemy servant's motives.
He wants to point it out but...looking at her, she wouldn't get what he's talking about either. After all, it took her nearly a week to figure out the orange-haired bastard's other purpose for finding her in the gardens the other day. He knows that this cluelessness isn't intentional, but still...he can't help but feel a tad bit concerned. Did the term 'stranger danger' never cross her mind even once?
The servant decides to put off the matter for now, biting down on his tongue. It was probably for the best anyway, since they should focus more on training and preparing for the upcoming battle. There was no point needlessly confusing or worrying his master with side nuisances.
The man found himself getting frustrated for some reason, his jaw clenching at the thought as he hacked away at another enemy program to vent out his anger. Fortunately, it doesn't seem like his master had caught on.
It didn't get any better even after they were done training and had returned to the school, with the servant opting to stare at the ceiling than to observe his master. It was taking him an unusually high amount of willpower not to grumble or curse aloud. After all, the last thing he needed was for his overly curious master to start interrogating him about it.
Again, the servant feels conflicted just like the other night. It was a foreign emotion that made him feel agitated. Why did it the matter even bother him in the first place?? That...and it was Hakuno's question that threw him for a loop too.
Earlier, he wasn't able to give a straight answer, though it doesn't look like his master thought much of it. Honestly, he was asking himself the same question. It wasn't like him to get all worked up over an enemy. Granted, the enemy gave plenty of reasons for him to be pissed off, but Archer was a seasoned soldier, usually calm and collected even in the face of danger.
He would approach things systematically, analyze his enemy carefully, and take necessary actions, all while certainly not letting his sour mood get the better of him. So what made this situation any different??
He couldn't come up with a proper answer to satisfy even himself. Was it because he had a novice master? Was it due to her inexperience and cluelessness that drove him crazy and threw him off balance? He couldn't figure it out...couldn't understand it, and that alone made him exasperated.
...No, It was probably due to the enemy's rancid behaviour...yeah, that might be it. It must be due to the bastard messing around with them over the past few days that the tanned servant wasn't completely in his right mind. Archer forces the boiling anger of his to simmer down, his tensed muscles gradually relaxing.
'Calm down,' he repeatedly chanted in his head. Yeah...he needed to calm down. What good would it do for either of them for him to be on edge? Whatever the case, he just needs to continue watching over her and protecting her like usual. He just needed to focus on his job and role as her servant, and nothing else. Right...he should prioritise the upcoming Elimination Battle.
The servant now brings his attention on the earlier fight in the Arena to try and focus on something else. So the enemy can actually fight both in close and long range combat...how troublesome. Well...he's certain that long range is still the opponent's forte but to plan a counterattack for it is...
A trap? He could lure his foe in and-but would there even be enough time to set one up once the fight started? It wasn't like the SE.RA.PH would give him time to do that before the battle begun anyway. And knowing the enemy who probably had a hand in setting traps himself...he might not fall for it that easily.
His mind begins scouring through every piece of knowledge he could recall or dig up on the enemy. His Noble Phantasm...they've already witnessed it first hand, and saw what it could do, but was that all? Did the man possess a Noble Phantasm that was even more lethal than that? If so, what was it?
"...But no matter, I've still got plenty of tricks up my sleeve." The man's jaw tightens at the thought. What he said earlier...the enemy Archer was definitely up to something. Back then, when his master had collapsed onto the floor from the Yew Bow's poison, he could feel his blood run cold, his heart dropping to his stomach.
Seeing Hakuno's body lying still on the ground almost like a lifeless corpse, her face looking incredibly pale and barely even able to breathe...he didn't really know why but...it sickens him to even think back on the incident. The sight of it shouldn't faze him whatsoever, as someone who had been exposed to corpses and other horrific sights plenty of times in the past.
What was he feeling in that moment? Panic? Fear? No, that couldn't be. He should be immune to these kinds of things, should be able to deal with it without an issue, and yet...the indescribable, dreadful feeling that welled up inside of him...why was that?
But even so...the immense pain she went through that night...a part of him in that moment felt disgusted and disappointed with himself. He had spent years on the battlefield, fighting all sorts of enemies while perfecting his abilities, and yet all it took was a poisoned arrow to almost lead to both of their downfall.
All it took was a single damn arrow to make a dent in his composure, crumbling it to bits. To say that he was mortified when recalling how he acted out of character that night was an understatement; heck, he wanted to erase the part of him which acted that way if he could. Even yesterday, he could only remember the grim scene from the day before when he rushed to the Nurse's Office to get to Hakuno's side in time.
It was as if the Moon Cell was mocking him, reminding him of his failure. He had made a vow to himself not to let the same thing happen again, but with what the opponent had just revealed, how much of that promise can he really uphold, and with his current abilities on top of that?
'Calm down...you can't let the enemy rile you up like this,' he tells himself once again, grinding his teeth as he sucked in a deep breath. Letting all the rage wash over like a tsunami and consume him was the last thing he wanted.
He was better than this. After all, he had faced numerous life threatening and dangerous situations in the past, so this shouldn't be too difficult for him. It shouldn't...but...
The circumstances were different now. A person's life was on the line, a non-magus at that which he was responsible for protecting. He had answered to her summons, and so he needs to do his part to keep her safe and fight in her stead. But was that really it? Was that the only reason why?
He pauses. It was then that the tanned servant came to a realization that lately, a lot of his worries were centered around his master. That was a given due to her lack of knowledge, naivety and tendency to get into all sorts of trouble, but at the end of the day, all of the doubts and issues he'd be mulling over would all somehow link back to her. How strange and puzzling.
'Perhaps you concern yourself with that master of yours more than you thought,' a voice whispers at the back of his mind, though he wills it to go away and stomps down on that possibility immediately. His fingers twitch, suddenly feeling the urge to massage his temples.
What preposterous thoughts he was having; he must be going insane lately. No...he was just doing his part as a servant and fulfilling his end of the contract. That's all there is to it...nothing more. He refused to think anything more of it.
...Maybe he needs more sleep. Yeah...his mind was most likely malfunctioning due to sleep deprivation or something. It could be that he just needs a break from all this mayhem. Right...he should be productive and think of some other stuff, like the enemy master for instance.
...Dan Blackmore. Disappointingly, the opposing master showed no signs of helping his servant. He was hoping that Dan would participate in some way so that they could get a feel of what he could possibly do but...perhaps Dan is also trying to hide his abilities till the day of the actual battle. Did he also have an ace up his sleeve?
So what now? How were they going to deal with this round's opponents? The two of them somehow managed to get by the first round with some help with Rin's little gift (though there were still a couple ups and downs during that battle, but hey, at least they won in the end), but what about this next Elimination Battle?
They would need some sorta solid plan at least before heading into the fight, and he doubts that Rin's remaining jewels are enough to stop the enemy Archer's deadly poison. He had a few strategies in mind for facing the opponent, though none of them were exactly concrete or fool-proof at the moment.
It would've been a lot easier if they had more time for him to observe and figure out the opposing side's tricks and abilities, and find an optimal time to strike. Unfortunately, the opponent this time is stealthy and smart in hiding from them for most of the preparation period, so naturally, Archer would assume that most of their skills have been concealed as well.
And of course, the SE.RA.PH doesn't give any more than 6 days to prepare per week, take it or leave it. In any other case, this amount of time should be sufficient enough, but not when he has a master who was still an amateur magus and had him constantly on his toes 24/7.
From the looks of it, it doesn't seem like his master had any bright ideas so far as well. The man hadn't felt this annoyed at the lack of pre-battle plans in a while. Not that he could fault his master in any way, but the uncertainty of their current predicament was just...unnerving to say the least.
Apart from the information they managed to find on the enemy servant, there was still a lot of possible obstacles to work with, and not nearly enough solutions on the table for them to utilize. To add to that, they they were kinda stuck on a dead end right now which was just...terrific.
If anything, he was just glad that he was good at keeping up a poker face, otherwise he'd very likely have a frown permanently plastered on his features. He could contribute a few suggestions, but he's not sure how much of it they can execute given their current capabilities.
That, and he doubts his master would be able to fully comprehend them or even have the guts to agree and carry them out. Most of his methods were pretty effective, but brutal and ruthless, which obviously contradicted with Hakuno's beliefs and self-abiding principles.
She did have a soft side to her that hesitated to kill or physically hurt others after all. Furthermore, after Dan's conversation in the chapel, he had a feeling that she sympathises more for the old man now.
It would be wise for the brown-haired master to just cast aside that morally good side of hers, but he wasn't cruel enough to tell her that. She wouldn't even if he did, and he was well aware of that; above all, she was stubborn to cast aside the humane reasoning that remained intact. That's what made this person the odd one out in this war, this person that he now served as her sword and shield.
On another note, it had already been a while since his master had stopped reading and was just...staring at him silently. "You're going to burn a hole through my head if you continue staring at me like that, Master." He couldn't help the sarcasm that laced in his voice as he finally speaks.
"When my servant stays quiet instead of lecturing me like he always does, I suppose it's a cause for concern. Gee, I wonder if the world is ending tomorrow." He bit back a snort at her reply. It wasn't often that he saw it, but there would be these occassional times where Hakuno could be quite brazen and sassy when she responds. (He didn't want to sound conceited, but could it also be due to his own attitude having an influence or...?)
While there were still certain matters his master wouldn't divulge to him, it was clear that she was starting to ease up and was more comfortable while interacting with him compared to the first round. A major improvement if he were to add, given that she was all timid and tense a week back, like the master herself was walking on eggshells around him.
Well...they did start off as complete strangers, and not to mention that the whole contract process and first meeting was pretty bizarre and sudden too. Then again, they were in other other's presence almost every hour of the day since the war had started.
He had pictured her to be a shy and meek person at first, but maybe she just needed constant exposure to gradually open up to people she was more familiar with. In fact, she could be unexpectedly outgoing at times, particularly in important matters that concerned her.
Guess all it took was a little nudging and some regular conversations for her to get used to it, which was a relief of his end. This meant that he could simply talk and communicate with her more effectively, especially later on in the midst of the battle.
He could still remember how surprised she sounded when he first started speaking with her via telepathy. It was a more of an emergency tool at the time due to his predicament, but recalling it now, her reaction was somewhat funny. While they haven't really utilized it since the first Elimination Battle, he has a feeling that it'll put to use again in the upcoming fight.
"...Something bothering you? Well...not that I'm sure I'll be able to help but...I could lend a listening ear." Ah, so she was aware of his earlier mood then. Or it could be that she was just concerned and looking out for him.
Some other masters couldn't be bothered to take note of much less attend to or trouble themselves with their servants' wellbeing. At the end of the day, a lot of them sees their servant as nothing more than tools to help them advance through each round, but not this master of his.
Oddly enough, Hakuno regards him as an equal. She isn't overly demanding, far from that actually, and it's strange how she treats him as if he was a living, breathing human that hadn't already died before. Then again, she wasn't one to not care and ignore others after all, another unique trait she possessed.
Rather, she can even be nosier compared to other magi, insistent on knowing about his condition and whether he was really fine and all. To put it simply, she emits...a different energy and vibe from the other masters. He wonders why she cares over these little things so much.
Either way, he feels...grateful for the gesture, though he doesn't want to unnecessarily worry her too. "Nothing much. I was just thinking back on our opponents. That man...frustrating as it may be, he's got an interesting style of fighting, I'll give him that much." Technically, it wasn't all a lie. He was indeed thinking of the matter just now.
The brown-haired master nods in understanding, although her irises now appear to have a faraway look, as if she was pondering on something. From the looks of it, it wasn't all that hard to guess what she was thinking about, since she suddenly went quiet upon him mentioning about the enemy servant.
While he didn't witness the same events that she had seen, he could roughly tell what had happened in that man's past life, and how he had met his end. What bothered him now however, was that his master seemed to be oddly fixated on their opponent now. Again, he couldn't pinpoint the exact reason why, but it just...irked him. It couldn't be that she felt some sort of compassion or was sorry for him now, was she?
"...Do you pity him?" His master perks at the question, looking back up at him. "After all that you've seen of his past and what he went through to become the legendary soul that he is now, has your perspective of him changed in any way? Do you sympathise for him?" He hates the underlying tone of curiousness present in his voice, hates the fact that a part of him feels distressed about her possible answer, though it doesn't look like Hakuno had caught on, still deep in thought.
'Could it be because his past is in some way similar to yours?' Again, Archer shoves away the thought, burying it in the corners of his mind. Ugh...all these invasive thoughts he's been having. Perhaps he does need to catch up on some sleep after all.
However, the reply she gave was...rather unpredictable even to him. For one thing, he wasn't expecting his softie of a master to respond in that manner, that's for sure. Was this really same woman he met back during the preliminaries nearly two weeks back?
He analyzes her carefully, trying to gauge her reaction and evaluate her answer. No hint of deceit, not even an ounce of hesitance present in those large, chocolate orbs of hers right now. In fact, the answer she gave was...surprisingly honest.
Unknowingly, he found his shoulders relaxing. "A fair answer, and it's good knowing that my master won't let any unnecessary emotions get in the way of the fight." He leaves it at that, using a hand to cover his mouth. He wonders what kind of expression he has on his face now, though the servant dares not to ask.
It didn't take long for him to see that conflicted gaze of hers again. That look...it could only be about a problem she's unsure of but is afraid to ask or say it out loud. This time, he chooses not to stay silent. "...? What's with that uneasy look? Are you worrying about something weird again?"
Her expressions morphs from looking insulted to appearing troubled. Having been called out for it must've made her flustered, because she fumbles on her words. "Well that's...earlier when you both fought, the man...he said that you were 'pretending to be a swordsman'. I was just...kinda curious as to what he meant by that..."
He freezes. ...Ah, so that's what she's so curious about. He knew the topic may come up again at some point, but Hakuno seems to be very much interested about his past, asking about it several times within this week (Should he even be flattered?). Was it really a matter that was so fascinating to her? It doesn't seem like her curiosity would subside any time soon though.
Being confronted about his past so abruptly like this...even he's not sure how to respond. Archer certainly wasn't alright with just laying it all out on the table and outright telling her. It was an uncomfortable subject that he'd rather not touch on as much as possible. So as much as his master was being pushy about it, he wasn't willing to budge.
Her face falls upon sensing his hesitance. "...Is it that wrong to want to know more about you?" He knew how unfair he was being towards her...this game of tug of war they were playing. Whenever she asked, he would pull away, and the same goes for him. The two of them barely knew a thing about their previous lives outside of the war. He doesn't blame her for it...although...
He's worried about the consequences of telling her. 'It's still far too early,' he keeps telling himself. An act of cowardice...he wonders if that's what it is, a mere petty excuse. But she hasn't done anything wrong for him to doubt her like this.
A part of him feels bad that he still doubts his master. 'Can I really trust her?' the voice echoes in his head every now and then. There was so much he doesn't know about this woman before him, and while he's learning to deal with it as her servant, he can't help but waver.
'Suspect and doubt everyone but yourself.' Unnecessary emotions of empathy and kindness will only get in the way of battle.' Those words had been drilled into his head after countless wars and battles fought.
On the battlefield, he could only depend on himself to get through it alive. Apparently that trait still lives on in the present time too. How ironic given how much he emphasises on and encourages Hakuno to rely and depend on him more.
This master-servant relationship had a fragile foundation to begin with, built upon the fact that he had come to her aid in a moment of peril, and the contract was then sealed. Not that he intends to betray her or fight half-assedly because of it, but there were certainly still some gaping holes in their contract.
They had been paired together by an odd turn of events for this war, and from then on he was just doing his part as a servant. Apart from that, the two were still a complete mystery to each other.
There was no guarantee that her memories would return any time in the near future, and it's uncertain how long this contract would last either. Who was she? What was her story? Would he ever get to know anything about her past at this rate?
He's aware that she isn't exactly the judgemental type, but the hesitance still remains. 'Are you afraid of what she'll think and say once she knows the truth?' He wants to deny that question, to push it aside. Was he afraid? No, he shouldn't be. It wasn't fear that made him apprehensive but...he couldn't quite explain the reason to himself either.
...But the voice wasn't completely wrong either; he really wasn't the remarkable heroic spirit his master perceives him to be. The deeds he's done in the past...they can't be straightforwardly revealed or made known just like that. Those eyes that faced him seriously now...how would they appear if she discovers of the man he truly is?
He knows she's putting up with it, being accommodating and not forcing it out of him. This was something he wasn't able to give up on so easily after all. Still, he can't help but feel a tad bit remorseful. He did say that he would tell her in the future but...the question is when.
'Would you even have the guts to tell her everything when the time came?' For the first time in a long while, Archer felt immense doubt towards himself. He finds himself faltering, second guessing himself at this crisis. If and when that time came...can he look at her truthfully in the eye and spill everything? Can he be as honest as she was trying to be with him?
Quietly, he rises from his spot, carefully walking over towards Hakuno's bedside. He gazes upon her sleeping face, peaceful and unmoving. Slowly, his hand reaches out, fingers stopping right above her cheek.
Oddly enough, even with her lack of expression, there was something serene about the way she slept, shoulders relaxed and tresses of chocolate hair framing her face, still and unmoving...like a doll in a painting. Once again, he examines her features, as if doing so would allow him to figure something out, as if he was trying to solve a puzzle. Alas, he knows some pieces are still missing.
'Just who are you really?' He is tempted to ask that question that resounds loudly in his head, merely a question of both curiosity and frustration, he tells himself. Did he want to know more about this person? This strange master who could be unexpectedly unpredictable at times? This same person who was so keen on knowing who he was?
He finds himself unable to answer, the question left hanging in the air. This was different from when she was his master instead. Unlike with her, he wasn't being this bothered and frustrated and fussing over the smallest details.
Unlike with her, he didn't feel so lost and...conflicted. Heck, it seemed easier back then with her, when he was able to be more level headed and focused at least. Everything used to be so much more...simpler to deal with. This situation he now found himself in though...it was all so...confusing and bizarre to him.
A moment ticks by, and he withdraws his hand back to his side, clenching it into a fist instead. 'Right, no use or benefit to comparing the two of them,' he reminds himself. If only this unaware master knew all the stress he was experiencing right now, or even a fraction of what he was going through. All because of her dammit.
He massages the bridge of his nose, once again fighting the desire to curse aloud. Just what was going on with him? Why was he suddenly feeling so troubled now, and having all these...random worries? It wasn't like him at all.
...She was slowly but surely ruining him from the inside out. She was messing with him in ways he couldn't even comprehend. These unexplainable, ugly emotions were indirectly her doing, wasn't it (even if he still couldn't explain or understand how and why)?
He wants to get rid of them immediately, to nip the problem at the bud. They were interfering with his line of work, his line of thought, his very own set of principles and beliefs. Just what was this woman doing to his mindset and conscience? Why did he want to know more about her past? What made her different from anyone else he's encountered in the past?
She was just his master, and their contract could end at any given time during the whole duration of this war. Plus, it technically hasn't even been two weeks yet since their contract had been established. They were two complete strangers to each other, only linked by the seals on her hand.
He shouldn't need to think about all this, shouldn't need to mull over this mess again and again...but they keep popping up in his head. It infuriates him, frustrates him, irritates him, aggravates him...and yet...
"...What am I, a kid?" What immature thinking; yes, go ahead and start pointing fingers at the same person who technically didn't commit any crimes herself. So this was how Hakuno must've felt when he got mad those other two times. Truthfully, he has nothing to say to justify his attitude in that case.
And to top it off, he had inadvertently began comparing his current master to that woman just now too. That'll surely solve the problem and make him feel a lot better. He mentally chided himself for possessing such narrow-minded and foolish reasoning. At that point in time, it almost felt like he had returned to his former and naive, younger self-
'No, stop. Cease and crush that thought immediately,' he cringes. He was not going to go back to those times...definitely not; he refused to at all costs. He can't believe that possibility even crossed his mind to begin with. Archer was already beginning to have a headache. Oh no, he might really be descending into madness.
The tanned man found himself sighing for the umpteenth time that day. ...Nevermind. What's vital now is that he needs to get his act together. Tomorrow, he needs to revert to his normal self, and wipe out whatever lingering thoughts he has from this night.
He should just...forget about all this and move on. It was for the best, in order to retain both his sanity and rationality. Furthermore, he didn't need nor want to unintentionally confuse or upset his master with...whatever cruddy problem or mood he was in currently.
Archer needed to deal with this turmoil himself, and put a plug on the problem before it escalated any further. Yes, he could handle this himself, as a mature and responsible servant; he is going to handle it himself (or so the man repeats internally to try and alleviate his bad mood).
He makes it a point to remind himself of his job and current identity. That's right...he was an Archer class servant, summoned forth to fight in the Holy Grail War. His priorities should always be concentrated on facing his enemies and keeping her safe, nothing else. No need to be...overly curious or whatever about her.
Tomorrow, he has to return to his usual self, and continue to carry out his mission as a servant. That's what his current role is, and he needs to fulfill that responsibility properly. It would all be alright when tomorrow arrives.
He'll help her out like usual, go about their day like usual, and talk and act normally like he usually would. That's all there is to it. The whirlwind of emotions he felt tonight would need to be discarded, otherwise they would just hinder him and get in the way of the impending Elimination Battle. Get in the way...yeah...they would just get in the way, wouldn't they?
He must recover himself, and throw aside the unneeded dread and uneasiness that occupied his mind. He'll be fine by tomorrow, almost as if this incident never happened; he'll be able to put on a straight face like always. But tonight, just for tonight, he'll allow himself just a brief moment of weakness. A moment of weakness that he'll keep to himself.
'Oho? Do I still sense hesitance...? You sure you're ok with that?' Ah right, he needed to do something about this too. Clearly this intrusive and overly cocky voice was messing with him and affecting his ability to think straight. Yes...he also needed sleep...asap. When morning comes, this stupid voice in his head should go away. "Oh shut up. Screw you."
Yeah, he'll handle and solve this issue himself...definitely.
0101010101010101010101010101010101
"Aaaaah damn, I messed up. To think that he could land a blow on me right before the warning came...urgh, makes me mad just thinking about it." The man in the green cape carefully patches up the injury, cursing to himself.
Their enemies now knew about his True Name know too. He unconsciously chews on his bottom lip at that. He had indeed tried several times over the course of the week, and yet still failed to eliminate the enemy master.
That dang servant was just so overly protective of her. He practically followed her around everywhere like a persistent guard dog, and the one time he thought she was finally vulnerable back in the Nurse's Office, he just had to intervene at the last second. To top it off, his master just had to step in and issue those stupid orders with his command seals...what a dilemma he was in now.
Dan gives a brief glance at his direction, raising an eyebrow. "Blame only yourself for your carelessness and irrationality. And what did I mention about crass language earlier?"
The orange-haired man places his hands behind his head, letting out a frustrated groan in response. "Dang, you really know how to nag at someone. My ears are gonna bleed one day due to all your repetitive lecturing," he mutters under his breath, watching his master shake his head with a sigh before the old man's eyes direct themselves back towards the window, gazing at the virtual blue moon.
"...So the time has almost arrived. The battle draws near, and I need you to get your head together and remain in good condition before the eventual fight commences." Placing his hands behind his back, Dan's expression hardens into a solemn one, regarding his servant with the strict air of an army commander. "Do you understand? No more horsing around, especially with our current enemy. While I do not know what is your motive for prancing around her..."
The servant cuts his master off, clicking his tongue. "Yes, I'm well aware. Yeesh, would it kill to have you not be so uptight and get off my case for once?" He runs a hand through his messy hair, grumbling. Of all masters, he just had to be stuck with someone like him.
His mind flashes back to the earlier encounter in the Arena. Oh, how he wishes he could at least bash that rat's face into the ground before leaving. Alas, they had already suffered enough penalties due to his negligence, and at this point, he's just trying not to incur the wrath and constant complaints from his master.
...That woman. Much to his chagrin and dismay, she had successfully managed to avoid all his attempts of killing her so far, and could even predict some of his attacks earlier. She has a sharper eye and brain than he realizes, definitely way more interesting of an enemy master than the previous foe they faced against in the first round.
To survive the Yew Bow's poison was no simple feat, and she had achieved just that. Hakuno Kishinami was full of surprises, that's for sure.
An idea pops in his head. Sure, his master advised him not to, but he was never one to stick too closely to the rules to begin with. Right...he should probably pay that woman one last little 'visit' tomorrow before the battle.
0101010101010101010101010101010101
"...?" A certain mage perks up, frowning. "What's wrong? Did you detect something?" a voice calls out. The magus pauses, eyes narrowing. "...Not really. Must be my imagination."
"A false alarm? How rare for your keen senses and intuition to be off. Then again, even the environment on campus is getting more dangerous after the first round had ended." The mage nods, frown still plastered on their face. "...Right. Anyway, Just stay alert and proceed with caution for now."
The voice utters a quick 'Gotcha' before disappearing, with the individual crossing their arms over their chest. It was only for a brief moment but...they could've sworn...
The magus purses their lips together. How troublesome; something was off, they could sense it. Well, it shouldn't be too big of an issue or even concern them to begin with, but just in case...