Interlude 3 / Distant Bonds Converge Into the Present

"Hey. Open your eyes, kid."

When my consciousness came back to me, I found myself lying within a forest. It was certainly different from the Mihoji Forest with its different wildlife, but I couldn't remember how I got here in the first place. Without any direction to guide me, I got up and sweeped the dirt off my pants. There had to be some explanation that caused me to land here, but even in trying to remember my past actions, I couldn't even figure those out. I can't even remember what I was last doing.

"Standing around isn't going to do much for me…"

The trees were a bit spaced out as I travelled through it. The clouds above looked a bit gray, worrying me that it might start to rain. Unfortunately, those worries came true as I progressed, having some light showers dribbling down. My clothes weren't getting as soaked, being careful to stay underneath the tree branches.

I wasn't sure how long I had been walking for, but the rain started to get heavier. It became progressively more difficult to keep myself dry as I figured a way out of this mysterious forest, but I suddenly started to smell smoke. It wasn't hard to imagine from the burning sensation, it was a fire in the middle of the forest.

A question remained.

With such a heavy rain, how could flames be able to survive such an onslaught of an elemental enemy? It should have been extinguished the moment the rain dialed up, but for some reason. this wasn't the case. No, it felt like because the flames weren't being extinguished, that the rain was pouring harder to eliminate it.

All my curiosity knew how to do was to follow that scent. Regardless of what danger might be waiting, I moved forwards, trudging through the heavy rain until I was able to see what was waiting for me. My eyes widened as it felt like it was calling to me, calling for my name, but not because it wanted me in particular. To that much, I already understood.

Before me, a spear that was eternally burning with a violent flame. As if it was cursed to only that spear alone, the flames were not spreading across the forest trees. The dirt that the spear was stuck within did not show any signs of being burned in the slightest. That flame, or suffering, belonged only to that spear and that spear alone.

And yet, I found myself walking forwards.

"Do you not remember?"

A voice echoed from behind me, but I didn't look back. I felt like I already knew who I was talking to, but I remained silent. My legs were suddenly unable to move, both by force and self-volition.

"The reasons as to why you're here to begin with. The reasons as to why you're lost in your own thoughts. As long as you do not remember, you do not deserve what you desire."

What was he talking about though? I couldn't remember, all I knew was that the spear was calling out for me. But why? Why was the spear calling for me? I tried reaching out for it, but the distance felt like it got much longer. Every step I took, it took another three steps to reach it.

A slight headache washes over me, causing me to stagger backwards. As if a flicker between a spark and a split, my headache kept switching back and forth to deny any semblance of preservation. And yet, it was that which allowed me to recall.

Why am I here? What happened to me?

Memories started flooding back into me about the Holy Grail War. Fighting against Saber and his Master, sieging their headquarters in the Mihoji Forest, and finally, the fact that Saber cut me down like some type of trash mob in front of him. It caused me to fear the darkest despair because within an instant, I realized that I had just died.

For what reason did I die in such a stupid way?

I had a normal life with nothing to complain about. My school days were filled with a casual bliss while I helped out my father at his cafe business, being given some good pocket money to spend on whatever I wanted. My family were those I treasured and my friends were people whose company I genuinely enjoyed.

Why did I throw it all away? Why did all of this have to happen?

Questions come. Answers don't.

I felt sick to my stomach, falling to my knees. No longer did I want to be involved in any of this. Please let me wake up in the middle of the night, just to find out that this was one big nightmare. There was no rhyme or reason to involve myself in such insane things!

Without anything being accomplished, there was no reason for me to be here. I was merely dead weight, making situations worse than they already have to be. That's why I was a normal person. Someone like me shouldn't be eager to deep dive into a mundane life like this where danger was all around me. It would crumple a normal person into pieces; it was a damn miracle that I survived for this long either way.

I'm stupid. I'm pathetic.

I… I'm…

"—not remembering the reason why you're in this fight."

"W-What…?"

"Don't tell me you forgot why you're fighting to begin with? Didn't you make a promise?"

"My promise…?"

A girl showed up in a flash of my memory.

Under the dusk of the night, she stood in front of me. Her verdant clothing was gorgeous on her modest and slim body. Her blonde hair, though untidy, felt like it was drifting along with the wind. Her green bangs and dignified expressions came together with a stern glare of her emerald-amber eyes. And her unusual cat-like ears twitched, looking over at me for the very first time.

… This was the moment I laid my eyes on her for the first time.

It was the moment I fell in love with her.

Was I wrong to die for that? Was I a ridiculous person to throw my life of peace to die for a woman I loved from the bottom of my heart?

"If that's what you define as stupidity, then I suppose we're both in the same boat." The voice crept up in a physical form, letting me hear his footsteps as he approached me. "But it's only stupid if you decide it to be. It's only stupid if you hold regrets about what happened. It's only stupid if you could see yourtself doing anything else in that situation."

The rain got heavier in our silence together.

"So tell me, kid. Did you regret it? If that managed to protect the woman you loved, even if it was only for a few more moments, did you regret it? To use the last of your breath, thinking about her. Would you have done something different?"

My body would have moved in regardless. That much, I already knew. There was no way that I could see her get hurt right before my eyes and not do anything about it, but I had to curse myself. I found myself pounding my fist against the drenched dirt, regretting what happened.

No, it wasn't regret, was it?

"You're feeling frustrated. Because you're a weakling."

If I had more strength, I wouldn't have died. I wouldn't have been pushing Archer to cover for my weaknesses. I would have been able to look after myself to make sure that Archer didn't need to worry about me as her Master. And yet, I wasn't strong enough for any of those things.

"And so tell me, kid. If you could receive strength, what price would you pay?"

My body stopped.

"It's impossible for a weakling like you to become strong of your might. That is the harsh truth of this world. No matter how weak you are, you'll always stay weak compared to the enemies you will face. That is the type of story that awaits ahead of you, if you do find some miracle to survive this ordeal. That is why you must pay a price."

My body was once trembling, but as that man kept talking, everything felt calmer. The noise in my head started to disappear and all I could remember was Archer.

That's right…

I haven't seen her genuinely happy yet.

She might have enjoyed my sister's company, found the job at the cafe to be rather simple, and thought being under the care of my parents to be welcoming, but was that something she could say she was happy with? In knowing that she was summoned to fight for the wish she desired, could she genuinely be happy for that?

"I'll ask once more, kid. What is your conviction? What price shall you pay!?"

"My conviction… I'll show it to you."

I pulled myself upwards against the pelting rain, clenching my hands into tight fists. My legs felt heavy, but they trudged on, persisting against the resistance. My breaths, ragged and dull, were becoming form and stable. My arm reached out, feeling the flame's burning sensation just from that without getting anywhere close yet.

The mess of my thoughts started to clear up. There was nothing left on my mind except for the desire to move forwards. Even when my hand felt like it was starting to catch on fire, my body didn't falter from any of its threats.

"Even if that means you share that fate? Taking up that spear is to take up the same destiny of the one you are asking strength from. To bring about a story of tragedy, to claim a future of demise."

"I don't care," I found myself whispering to the voice. "I don't care, as long as I can protect her. I don't care, as long as I can make her smile with warmth and happiness!"

"Is that right!? I guess you are worthy to become my vessel!" The voice boisterously laughed. "I shall lend you my strength, so take up that spear of mine! We shall fight for her sake!"

Standing right before it, the relentless heat never made me flinch. There was no sign of a stagger as my hand grabbed the polearm, but it didn't change it from hurting. As if the pits of hell were trying to rip apart my arm, I clenched down on my teeth. Even when the fire started to climb my body from my arm, I never released the spear from my unyielding grip.

"Take Enyalius, the Treasured Spear of Calydon's Royal Family, for yourself and manifest it into your soul. Use those flames to fight back all who dare harm the woman we love!"

"I won't surrender. I won't turn back anymore!"

"Good. Good! Wear these flames, not of pain or misery, not of fears and regret, but the flames of passion and desire! Wear them proudly, even if it pulls you down the depths of hell!"

At some point my voice started to overlap with the voice that echoed behind me. We were starting to emerge together as one, but that didn't matter to me. If he could do a better job at protecting Archer than me, then so be it. I'll pay the price, damn it. No matter what it might be.

Call me stupid. Call me ridiculous.

But I'm not backing down.

Not until her wish has been granted.

Not until our wish has been granted.

The flames consumed me entirely and after that, all I could see was a bright light.

One last echo rang through my ears as my consciousness wavered. That was the last of my strength that I could provide, so… so...

"Don't worry, kid. Lest the rest to me."

Yeah...

Please protect Archer.

Please… protect… Atalanta...

"Oh my. To think that would happen…"

The man rubbed his chin as he called back Saber to be on standby for now since things didn't go the way that was planned. They merely watched as Archer had a scowl on her face, looking down on the body of her Master. Rain started to settle in with thunder in the background. As a Servant, she couldn't get sick from the rain, but glancing down on the foolish excuse of a Master had been more troubling to her.

He did not belong in the world of the Holy Grail War. As someone of innocence, she somewhat shared the same sentiments as the odd demands of Saber's Master, for him to leave the Holy Grail War behind him and return to his normal life alongside his sister, but now…

Even if Shiro was saved, what would she think when she's been told that her brother wouldn't be coming home ever again?

A child should never experience such despair in their life so early on; Archer knew that the sibling bond between them was strong and if one were to be shattered, the other would not be able to resist its depression. That was one of the reasons why she didn't want him to come in the first place; if something happened to him, Archer would feel responsible for allowing a child in this world to be sad.

"Quite a shame that happened. I was planning on using that child in order to restart some of my research, but I suppose that's a bygone dream again. We might as well finish this." The man nodded to his Servant. "Saber. As you may."

"Of course, Sir."

Saber leapt forwards and swung at Archer's direction. She managed to block it with her bow, but there was no real reason to resist anymore. Now that her Master was gone, she would technically have a few days to look for a new person to bind another contract, but that was if she could escape the grasps of Saber. That is also saying that she would abandon Shiro here in the hands of Saber's Master.

At the very least, she owed it to her Master that his sister would be safe, but considering the disadvantage she was at—

"Grrah…!"

Her body was pushed backwards, having her clothes fall victim to the rain. She certainly felt the weight of her clothes growing, but while that didn't change much in her movement, it certainly made it rather sluggish to navigate against Saber's swordplay. No, it wasn't the rain that caused it.

Was it the fact that her Master covered her and died in her place? Although she hated how lightly he treated the Holy Grail War, she couldn't say the same for the person himself. Kurogane was somebody who liked wearing a smile on his face, always being light-hearted and filled with energy. The thought crossed her mind before, but he definitely reminded her of a certain someone.

Maybe it was because of that, she couldn't find herself moving as quickly.

"It was not my intention to give a fatal attack to your Master," Saber announced, pushing up his glasses, "but I cannot return to the past to stop it from happening. My Master expressed how much he wanted to leave him be, but it was obvious from my eyes that he did not see the relation of Master and Servant. From those eyes I saw before he fell, those were of someone in love."

Archer was silent. She already knew that, but to go this far for something like that? She couldn't imagine it, but it wasn't the first time someone died because of it. It was more like she didn't want to remember it again. The guilt would only climb up her body before the end of her life as a Servant here.

"For that, I cannot ridicule him. I can only wish that he will find peace."

Saber lifted his sword, but Archer didn't move.

Did she already give up?

"Goodbye, Archer."

But a hand grabbed onto Saber's arm.

Both of them were surprised, seeing a bloodied and bruised hand holding back the sword from coming forwards onto Archer. Although shaking, the glare of the person had been firm in his eyes.

"Get… away from her…"

Archer didn't know how her Master was still standing. Someone of normality should have died upon the streaking blade's impact with his body, but here Kurogane stood, right behind Saber and the sword that cut through him. His wounds dripped along with the rain's pounding patterings, mixing into the dirt as one fluid, but Saber was the one that was the most surprised.

He couldn't move his arm and Archer noticed the struggle that Saber was having.

To think her Master was like this—

—no. This feeling.

This wasn't her Master, but at the same time, it was him.

What was happening?

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

With one tug over his shoulder, Kurogane threw Saber back towards his Master. While it couldn't do any visible damage to the Servant, everyone wasn't sure what just happened. How was it that a normal teenager was able to overthrow the might of a skilled swordsman spirit? In that mystery, only one person had an answer, fitting to his hypothesis.

"And so, the experiment wasn't a failure. I just couldn't see it at the time because the child didn't have the conditions to manifest it properly. And now, with the link to the Holy Grail War…"

"Sir?" Saber turned to the muttering of his Master. "What do you mean by that?"

"Just keep watching, Saber." He narrowed his eyes. "Your real opponent is about to come on out. One of perhaps a Pseudo-Servant, but perhaps only in name. Let us witness this mysterious phenomenon for ourselves, shall we?"

Archer couldn't do much but to watch in disbelief. This certainly was the same person that spent his time being as a Master, but something dissuaded her from calling out him as such. This wasn't Kurogane Yoshida anymore, but at the same time, it was. Her body shook, not knowing what to make of this odd circumstance, but he glanced back to her.

A soft smile came out, knowing that she was safe, but something was wrong.

Kurogane's left eye had been coloured in green. As if something was possessing him? No, that wasn;t the right word. It was as if Kurogane had willingly allowed for that to happen and despite the wounds that he suffered, he managed to take a step over towards Saber.

"I'm not… going back down here…" he grunted. "As long as I have life inside of me, I'll keep protecting her if I have the strength inside of me to do so! Even if it kills me! That's my resolve. That's our eternal conviction!"

His hand held outwards, brandishing his Command Seal.

"By my command seal! Come forward!"

The Command Seal started to ignite in a red glow.

"Take my body and use it for your own! And! And...!"

Kurogane screamed out to the skies.

"AND PROTECT ARCHER, MELEAGER!"

His body exploded from a bright light, causing everyone to look away. Wind gathered in a furious howl, surrounding the Master in unyielding force. Archer had to double-take as to what Kurogane screamed out. Because that name…!

As the light died down, Saber could feel the presence of a new servant that had taken the field. Though it was fragmented and incomplete, it did not change the fact that someone else had arrived and when I looked over to Kurogane, it was obvious what happened.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

He changed.

His hair was no longer black with a few white highlights; instead his entire hair of his head had been consumed by a white colour. The heterochromia of black and green persisted on her Master, yet it was as if they were filled with life. His clothes disappeared from the civilian appearance to something like a warrior would wear. Befitting of regalness, yet suitable for a hunter at the same time. In his hand, a spear marked with such an intricate design, it must have been a weapon that was cared for a long time.

And yet, there were no more wounds on his body. They didn't disappear suddenly, but rather, they were all healed up by the person's natural ability to do so. With an expression devoid from the scared person he once was, Kurogane, or whoever was in there, looked directly at Saber. Upon noticing the arrow in his shoulder, he glanced over his shoulder to Archer.

"I see that you've already landed the first hit on him."

Archer shivered to hear his voice again, echoing doubles. There was no mistake about it.

It was… him.

"Then don't worry about the rest, Atalanta. It's up to me now to finish the job here."

He spun his spear and pointed it to Saber.

"You've made a dire mistake, Saber. And that mistake shall be your final one. No matter who you are, you would be a fool to defy my spear." Although calm and collected were the words, his tone was anything but. In the underlying voice, he was furious and agitated. "A certain kid asked me to take care of things, not that he needed to in the first place, but for the sake of both of our wishes, we're going to protect her no matter what."

He was looking for blood and for her sake, he'll spill as much of it as possible.

If that was what it took to keep her safe.

"You're facing Meleager of Calydon, the hunter to kill the Demon Boar. I've come because you've disgraced my… no, our beloved huntress."

His spear sharpened its fangs, just as it once did during his final hunt.

"And for that, be prepared to die by our hands."

[Author's Notes]

A quick follow-up update to the last chapter, because this is where it happens.

The second half of the story's title is finally revealed. While [The Beloved Catgirl Archer] obviously refers to Atalanta, what the heck did [Telikós Kynígi Calydonia] mean? Well, for those who didn't bother to translate it, it means [Final Calydonian Hunt]. More or less. And that, ladies and gentlemen, refers to our second spotlight Servant, that being Meleager of Calydon whose demise occurred in the aftermath of the events t the Calydonian Boar Hunt. Since he doesn't exist in the context of Fate narratives yet, I have to go out on a limb and do my best to have Meleager be as written the best that he could.

Hopefully, everyone is excited to see what Meleager is capable of, especially when he's fighting for the beloved catgirl archer.